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Keeping Girls Active, All Night Long

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When Dana Hill, a staff member at the Prince George’s Plaza Community Center, saw a preteen girl carrying a sleeping bag into the center, she was not surprised—the girl would be there all night after all—but she told the girl’s mother she could take the sleeping bag home. Hill was preparing for the Just Us Girls Overnight Adventure, which took place on Friday, Sept. 23. The program allowed girls aged 10 to 16 from throughout Prince George’s County to participate in a variety of activities, which took place nonstop from 6 p.m. Friday until 8 a.m. Saturday. The event came about after a group of girls that attend Prince George’s Plaza Xtreme Teen events requested an overnight activity. The community center staff listened, and worked to create a program that would appeal to a wide variety of girls. “We tapped into everybody so we could get a little bit of everything,” said Hill. “It’s diverse—it will fit everyone.” Fifty girls were registered to attend as of Friday night, as more continued to register at the last minute. The popularity of this event has already spurred discussion about a “Just Us Guys” program, which Hill says should take place in the spring. The event not only appealed to the girls’ desires for a sleepover, but to parents as well. “I wanted to let her get out and meet kids her own age…get her to be more independent,” said Jessica Carter, mother of 10-year-old Jasmine, who attends programs at Good Luck Community Center. Rocio Lima, Erica Mata and Lucero Ulloa, all 16, were also excited to make friends from other areas of the county. At the overnight adventure, there were usually two events going on at a time, so that the girls could have a choice. However, many of these options allowed the girls to remain active. “We wanted to keep them moving,” said Hill.