Macon Reporter

Maya Fombelle, a  middle school counselor at American Dreamer STEM Academy, recently addressed the Decatur Public School Board on their recent Girls Day In event.

It began because of a grant opportunity that Fombelle brought to Rida Ellis, the principal, and asked if there was anything she wanted for the school. The principal immediately jumped at the opportunity of a Girls Day In.

"And then each of the speakers did just a great job," Fombelle said. "It was fun. The girls were really well behaved. They enjoyed the interactions and we felt really good about the event. The grant did fund the whole event."

The idea was to have a fun and relaxing event for the middle schoolers as they struggled through the pandemic and getting back into school after the pandemic. They planned both a boys and a girls day, with the girls day scheduled about a week before the boys. 

They brought in women speakers from the area who had inspirational stories and encouragement for the 50 girls from seventh and eighth grade that participated in the event. Community partners also spoke at the event. The Girl Scouts participated and donated time and cookies for the girls.