WEtv’s acclaimed documentary “High School Confidential” gave America a sobering look at the challenges and choices facing teenage girls today, and its creator and executive producer, Sharon Liese, shared some stories-behind-the story when she spoke at a luncheon benefiting the Colorado mentoring program Smart-Girl.
“High School Confidential” tracked the lives of a group of high school girls from their freshman through senior years. Its poignant vignettes included teen pregnancy, suicide and instances of peer pressure, issues faced by many of the girls that Smart-Girl serves.
Smart-Girl began in 1999 when four insightful Denver-area moms decided that agonizing about the problems their daughters faced was not enough. Through workshops and other activities, “tween-age” girls throughout the state can learn how to deal with issues ranging from bullying and mood management to popularity, respect and ethics, and learn skills that will keep them safe, healthy and happy.
The founders are Alma Lantz, who has a Ph.D. in psychology and spent 20 years creating and evaluating educational and social programs for the Carnegie Foundation, the National Academy of Sciences and the National Institute for Education; Debra McKenney, who as a US West Advanced Technologies board member led a team that created the vision that resulted in a merger with Time Warner Telecommunications; Kristine Shaw, a former senior vice president with DexMedia; and Becky Orr, who spent 18 years in marketing and communications research.
Nicky Marone is the agency’s chief executive officer; graduate Sameen Noorulamin is the program director.
“Smart-Girl is all about giving girls the tools they need to make smart choices throughout their lives. These choices include who they hang out with, how they allocate their time and how they respond in both positive and negative situations,” Marone said.
Other smart choices.
“Building on 100 Years” is the theme for the Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s annual Museum After Dark Gala. It begins at 6:30 p.m. today; Sherri and Buz Koelbel are the chairmen . . . Also tonight: Evening of Hope, benefiting the Seeds of Hope Charitable Trust, will be filled with music. The Rev. Patrick Dolan, who toured with numerous Broadway musicals before becoming a priest at Most Precious Blood parish in Denver, headlines a program that also features vocalist Chloe Scull, a ninth-grader at Denver School of the Arts; the St. Rose of Lima Choir and the Joe Peterson Dance Orchestra. Festivities begin at 6 at the Donald R. Seawell Grand Ballroom; Aimee Sporer Caplis emcees . . . “The Fonz” himself, actor and director Henry Winkler, headlines the sixth annual Zarlengo Foundation Ball that begins at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Grand Hyatt Denver. It’s a benefit for Havern Center. 7News investigative reporter John Ferrugia is master of ceremonies … Gary Schwartz and Josh Hanfling chair Cocktails & Karaoke, a benefit for Kunsberg School for chronically ill children at National Jewish Health. The fun starts at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Soiled Dove Underground, with CBS4’s Molly Hughes introducing the brave souls willing to get up and sing . . . Lee Greenwood is back in town Monday to sing a song or two at the Jay Cutler Foundation’s Party at Six with #6. Sharon Magness Blake and Marty Garafalo are chairing the dinner event at Invesco Field; Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan is honorary chair.
Society editor Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also,
