Anna Craig, 11, has a paper doll covered with stickers. Each sticker is labeled with a word such as creative, cheerful, smart or kind. "We choose stickers that best describe us and put them on our dolls," explains Anna. "All these words are what makes me beautiful!" The activity is part of a program called Beautiful Me. The Hance Family Foundation, which was created to honor three sisters killed in a car accident, offers the program for free to schools. The program's goals are to help girls and young women build healthy levels of self-esteem and develop skills for handling problems and relationships with others. Beautiful Me explains that self-esteem means how you feel about yourself and what you think your value is as a person. "Girls of all ages benefit from recognizing what makes each of us valuable and different," says Kate Tuffy, who helped create Beautiful Me. "Our goal is to offer the program to as many girls as possible across the United States." About 6,000 girls have benefited from it due to her efforts.  Beautiful Me organizers train teachers to present the program material to small groups of girls. It includes hands-on art activities, role-playing games about understanding body language and discussions on how to build friendships. Schools and groups present the program when they are ready.   "The Beautiful Me program helps girls understand their feelings, solve problems and get along better in and out of school. Girls and women who have built healthy levels of self-esteem are more likely to be better friends to others and know how to solve conflicts," says Tuffy. Anna says she has learned all of that from the program. But most importantly, she has learned to appreciate the special qualities in people and that it's important to feel good about yourself. "When you feel good about yourself," Anna says, "it is easy to make others feel good, too! For what purpose is the text written?
To introduce a program on beauty. To praise girls like Anna Craig. To show several outdoor activities. To discuss if beauty lasts forever.