Note: It’s the Harnisch Foundation, but the Harnisches are outnumbered by the professionals who lead the daily operations and who take the mic today to tell you more about Funny Girls.
While funny things are bound to happen in our Funny Girls program, names can be misleading. We aren’t running a comic boot camp or grooming the next stand-up star. We are boosting girls’ key leadership skills via improv — an art form that allows the funny through the floodgates.
Unpredictable and bizarre situations emerge in improv, and scenes tap into the hilarity of our everyday lives. However, in improv, the goal is not to show up with a preplanned joke. It’s about being present in — and responding to — the moment while also drawing on the power of imagination and spontaneity (of course, in good taste or at least within some healthy limits)! As a result, the improv scene may take an unanticipated twist that subverts our expectations and captures the funny in the moment. Hello, Benign Violation Theory — we see you, and we know that you are behind the giggles.
So, yes, funny things are bound to happen in our leadership-through-improv program. But… it’s not about being funny. It’s equipping girls — our future politicians, community leaders, and entrepreneurs — with leadership skills using the cloak of improv and, yes, a little humor.
Learn more about the Funny Girls program and the five core leadership skills taught. Also, I hope you join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to get regular updates on our work and that of our partners!