We Can Do It, Too: Rosie’s Remarkable Girls By Jennifer Errick,
Editor, Online Communications The Rosie the Riveter/World War II
Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California,
honors the estimated 18 million women who joined defense and
support industries during World War II. What many people don’t
know, however, is that park employees carry the mission of
female empowerment forward into the 21st century through an
innovative summer program for middle-school girls. The “Rosie’s
Girls” day camp runs for several weeks and serves about two
dozen girls through an interesting partnership of local
organizations. The girls attend a variety of workshops planned
by the West Contra Costa YMCA of the East Bay and funded by the
Rosie the Riveter Trust. The workshops vary from year to year,
but participants might learn anything from welding to carpentry
to horticulture to fire safety, and the program often teaches
non-traditional skills or explores male-dominated trades. As
part of the camp, the Park Service