Stage one will focus on the group members getting to know each other, building trust, and establishing the group norms/rules. We will discuss confidentiality, so the girls will feel safe expressing themselves. It will be stated that if someone tells others what we talk about in the group, there will be a private warning and possible dismissal from the group. The girls will start out with ice breaker activities to get to know each other.  According to the needs assessment these girls are having issues maintaining healthy relationships, so it will be important to build a positive and caring environment for the fifth grade girls.

Stage 2
In stage two we will continue to review confidentiality and ground rules at each session. To continue to build trust and a sense of community, group members will participate in dialogue with each other, act out specific scenarios, and play games with each other that relate to the topic of healthy friendships. To reinforce each topic, the group members will have homework after each session and it will be discussed at the next session. The girls will be given time at the beginning of each session to discuss anything they would like related to the group. After the end of each session, we will do a group evaluation together to gauge how well the session went.

Stage 3
Stage three will focus on the closure of the group, we will do this by reflecting on everything that the group members have learned and what skills they can use in the future to help them. We will have a small celebration to celebrate their successes and say final goodbyes. It will be re-iterated that confidentiality is still important, even though the group will no longer be meeting. A post-group follow up session will be set up to talk to the girls as a group and see how they are doing since the group ended and what goals they have worked on. The fifth grade teachers will also be consulted to see how well the girls used the skills that they learned in group.