ShoreStrong Program: A Case Study in Advancing Sustainable Development Goals

Program Overview

ShoreStrong is a community-based initiative in Ocean City, New Jersey, designed to empower young women aged 12 to 18. The program’s core mission is to foster confidence, community engagement, and personal growth, drawing upon values of mutual respect, self-love, and interpersonal support. While open to all, its principles have attracted a significant number of participants from the Jewish community. The program’s operational framework and activities demonstrate a strong alignment with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the areas of health, education, and gender equality.

Alignment with SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

ShoreStrong places a primary emphasis on promoting holistic health and well-being among its participants, directly contributing to the targets of SDG 3. The program integrates physical and mental wellness into its daily schedule through a structured, multi-faceted approach.

• Physical Health: Daily activities are designed to encourage an active lifestyle. These include low-impact exercises such as yoga, pilates, and beach walks, as well as recreational sports like volleyball.
• Nutritional Well-being: The program provides education and practical experience in healthy eating.
  1. All meals served are natural and healthy, with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables.
  2. Co-founder Alexa Gershon, who holds a degree in dietetics, delivers educational lectures on topics like hormone and gut health.
  3. Participants engage in hands-on, team-based cooking sessions, learning to prepare healthy meals and receiving a recipe book to encourage the continuation of these habits at home.
• Mental Well-being: The program actively fosters mental and emotional health through daily practices such as journaling and reflection on inspirational quotes, creating an environment that supports self-confidence and reduces stress.

Alignment with SDG 5: Gender Equality

The fundamental objective of ShoreStrong is the empowerment of adolescent girls, which is central to SDG 5. The program provides a dedicated space for young women to develop skills, confidence, and a supportive network.

• Empowerment and Confidence Building: By creating a constructive and encouraging environment, the program helps participants build self-esteem and self-love, empowering them to become confident young adults.
• Female Leadership and Role Models: The program is led by a mother-daughter team, Alexa and Michelle Gershon, who serve as direct role models. Their professional expertise in nutrition, health coaching, and communication disorders provides a powerful example of female leadership and achievement.
• Community and Mutual Support: ShoreStrong fosters a sense of community and mutual empowerment among participants, encouraging them to support one another’s growth. This peer-to-peer support network is a critical component of building collective strength among young women.

Alignment with SDG 4: Quality Education

ShoreStrong complements formal schooling by providing high-quality, non-formal education focused on essential life skills, directly supporting the lifelong learning principles of SDG 4.

• Health and Wellness Literacy: Participants receive specialized instruction on nutrition, dietetics, and healthy habits from a qualified professional. This practical knowledge equips them to make informed decisions about their health throughout their lives.
• Practical Skills Development: The program includes hands-on activities that build tangible skills. The cooking instruction, for example, is a team-building exercise that also provides participants with the practical ability to prepare nutritious food.
• Personal Development: The curriculum is designed to be engaging and fun, incorporating educational presentations with interactive activities that foster a love for learning and personal growth outside of a traditional academic setting.

Operational Framework and Future Directions

The program is managed by co-founder Alexa Gershon, a licensed personal trainer with a Bachelor of Science in dietetics and pursuing a Master of Science in nutrition, and her mother, Michelle Gershon, who holds a Master of Science in communication disorders and a health coach certification. This partnership combines professional expertise to create a holistic and impactful curriculum. The program’s foundation in values of respect and community contributes to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by creating an inclusive space for girls from various backgrounds.

Future plans for ShoreStrong include expanding its model to incorporate programming for mother-daughter pairs. This initiative aims to extend the program’s benefits by fostering intergenerational growth and strengthening family bonds, further advancing its commitment to community well-being and empowerment.

Analysis of SDGs in the ShoreStrong Program

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article highlights the ShoreStrong program’s focus on promoting both physical and mental health among teenage girls. This directly connects to SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The program incorporates activities like “light movement like yoga, pilates or a long walk on the beach” and serves “all natural and healthy” food. It also addresses mental well-being through journaling, sharing inspirational quotes, and fostering self-love and confidence.

SDG 4: Quality Education

• ShoreStrong provides education on topics not typically covered in traditional schooling, aligning with SDG 4’s goal of inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning. The article states that the co-founder, with a degree in dietetics, gives lectures on “hormone health or gut health.” Furthermore, the program teaches practical life skills, as “all the girls will work together to cook dinner” and “leave the program with a recipe book.” This represents an alternative educational setting focused on life skills and personal development.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• The core mission of the ShoreStrong program is to “empower 12- to 18-year-old girls to become more confident, community-minded young women.” This directly addresses SDG 5, which focuses on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. The program creates a supportive environment for “young Jewish women, growing in community and learning” and aims to build the “self-confidence that their parents would like them to feel.” The program is also founded and run by women, serving as a model of female leadership.

Identified SDG Targets

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
  • The program’s emphasis on healthy habits directly supports this target. It promotes the prevention of future health issues through education on nutrition (“what they’re putting in their bodies”) and regular physical activity. It also explicitly promotes mental well-being by teaching “self-love and loving each other” and building confidence.

SDG 4: Quality Education

• Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, and promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence.
  • ShoreStrong equips girls with knowledge and skills for sustainable lifestyles through its focus on health, wellness, and healthy cooking. The program’s foundation in values of “respect for one another” and its goal of empowering young women contribute to education for gender equality and a culture of mutual support.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
  • While the program works with teenage girls, it is foundational to this target. By aiming to create “confident, community-minded young women,” it is preparing them for future participation and leadership roles. The article notes the goal is to help them “grow and become empowered young women,” which is a prerequisite for achieving the full participation outlined in Target 5.5.

Implied Indicators for Measuring Progress

For Target 3.4 (Promote mental health and well-being)

• The article implies progress can be measured through the program’s specific activities and outcomes. An indicator would be the implementation of educational sessions on health and wellness, such as the lectures on “hormone health or gut health.” Another qualitative indicator mentioned is the satisfaction of participants, reflected in the statement that there are “plenty of pleased campers and parents.”

For Target 4.7 (Acquire knowledge and skills for sustainable lifestyles)

• A clear indicator mentioned in the article is the acquisition of practical life skills by participants. This is demonstrated by the fact that “all the girls leave the program with a recipe book,” which serves as tangible proof of the knowledge they gained in cooking and healthy eating. The number of girls who learn these skills is a direct measure of progress.

For Target 5.5 (Ensure women’s full and effective participation)

• An implied indicator is the number of girls and young women participating in empowerment-focused programs. The article notes the program had its “first session recently, and it consisted of mostly Jewish girls,” indicating that participation numbers are a key metric of its reach and impact. The observation of girls “growing in community and learning and becoming young adults” serves as a qualitative indicator of empowerment.

Summary of Findings

Source: jewishexponent.com