Molly Dellheim was introduced to her first body image curriculum in the fourth grade, and she continued to study the topic with her mother, Nan Dellheim through middle school. While experimenting with her own personal style, Molly realized that girls can overcome media hype and peer pressure, even during adolescence, and develop a flattering style that can improve body acceptance. Molly assisted her mother in the development of a comprehensive body image curriculum for middle school girls that included this new concept, which was first piloted in 2005. As co-author of the How I Look Journal, Molly's critical contributions have included: translating the text into the language of middle school girls, creating age appropriate affirmations, writing "Through my eyes" journal entries, and critiquing the overall content. During her senior year in high school, Molly conducted a pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of the journal and helped high school girls design a mentoring program for middle school girls based on the How I Look Journal. She was twice the recipient of her high school's most prestigious award, the Saint Benedict Award, for service, compassion and intellectual curiosity, as well as the Order of Saint Benedict's Citizenship Award, the Susan B. Anthony Social Justice Award, and the Cashin Company Community Service Award. Molly is currently attending Barnard College, Columbia University.
Nan Dellheim is a graduate of Smith College and received an MBA in health care management from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. She was the recipient of a Public Health Service Traineeship Grant and spent her early professional career planning and developing health care programs. Her interest in body image started in 1998 and resulted in the development of two programs for middle and high school girls that were piloted in 2005 and 2006 under the name, A Better Way To Look. Her daughter Molly's experience exploring fashion and developing a personal style informed two innovative units on visual perception and the impact of clothing on personal perceptions. After discovering that most schools face budget and time constraints that preclude incorporation of a comprehensive program, she and Molly conceived the idea for a journal that would include key material, could be used by girls independently, and could supplement a shorter or multi-year curricula. The How I Look Journal was published in 2007 with subsequent editions published in 2009 and 2011.
Sheila Dubin has a M.S. in psychology and has been in the field of parenting education for 30 years. Through individual counseling, group sessions, and workshops, Sheila helps parents understand the changing developmental needs of their children and guides them in developing parenting tools that will foster their child's growing maturity. Sheila has developed and taught parenting classes in the areas of: raising daughters, parenting adolescents, building self-esteem and competence, and body image. She was a founding editor and principal writer for Bay Area Parent of Teens Magazine. After conducting the initial pilot for A Better Way to Look, she joined Nan and Molly and has continued to assist with curriculum development and parent education. She is currently conducting mother workshops to help mothers see and support their daughters' beauty, power, and potential.
As a college student from 1999-2003, Jaci Price published a bi-weekly comic strip, "oh my gawd" in the Syracuse Daily Orange. She is currently an architect in Washington, D.C. and provided illustrations for this page and the journal.
For a list of our advisors, which includes experts in the fields of education, counseling, psychology, nutrition, eating disorder prevention, yoga, and fashion, please contact Nan Dellheim at nan@howilookjournal.com