MIDDLEBURY — The COVID-19 crisis cannot keep Middlebury College’s Sister-to-Sister program down. In its effort to connect with 6th graders and middle schoolers, the group mentoring program is going virtual this fall. On Oct. 24 from 2 to 3 p.m., the program will kick off with a Zoom event with ice breakers and mini-games so participants get to know each other. They will also have a conversation about feminism and what it means to students All female-identifying and non-binary students in grades 6-8 are welcome to join. Sign up for the event at go.middlebury.edu/signupsts. 
In November, Sister-to-Sister members will shake off the COVID blues during Workout Wednesdays. Certified coach Sal Nakhlawi will guide participants through the workout on Nov. 4, Nov. 11 and Nov. 18 from 7 to 8 p.m. After graduating from Middlebury, Nakhlawi launched the startup StrongHER Girls (stronghergirls.com/about/). Her work has been featured in Self magazine and Women’s Health. In her coaching program, she focuses on teaching girls, women, and folx of marginalized identities — communities traditionally left out from the gym — to empower themselves to be strong, from the inside-out. For more information, please contact Karin Hanta at khanta@middlebury.edu.