about SV

Now recruiting for spring! Join us in changing the lives of girls in Silicon Valley!

As a volunteer “coach” you will work with a partner coach and group of 5-20 girls. Coaches guide the girls through identifying a problem in their community and solving it over the course of 12 weeks. Most importantly coaches tell girls they are powerful, important and valued. The coach position is a dynamic and rewarding experience that leads to connections with girls and other adult women in your area, implementation of a social change project and a contribution toward putting women at the global leadership tables.

Watch our coaching video here!

To become a coach, apply here:
Download 10.11 SV Coach Application
 

• Benefits: Read what women have to say about the life-changing experiences as GFC coaches! You'll also gain:
• A NETWORK OF PROFESSIONAL WOMEN
• YOUTH DEVELOPMENT TRAINING
• GROUP MANAGEMENT SKILLS
• FACILITATION SKILLS
• PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
• COACHING SKILLS
• PUBLIC SPEAKING AND FUNDRAISING SKILLS
• CREATION OF SOCIAL CHANGE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GIRLS
• PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS

When: You will meet with girls once per week. This is a 10-15 hour per month time commitment from either August-December or January-May. The time you spend will change the lives of girls. The GFC program cycle begins with a coach orientation in either August for the fall cycle or January for the spring cycle. The program ends with a celebration of the team's work after 12 weeks.

Where: Girls who are members of GFC are either in middle school or high school. On the coach application you will be able to tell us your preference for location and times of meetings so that we can match you with the team that best fits your schedule. Coach opportunities are available in Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, and Alameda County.

Training: We also offer monthly coach training sessions that assist coaches in working with teams, youth development, managing a social change project in partnership with girls and networking with other professional women. GFC coaches also say that their GFC training enhances their professional skills - from communication to project planning. All coach trainings are offered on a Thursday evening and a Saturday morning. Once you are accepted as a coach, you will receive a calendar of all orientation and training dates in your area.

Qualifications:

• Ability to fully commit to a 12 week volunteer assignment from August-December or January-May
• Ability to attend MANDATORY coach orientation and at least 2 monthly trainings throughout the program cycle 
• Willingness to be screened and fingerprinted.
• Willingness to work in partnership with another volunteer coach.
• Desire to encourage, inspire, empower, ignite and engage young women to develop their leadership abilities and implement social change projects.
• Willingness to be flexible and open to the organic process that youth projects often take.

This spring GFC will embark on a new evaluation process that presents a unique professional development opportunity for Coaches. In partnership with the Thrive Foundation, GFC will implement this pilot program with five (5) Girl Action Teams.

 As part of the evaluation pilot, GFC Coaches will be asked to fulfill evaluation requirements that take 1-2 additional hours of volunteer time each month.  Coaches will participate in additional youth development training, have access to research based materials and implement new activities to the GFC program. We are very excited about exploring this new process and we might ask you about participating when you apply!

Want to learn more?
Check out our Coach FAQ

For more information contact:
408-529-9046 or coachsv@girlsforachange.org

The Silicon Valley Action Board works hands-on to grow GFC Silicon Valley and raise funds. Additionally, they are champions and advocates for girls. The members of the Silicon Valley Action Board are charged with forwarding GFC’s mission by thinking creatively, making connections, creating partnerships, enriching programs, and garnering vital resources and financial support.

Our Members:

Onagh Ash, CEO - Ona LLC

Betty Cho, HP Services - Hewlett-Packard

Donna Dearinger

Kim Frank, CEO - Corp-Growth

Chris Melching, CEO - Center Stage Group

Jean Meyer, Education Consultant - Santa Clara Unified School District

Debbie Milner, Founder & CEO - KidsPark Inc.

Gail Mohr, Market Development Manager - Bank of America.

Terri Simpson-Tucker, Assistant Administrator, Support Services - Kaiser Permanente

To learn more about the SV Action Board: whitney@girlsforachange.org

Girls For A Change empowers young women to create change in their own communities with the guidance of adult women. About 5-10 girls and two women “coaches” meet from September through May as a Girl Action Team. Teams meet twice a month to decide how they will make a lasting change in their neighborhood, city or school. Below are projects girls throughout the Bay Area created and implemented in the 2007-08 program year.

Team 1, Dartmouth, West San Jose: The Green Message
Team 1 is working to ensure that all students of Dartmouth Middle School are educated on environmental issues and practices. The team worked with the school to gain permission to broadcast a bi-weekly Green Message next year. This message will highlight research, studies and articles to educate their peers about how to live a greener life. They want peers at their school to know that being a part of the solution to environmental issues is important. Team 1 intends to get this message across by beginning to implement their educational campaign during afternoon announcements.

Team 2, Herbert Hoover Middle School, Central San Jose: Creating a Hate-Free Zone: A Campaign to Stop People Hating for No Reason
The girls on Team 2 are tired of the way some of their peers treat each other. They decided to create a campaign to stop the hate.  The girls want people to think twice before being disrespectful to each other. They designed a poster campaign at their school and placed informative posters in their library, hallways and cafeteria.  The girls hope that these posters will inspire people to stop and think before they act in ways that might be hurtful to others.  Team 2 also feels the posters will give students courage to stand up for themselves as well as break the cycle of hate.

Team 3, Pala Middle School, East San Jose: Teen Pregnancy
Team 3 feels that teen pregnancy is a big issue facing their community. They have partnered with Planned Parenthood and invited a mother who is a teenager to collaborate with them on the project. The team also made an informational video addressing the facts and statistics about teen pregnancy. Finally, the team created informational flyers and handed them out to teens in their community in order to prevent and reduce teen pregnancy in the future.

Team 4, Independence High School, East San Jose: Self-Esteem
Team 4 believes that how we feel about ourselves can play a huge part in the decisions that we make. And the girls of this team feel that physical exercise and movement can help increase girls’ self-esteem so that girls are making better decisions. The team made a video focused on healthy living choices like nutrition and exercise. The girls believe that by encouraging girls to have a healthier diet and make better exercise choices, girls will also make healthier choices in other parts of their lives.

Team 5, Sheppard Middle School, East San Jose: Do YOU Love Your Dog?
Team 5 has been researching the IAMS pet food company boycott. The company has been accused of mistreatment in the testing it does on dogs and cats for the food it produces. Team 5 wants to stand up for better conditions for the animals. The girls created flyers to educate people about the way IAMS treats dogs. The flyers also encourage people to join a boycott of IAMS pet food until the company changes its ways and to write letters to IAMS to end animal testing.  Fliers were distributed by at local shopping center to shoppers passing by. The girls believe that their team efforts will lead to a more humane life for dogs.

Team 6, Los Altos High School, Los Altos: SOS @ Los Altos High School
Stress can have many detrimental effects on young people and the girls of Team 6 want to help their stressed out peers. They plan on partnering with Denise Pope and her Stressed Out Schools project to create some changes within their student culture. They feel this issue has become out of control at their school and this will give them an opportunity to talk it out and create a more peaceful and relaxed student body.

Team 7, Graham Middle School, Mountain View: Global Warming
Team 7 wants to make sure everyone knows that global warming is an issue that affects all of us. The girls developed a plan to educate their school and community on ways they can help fight climate change. The team fully researched the issue and then wrote an article for their school newspaper, Bear Tracks. They feel that by spreading the word they will encourage people to make better environmental choices.

Team 8, August Boeger Middle School, East San Jose: Cancer Awareness
The girls on Team 8 are committed to increasing awareness of cancer in their community. They created a goal to educate their school about cancer, prevention methods and the impact of cancer in our community and world.  Through this educational awareness initiative they hope to encourage young people to live healthier lives and gain a deeper understanding of the issue.  By partnering with Breast Cancer Action, the girls were able to facilitate presentations to the students at their school about cancer.
Team 9, Fremont High School, Sunnyvale: Educating the Community and the Homeless
Team 9 has noticed that their community needs a better understanding of the homeless population in order for them to mobilize around the issue. The girls hosted a community awareness event to educate the public about the issue. The event took place at their school in mid-May and included a girl-led presentation and a screening of the movie “In the Pursuit of Happyness.”  The team also created supply kits with information on how to access resources and support for individuals who are currently without shelter. 

Team 10, San Jose High Academy, Central San Jose: Immigration Education
The girls of Team 10 are committed to equal access to higher education for immigrant students. They feel that there is a lack of resources for immigrant families regarding access to higher education and that those families are unaware of the rights and resources available to their children. They partnered with a community agency to present a workshop geared toward high school juniors and seniors and their families in order to inform them of the resources available.  They believe that by raising awareness of these issues more immigrant students will access higher education after leaving high school.

Team 11, Leadership Public Schools-Hayward: Taking Back Our Innocence
Team 11 is concerned about the number of teen pregnancies in its community and has taken action! The girls have created a MySpace page that features valuable information for girls about how to avoid teen pregnancy. The team visited Planned Parenthood to collect pamphlets on teenage health to incorporate into their page. They also made t-shirts to wear at their school on Teen Pregnancy Prevention Day on May 7th. Team 11 feels that through these combined awareness and education efforts, girls in their communities will be less likely to become pregnant at an early age.

Team 12, East Palo Alto Charter Middle School, East Palo Alto:  Stop Sexual Harassment
The girls of Team 12 are taking a stand again against sexual harassment in their community. They have produced a video that depicts several characters experiencing sexual harassment. They believe that by showing what people go through when they are sexual harassed, it will challenge people to rethink how they treat each other. The team also received Yahoo!’s “Purple Act of Kindness” award and were given video and editing equipment to complete their project. The team took a field trip to Yahoo! where a team of professionals taught them video production techniques. The final video will be shown at various schools around EPA and may be featured on Yahoo for Good’s website.

Team 13, Overfelt High School, East San Jose: Trash Stinks
Team 13 feels that the physical condition of their neighborhood can impact how people think about themselves as members of that community.  Too much trash and debris leads to negative thoughts and lack of respect for the community. The team organized a neighborhood clean-up and created a MySpace page to raise awareness and create action around this. They hope that by getting the community involved they have changed how people take care of their neighborhood and how they view their role in the community.

Team 14, Leadership Public School San Jose, East San Jose: Gay and Straight Alliance
Team 14 has witnessed the discrimination and bullying of students who are gay in their community. They are committed to ensuring that their school is a safe place for all students. The girls have created their school’s first Gay and Straight Alliance, a student run club that empowers youth to stop homophobia and transphobia in schools.  The team feels that there is a need to create a safe place for students to be themselves as well as develop a place to begin to teach understanding and openness.  Team 14 wants to challenge the way their peers think about each other and build a more inclusive student body.

Team 16, KIPP Bay Academy, San Francisco: What You Think About Child Abuse
The girls of Team 16 want to bring attention to an issue that they feel is not being openly discussed; Child Abuse. They plan on creating a video to show at their schools Family Night which will illustrate facts, statistics and the effects of Child Abuse. The team educated their community to prevent future abuse from happening, and provided people with the resources necessary to get help and support.  The girls also posted their video on YouTube after their screening to continue raising awareness of this issue.

Team 17, KIPP San Jose Heartwood Academy I, East San Jose- Teen Pregnancy: What You Should Know
Peer pressure is a very powerful thing, and the girls of Team 17 feel that it is a major cause of teen pregnancy. The team created an educational campaign aimed at educating their community on how peer pressure influences teen pregnancy. The girls want their peers to think before acting and learn how to make more positive choices. They feel that by educating their peers they can create a culture where it is ok to make your own decision.

Team 18, St Elizabeth Seton Middle School, East Palo Alto: True Stories from California Immigrants
The Bay Area has a rich and diverse immigrant population. The girls of Team 18 feel that this population is often subjected to discrimination because people don’t understand the experience of these individuals. They decided to record and capture the real stories of those who have immigrated to this country and create a way to share their stories. The girls feel that by sharing immigrant’s stories through video, their community will gain a deeper understanding of each other and will begin to build a more inclusive environment.
Team 19, Pioneer Plus High School, West San Jose: Stop Gang Violence
Team 19 feels that young people in 5th-8th grades are at a vulnerable age where they can be persuaded to join gangs. They decided to create an action project to deter youth in this age group from joining a gang.  The team created and conducted a survey for the young people in their community so the team could fully understand the scope of the gang problem. They have used the results of their survey in a letter writing campaign to elected officials and community leaders. The girls have also used the information collected to present a workshop about other options besides joining a gang.

Team 21, San Francisco 49ers Academy, East Palo Alto:  Think Twice!
Thinking about getting pregnant early? The girls of Team 21 say “Think Twice!” Team 21 has put together a magazine that features teen mothers’ experiences with teen pregnancy. The girls also participated in the “Baby Think it Over” program, which involved taking fake babies home that cry when they need to be cared for. They also included their own experiences in this magazine along with pictures and writings that encourage other girls to “Think Twice!”

Team 23, Sobrato Family Living Center, Santa Clara: Anti-Jealousy March
The girls of Team 23 are tired of seeing jealousy amongst their peers. They feel that many terrible social problems are created because of jealousy and have decided to try to change the way people think about and react to each other. They made t-shirts and signs and in mid-May did an Anti-Jealousy March in their community that included a stop in a local park and shopping center. The girls hope that their march encouraged people will begin to think more about the negative effects of jealous behavior.

Team 24, Rancho Milpitas Middle School, Milpitas: Stop the Bullies
Team 24 is sick of the bullying at their school. They want their peers to gain a deeper understanding of how bullying affects students who are picked on at their school. They started a campaign inviting students to write in about their personal experiences either as being someone who bullies or someone who has been bullied. They compiled the submissions into a booklet and distributed them to the students and faculty at their school.  They hope that by sharing stories they have begun a conversation about how to prevent and end the bullying at their school.

Team 25, East Palo Alto College Track, East Palo Alto: Improve Recycling at College Track
The girls of Team 25 are concerned about the lack of recycling in their community. They have decided to improve the recycling system at College Track and publicize their actions within the community to get others to do the same. Team 25 put decorated bins and signs around College Track to encourage people to recycle and created a presentation about their work to give at East Palo Alto’s Town Hall Meeting in May.

Team 26, Edison McNair Academy, East Palo Alto: Why People Bully and What You Can Do About It
The girls of Team 26 have recognized that bullying is taking place at their school because students are jealous, trying to entertain their peers, are bored or have low self-esteem.  They felt that by creating an assembly for 5th graders they would bring awareness to this issue and provide support and resources for students at their school.  At the assembly, they addressed what to do if you’re being bullied or if you witness someone bullying. They feel that by holding this event they have raised awareness and will begin to see a decrease in bullying.

Team 27, Sierrramont Middle School, San Jose: Great American Bake Sale
The girls of Team 27 are tired of child hunger in their nation. To raise awareness and educate their community, the girls of Team 27 organized a bake sale through The Great American Bake Sale, which they held at a public event at San Jose State University. By doing this, they educated people about the issue of hunger and were also able to raise money for local food agencies. Each item for sale included facts about hunger and ways for people to get involved.

Team 28, Cunha Middle School, Half Moon Bay- Cycles of Abuse
Team 28 wants their community to gain a deeper understanding of abuse issues. The girls created a play and partnered with their school drama teacher to perform at the school activity festival. The girls are looking to highlight self abuse, verbal abuse, and physical abuse. They feel that by bringing attention to these issues their peers will feel more comfortable to discuss these issues.  During the festival they also hosted a booth with materials and resources for all participants. 

Team 29, KIPP San Jose Heartwood Academy II, East San Jose: Stop in the Name of Sexual Harassment
The girls of Team 29 are tired of seeing sexual harassment in their communities. They believe that sexual harassment can be reduced by educating people in their community of the detrimental effects of sexual harassment. By performing a play and creating a slide show they illustrated to their peers and community members that the issue affects everyone. They hope that by doing this, they are one step closer to eliminating sexual harassment in their community. 

Team 30, Gunderson High School, South San Jose: Earth Day Awareness Event
The girls of Team 30 want to ensure that their student body has the knowledge to make good environmental choices and that those students know they can impact environmental issues. The girls hosted an interactive Earth Day Awareness Fair for Gunderson High School.  By using music, displays and sample products they ensured that their peers now have the knowledge and tools to lead a more environmentally-friendly life.

Team 31, Mission San Jose High School, Fremont: Be You; Be Beautiful
The girls of Team 31 say they are tired of the way women are portrayed in the media, because it leads to unrealistic expectations about beauty and self-esteem. They created a 30-second public service announcement that will be distributed on YouTube, MySpace and Cable TV in Fremont. The short message shares Team 31’s own vision of how women should be portrayed in the media. They hope to disseminate a message to thousands of people about “real” beauty and how to define and accept it.

Team 32, East Palo Alto Boys and Girls Club, East Palo Alto: Teen Pregnancy Education Initiative
The girls of team 32 have realized that Teen Pregnancy has become a large issue in their community. They also have seen that other Girl Action teams in their community are working on this issue as well. The team decided to create an event to bring together other Girl Action Teams to provide a platform for them to highlight their work. The girls feel that this will enable the teams to have their work spread even farther and raise more awareness about this pressing issue.

Team 34, Burnett Academy, Central San Jose: Healthy Relationships
The girls of Team 34 want to ensure that their peers are well educated about where they can find resources if they find themselves in an unhealthy relationship. They believe that middle school can be a difficult time for girls and the pressure to be in relationships can often lead girls making poor decisions about partners. The team partnered with the Bill Wilson Center in San Jose to create resource packets for 8th grade girls to ensure that everyone knows how and when to get help.

Team 35, LPS Campbell High, West San Jose: RESPECT
Team 35 wants to ensure that the women in their community understand these following components, R-rise up, E-encourage, S-speak, P-pride, E-empower, C-connect and T-together (RESPECT). The team held community discussions to inform the neighborhood on the issue of violence against women. The girls brought men and women together to talk about violence and how to stop the cycle.   

Team 36, Ocala Middle School, East San Jose: Negative Body Image
Team 36 has witnessed and felt the effects of how women are portrayed within the media.  The team interviewed young women at Santana Row, a San Jose shopping center, about how they feel about their bodies and how the media has influenced their perceptions. The girls used these interviews in order to produce a video to create awareness about the media’s effect on women’s body image.  The team sent a final edited video with interviews and facts about women’s body image and the media to various media outlets so they can change the message that is being sent to young girls. Team 36 also handed out information to their video participants about the false expectations of beauty that is currently delivered in the media.

Team 38, Hillsdale High School, San Mateo: Stop Underage Drinking
The girls on Team 38 believe that underage drinking is prevalent in high schools. They want to create an environment where students can feel safe and comfortable saying “No” to drinking.  The team created a video to post on YouTube that highlights the negative effects of alcohol and offers suggestions for alternative activities. They used this video to create awareness and let their peers know it is ok not to drink.

Team 41, Lionel Wilson Prep Middle School, Oakland: Understanding Femininity
The girls of Team 41 want to help girls struggling to understand their bodily changes during puberty. They want to help build girls’ sense of confidence during this awkward time in their lives. The team solicited donations from various feminine product companies and put together informational and supply kits, which were passed out at Monarch Elementary School in Oakland. They feel that by educating and preparing girls to understand their bodies, they may prevent many of the problems that often arise during this time leading to menstrual accidents, teen pregnancy, and STDs.

Team 42, Piedmont Hills High School, East San Jose: Battle of the Bands: Save Our School
The Berryessa Union School District is facing a budget crisis due to proposed changes in the state funding. Girls that now attend PHHS of the East Side Union High School District went to elementary and middle schools in Berryessa and their younger family members and friends are currently attending schools in that district. The district is anticipating cuts especially around its arts, library services, after-school, and sports programs. Team 42 feels that by creating a large community event they can bring attention to this issue and mobilize their community.  The team plans on hosting a Battle of the Bands next year event to bring about awareness and show that the community supports its school programs.

Team 43, Sherman Oaks Elementary, Central San Jose: Teen Pregnancy
Team 43 has witnessed a great deal of teen pregnancy in their community. In order to change the behaviors and attitudes that contribute to teen pregnancy, Team 43 decided to inform their peers about how to prevent early pregnancy.  The girls partnered with Planned Parenthood to become more educated about the issue as a team and worked together to create an information night for their school and community to share some of the causes and consequences of teen pregnancy.  Team 43 also spread awareness through a short video to reach more people in their community and beyond. 

Team 44, Menlo Park Boys and Girls Club: Rapping Against Rape 
The girls of Team 44 think that rape is a terrible social problem that needs to be stopped! They want to reach out to their peers and those who have been victims of rape to help them to better understand the phenomenon. The girls have written a rap song about this issue and recorded a CD to give to other Boys and Girls Clubs. They hope that their peers will become better informed about how rape happens and how it can affect them and the people around them. 

Team 45, Camp Kemp, San Mateo: Using Our Voices
Team 45 believes it can be difficult to find a safe place for girls to share their life experiences, so they worked on creating that safe place and allowing all girls to share their stories through poetry.  After weeks of working on their poems the girls compiled their work into a magazine, and created art work to accompany their poems. The final magazine allowed the girls to share their life experiences and perspectives with other girls and staff at Camp Kemp for Girls.

Team 46, Silicon Valley Girl Steering Committee
The Girl Steering Committee has been actively involved in every GFC event this year! The girls were the main event planners for Spring Into Action and the Completion Ceremony, members of the committee facilitated a workshop and consultant training at Spring Into Action, emceed events, learned how to network with powerful business women and gained a deeper understanding of how to work together as leaders. Most of all, the Girl Steering Committee continues to shape the direction of Girls For A Change and how it will grow in years to come.

Take action now…join a Girl Action Team!

Join thousands of other young women in a historical movement to change the world. GFC did something rather revolutionary…we asked girls, like you, what your lives are like, what you worry about, and how you want your life and your community to be different. And, we asked girls like you how we could help you make big changes.

We found out that you have the answers, and all we need to do is give you the space, connections, and support to create your own solutions:

1. First find out if we have a Girl Action Team in your community. Check out our Team Projects page to see if we have a team at your school. Then email us to join the Girl Action Team at your school or to learn about other ways to join GFC or start your own group.
2. Then you meet twice a month in your community with your Girl Action Team and two women  Coaches to start talking about what’s going on in your neighborhood, city or school.
3. Next you identify a problem in your community that you feel passionate about and your team comes up with a project to make a change. Finally you put your plan into action!
4. You can also apply to be a part of the Girl Steering Committee. This is an opportunity for girls to understand GFC as an organization and to be a part of the decision-making process. Girls have the opportunity to be voting members of the GFC Board of Directors or serve on a variety of committees.

You can change the world! Take action now…join a GFC Girl Action Team.

To join a Girl Action Team, send an email to coachsv@girlsforachange.org or call 408.529.9046. In your email, include your name, the school you attend, the city you live in and an email or phone number where we can reach you. This information will help us respond to you quickly about the teams in your area.

A Message to Future GFC Members from Alina, Member of GFC Girl Action Team 15:
From being in GFC, I, first and foremost, learned that I can do ANYTHING as long as I put my mind to it. I learned about the importance of hard work, dedication, perseverance, optimism, and teamwork. I learned how powerful the voice of female youth can be.

I met fabulous, enthusiastic people who truly care about improving their society and world. I met my awesome team, made up of diverse and different young women, united by their passion for changing their community for the better.

I accomplished things I never, in my wildest dreams, thought I would: I wrote proposals, solicited my idea to big-time executives, gave an interview on TV, and witnessed the success, growth, and positive impact of a remarkable organization called Girls For A Change.

I definitely feel that GFC has helped me find my voice, my aspirations, and the kind of career I’d like to have in the future (Director of GFC!). My coaches and teammates have been extremely supportive and encouraging, which has totally boosted my level of self-confidence. They have become my mentors and some of the "bestest" friends I’ll ever know. You can change the world!

The Girl Steering Committee (GSC) is a unique opportunity for girls to hold a position of leadership in Girls For A Change. It is made up of approximately 15 girls, two women coaches and one staff liaison.

The GSC offers girls the ability to participate as a Girls For A Change Board Member or be a part of a Girls For A Change organizational committee. GSC members also function as spokesgirls for Girls For A Change and are trained for public speaking opportunities. Finally, the GSC supports the planning of the annual alumni event and alumna outreach. GSC members are required to:
-    Attend 80% of scheduled meetings
-    Participate in active leadership of sub-committee for events or other GFC projects as assigned
-    Complete 2 written articles for GFC Newsletter per year
The committee meets 5 times during the spring GFC program from January through May.  There may be additional meetings planned outside the required 5 meetings. Applications for the Girl Steering Committee are accepted between June 1st and December 15th.  It is recommended that girls have been on a Girl Action Team prior to applying for the GSC.

For more information about joining the GSC, please contact Ashley Smith, SV Program Director at: Ashley@girlsforachange.org or 408.529.9304. To apply to be on the 2011 Girl Steering Committee, download a Girl Steering Committee Application Here.

Girl Steering Committee Coaches:

Members of the  2010-2011Girl Steering Committee will:
•    Meet with funders
•    Speak as representatives of GFC at GFC events
•    Organize workshops to develop their public speaking skills
•    Participate on GFC's National Board of Directors and organizational committees as assigned
•    Partner with GFC staff to coordinate the Annual GFC Alumnae event.

AT&T, Bank of America, Bernstein Family Foundation, Camino Medical Group, Cisco Systems Foundation, Citigroup Foundation, Community Foundation , Deloitte, Electronic Arts Foundation, Eva Gunther Foundation, Ewomen Network, Franklin and Catherine Johnson Foundation, Genentech, Haynes Charitable Foundation, Hazen Family Foundation, Hewlett-Packard, June & Julian Foss Foundation, Junior League of Palo Alto Mid Peninsula, Inc., Juniper Networks, Kaiser Permanente, Lam Research Foundation, Lucile Packard Foundation, National Semiconductor, Norton Foundation, Palo Alto Community Fund, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Peninsula Community Foundation, Phil Black Family Foundation, Reddere Foundation, Salesforce, Sandisk Corporation Fund, Sobrato Foundation, Synopsys Foundation, Talisman Systems Group, Inc., Technology Credit Union, The Drew Hoffman & Emily Wu Family Foundation, The Elaine S Elkin Living Trust, Tibco Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, Yahoo, YWCA Mid Peninsula.

Learn more about Investing in Change here.

Silicon Valley Girl Action Team Member Crystal Carmona, Our “So Long” Superstar by America Learns Network Superstars
Network Superstars Blog, January 12, 2009

Courtney Macavinta discusses how to deal with teen sexual harrassment on View From The Bay
abclocal.go.com. June 10, 2008

Sejal Hathi of GFC, Notre Dame High School, talks ti WKCD about her work with GFC and her nonprofit organization, GIrls Helping Girls
whatkidscando.org

Painter, David Garibaldi, blogs about his performance for GFC at the 2007 Girl Summit
October 31, 2007

Girls Doing Good
San Jose Magazine, September 2007

Sejal Hathi writes for Do Something MAgazine about her teams efforts to end genocide in Darfur
Do Something Magazine, Fall 2007, series 4, volume 1

Girls Summit
Respect RX Blog, October 13, 2006

Girls Meet to Make a Change
Palo Alto Daily News, October 13, 2006

GFC Summit Features NY Times Bestselling Author As Keynote
Press Release, September 28, 2006

GFC Member Named Woman of Distinction Honoree
AsianWeek.com, August 25, 2006

Helping Young Girls Adjust To High School
The Argus, August 21, 2006

Group: No more `girly’ insults
Mercury News, June 2, 2006

Active Voice Blog
June 2006

Eaton Eagle Newsletter
May 2006

Voce Communication Blog
April 2006

Girls Become Citizen Philanthropists to Improve Lives of Students
Bay Area Business Woman, June 1, 2006

Why Non-Profits Should Blog
Voce Communication, August 25, 2005

Teens Studying Dating Violence: Programs Aim to Educate Students, Parents
Mountain View Voice, Friday, May 20, 2005

Students Pick Teachers for Grant Awards
San Jose Mercury News, Thursday, May 5, 2005

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better
Evergreen Times, Friday, February 11, 2005

The Power of One
San Jose Mercury News, Sunday, January 5, 2005

Enthusiastic Voice Added to Voter Registration Drive
San Jose Mercury News, Friday, October 15, 2004

Girls' Day Out
Mountain View Voice, Friday, March 2004

Girl Summit Activates Social Change
The Spartan Daily, Friday, February 27, 2004

Challenge for Teenage Girls
San Jose Mercury News, Thursday, February 26, 2004

Teen Girls Defining a California Dialect
San Jose Mercury News, Sunday, February 8, 2004

Conference Promotes Self-Esteem For Youths
San Jose Mercury News, Saturday, October 11, 2003

Nonprofits Get a Life
San Francisco Business Times, October 25-31, 2002

Girls for Change
San Jose Mercury News, Thursday, October 10, 2002

Girl Power!
Mountain View Voice, Friday, March 1, 2002

Girls For A Change
Bay Area Business Woman, September 2002

Women Under 40
bizwomen.com

More GFC Press!

Silicon Valley Program Director
Ashley Smith
ashley@girlsforachange.org
408-529-9304

Office
Silicon Valley’s main office is located at the Agilent Technologies building in Santa Clara

Fax > > 408-350-2649

Emergency Phone Number Information
This number is available for use by our volunteers or participants in event of an emergency occurring after business hours. If an emergency occurs and someone is in danger or in need of medical assistance call 911 before calling the emergency phone.

Emergency Phone Number > > 408-529-9304

Want to support girls in changing our world? GFC volunteers are essential to our mission. All volunteers are provided appropriate training for their position and are supported year-round by staff and professional connections.

To apply for one of these positions you will find applications below. For more information, please contact: GFC Staff at 408.529-9304 or coachsv@girlsforachange.org

Girl Action Team Coach (Want to learn more about being a GFC Coach? Click here)
Download Coach Application
Time commitment: 10 -15 hours per month, August-December or January-May
Girls For A Change is bringing together a community of women and girls to enhance girls' views of their own potential and encourage their innovative nature. Girls voluntarily sign up to participate in a Girl Action Team. Teams are made up of 5-25 girls and facilitated by two adult women coaches who are trained by Girls For A Change to support the girls' projects and enhance the skills, resources and creativity the girls innately possess. Together the team will plan, fund, implement, and lead a social change through weekly or bi-monthly meetings. Coaches provide a safe, supportive space while partnering with the girls to implement their projects. Coaches are offered training and support by GFC throughout the year.

GFC has followed the recommendations of the Youth Mentoring Institute's SAFE mentor screening process since the first GFC program year. GFC fulfills the following steps as stated in the Institute's guidelines: "A complete screening process includes an orientation, written application, interview, character references, driving record, and pre-match training."

Organizational Volunteer
Time Commitment: 5-10 hours per month
Volunteers interested in helping to plan events or participate in organizational decisions can join a GFC Committee. Committees include diversity, program, marketing, finance, nomination and others. Each committee determines its meeting schedule and meeting location. This is an opportunity to learn about GFC from an organizational perspective and also network with other professionals and GFC. For more info click here.

Interns
Duration: 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year internship
GFC seeks a dynamic Program Intern to work with the Silicon Valley Program Director to support program administration at the Santa Clara office. The Program Intern will fulfill critical positions in the program department including administration duties and database entry. In addition, the Program Intern will support the planning and implementation of girl and volunteer events. This position is ideal for a passionate, fast-moving, adaptable and ambitious student who has the ability to work independently and on a team.

This position is unpaid. Interns are needed during the summer and throughout the program year. The number of hours per week are negotiable. Interns will need transportation to and from the office in Santa Clara. If interested, please send your resume and a cover letter to: ashley@girlsforachange.org