PHX girl action teams

Below are projects girls across Maricopa created and implemented in the 2007-08 program year.

Team 1, Boys Hope Girls Hope, Phoenix: Get It Across!
Girl Action Team 1 was troubled about the lack of information and awareness regarding the abuse they saw happening in their community. The girls researched abuse, and created fliers to increase community awareness of abuse and how to stop it. The girls also made t-shirts that they wore at Metro Center Mall to act as human billboards. By passing out flyers with resources for abuse victims while wearing their t-shirts, the awareness campaign educated the community and left lasting knowledge about abuse.

Team 2, Orangedale Elementary School, Phoenix: Feel Better, Get Better
The girls from Team 2 are enthusiastic about leading healthy lifestyles and were concerned that not everyone shared their passion. The team worked together and met weekly to design a health food bake sale. At the bake sale, they shared posters about healthful behaviors to educate the buyers of the food. They also donated money from the bake sale to a local organization that promotes healthy living.

Team 3, Centerra Mirage Middle School, Goodyear: Stop Graffiti in Our Neighborhood
The girls in Team 3 think graffiti is ugly and they are tired of seeing it in their neighborhood.  The girls wrote and performed an original play that focused on the beautification rather then degradation of their community. The whole school gathered to see the performance. The presentations inspired the students in their school to take pride in the community and use other forms of expression to have their voices heard.

Team 4, Carl Hayden High School, Phoenix: A Day in the Life of a Teen Mom
The girls at Carl Hayden were alarmed at the rate of teen pregnancy in their community. The girls decided to create a video on how hard it is to be a teen mom. They gathered information, borrowed equipment, and conducted interviews. They then received permission from administrators, and showed the video to local middle school students. The video encouraged students to challenge their beliefs about sex and make different choices to prevent teen pregnancy.

Team 5, Griffith Elementary, Phoenix: Only You Can Prevent Teen Pregnancy
The girls at Griffith were concerned about how many teens in their community were becoming pregnant. The girls wrote, developed, and produced an educational commercial about teen pregnancy. The commercial is changing young girls’ frame of mind about sex through education and support. The team hopes to air their commercial during their weekly school announcements. 

Team 6, Crittenton Academy, Phoenix: Now or Later?
Team 6 believes that jealousy leads to controlling and abusive relationships among their peers. The girls created a skit titled “Now and Later” showing how jealousy can lead to controlling and abusive relationships.  It emphasized that if you are in an abusive relationship, it’s important to leave now – not wait until later. During the school performance, the girls distributed informational cards with domestic violence resources, and Now and Later candies. The girls also designed a quiz to make the audience aware of the differences between healthy and unhealthy jealousy. The girls want to stop the cycle of dating violence in their community.

Team 7, South Mountain High School, Phoenix: Poetry Nights
Girl Action Team 7 was overwhelmed by the racism that exists in their community. They hosted a poetry night addressing the issue of racism. The girls distributed information about their project to the school’s Literary Club and English teachers, gathered poetry submissions, and read and chose submissions. They then secured space at the school, advertised the event, and invited the school’s Step Team. The Poetry night educated the community about racism, and they are hoping it inspires the community to take action and challenge their beliefs and behaviors about race and racism.

Team 8, Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Center, Phoenix: Prejudice in America
The girls at AAEC High School were sick of the prejudice they witnessed and experienced. The girls discussed the cause and effects of prejudice, and then created a video on prejudice.  They wrote a script, secured studio time and transportation, and borrowed the necessary equipment. When they completed the video, they posted it on YouTube. The video strives to challenge beliefs in order to change behaviors and stop the cycle of prejudice that is passed on from generation to generation. The video leaves viewers with a positive message about acceptance and understanding.

Team 9, Gateway Early College High School, Phoenix: Meth Killer
Team 9 was fired up by the use of Meth and how it is affecting their community. The girls researched information about Methamphetamines and developed a presentation about Meth for elementary school students. They then held two bake sales, secured transportation, received permission from the principal, and delivered presentations to elementary school students about the risks and consequences of doing Meth. The presentations gave elementary students the information they need to make positive choices about not using drug.

Team 10, Sullivan Elementary, Phoenix: Racism Hurts
Team 10 says words really do hurt and they are tired of people using racial slurs to be mean to each other.   The girls took action by creating a video clip showing people the causes and effects of racism.  They interviewed administrators and teachers in their schools, as well as a GFC volunteer consultant on ways to fight racism in the community. They hope that by showing their video clip, they will help people understand that whatever race you are; we all have feelings that get hurt by racism. 

Team 11, Hamilton Elementary, Phoenix: Care More Not Less About Your Pets
Girl Action Team 11 was disgusted by the treatment of pets in their community. The team felt that the root cause of pet mistreatment was people’s carelessness. The girls used their passion for art to design bookmarks with messages about how to care for pets. The team partnered with City of Phoenix Libraries to distribute the bookmarks. The bookmarks educated people on the importance of spaying and neutering, showing love and attention, and keeping pets healthy.

Team 12, Madison Park Middle School, Phoenix: Joining a Gang is Wack
The girls of Team 12 were tired of the graffiti, intimidation, and racism spread by gangs. The team discussed gang activity, wrote a script, borrowed equipment, conducted interviews, and created a DVD to prevent kids from joining gangs. By showing the video to their peers, there is now a greater awareness in their community about gang activity and how to prevent it at Madison Park Middle School.

Team 13, Cesar Chavez High School, Phoenix: Sex has Consequences
The girls of Team 13 were concerned about amount of teen pregnancy in their school and wanted to create awareness about the consequences about engaging in sexual activity. They decided to join the “National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy” movement and bring it to their school. The girls ordered informational postcards that talked about the reality of being a teen parent, and distributed them to their classmates on May 7th, the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. The girls hope that giving the students more information will change their thoughts and actions about the reality of becoming a teen parent.

Team 14, Trevor Browne High School, Phoenix: Learn to Love Yourself
Team 14 was distraught about the way people perceive themselves negatively. The girls discussed self-esteem and created a Myspace page to connect people and spread the message of self love.  The girls hope that by promoting the website to their friends and families, people will visit the page and be reminded that loving your body starts first with loving yourself. 

Team 15, Crockett Elementary, Phoenix: Teen Pregnancy Is Played Out
The girls of Team 15 were worried about how teen pregnancy was affecting the lives of young girls in their community. They decided to write and perform a play on teen pregnancy to perform in their community.  They created props, made and hung up flyers, and held a bake sale to raise money for their project.  The play put a face on the issue of teen pregnancy and inspired students to make safer choices about sex. The play raised money that the girls donated to a local nonprofit that works to eliminate teen pregnancy. 

Team 16, StarShine Academy, Phoenix: Making Good Decisions
Team 16 was fed up with gang activity in their community. The girls developed a play, made costumes, got permission to do the play at the school, and performed their play for their younger schoolmates. The play demonstrated consequences of joining a gang. The team hopes that the play will impact the decisions of youth about gang activity, so there will be fewer gangs and less violence in their community. 

Team 17, Coronado High School, Scottsdale: Stay Strong
Girl Action Team 17 believes that one domestic violence victim is one too many! By doing research on the issues of abuse and inviting a speaker to come to their school and present to students, the girls created an environment that encouraged others as well as themselves to understand that they are not alone. Team 17’s message is that violent acts do not have to own you for the rest of your life and with the right support and resources, a new day is possible.

Team 18, Kuban Elementary, Phoenix: Photo Speak Out
Team 18 is upset that so many young people turn to drugs when they are experiencing family problems at home.  The team created an original idea of a “photo-speak out.”  They met with the principal and got permission to hold a school wide assembly.  They researched facts and statistics showing the relationship between stress at home and teen drug use.  The girls combined their research with photos of teens they found on-line to create a presentation and then they held a rally and asked kids in their school to watch the presentation and voice concerns about teen drug use in the community.  The girls opened up communication between young people and adults about drug use and also provided resources for people dealing with stress at home.

Team 19, Alfred Garcia Elementary, Phoenix: Information; The Anti Drug
The girls of Team 19 are concerned about the amount of people using drugs in their community.  They want to help people know that they have free resources available to them that will help with recovery and prevention. They interviewed a drug abuse counselor to gather information and resources.  Using the information they gathered, they created resource fliers to distribute at shopping malls, schools, and churches.  The girls believe that information is power, and that they themselves are powerful.

Team 20, Santa Maria Middle School, Phoenix: Love Yourself
Girl Action Team 20 was dismayed about hurtful words, biased media, and the stigma that is given to girls and women. The team created posters, banners, and buttons with positive messages about being a girl and distributed them at the school carnival. Every girl at Santa Maria Middle School was sent the message that being a girl is amazing and powerful.

Team 21, Independence High School, Glendale: Face To Face With Abuse
The young women at Independence High School were concerned about how sexual abuse was affecting girls and women in their community. The girls researched abuse, had a guest speaker about the topic at a team meeting, contacted local domestic violence agencies, and had in-depth discussions about the issue. They created posters, and distributed information about abuse at the school-wide health fair. The girls raised awareness about the warning signs and effects of abuse.

Team 22, Madison Park Middle School, Princesses for a Change, Phoenix: Feel Better About You
The girls of Team 22 are passionate about raising the self esteem of girls at Madison Park Middle School. The girls decided to create a video on self-esteem to share with their peers. They wrote a script, made costumes, and borrowed equipment. They created the video and showed it at an assembly. Next, they had a question and answer session about self esteem. The girls sent the message that you can feel good about who you are!

Team 23, Phoenix Girl Steering Committee
The Girl Steering Committee has devoted time this year to planning GFC girl events, speaking at Girls For A Change networking events, and advocating for girl leadership.  The girls emceed and planned Spring Into Action and the Completion Ceremony this year. They are the voices and the leadership body of the Girls For A Change Phoenix site.

2006-07 Girl Action Team Projects

Below are projects girls across Maricopa created and implemented in the 2006-2007 program year. Check out a video diary of the 2006-07 Phoenix projects and coach messages here.

TEAM 1, BOYS HOPE GIRLS HOPE, PHOENIX: EDUCATING PEERS ON DOMESTIC ABUSE
The girls of Team 1 believe that there is a stigma around talking about domestic abuse. The girls authored a play to create public awareness among students about speaking out on this issue.  Their play will educate youth about safe resources in their community and how to access them.  They presented their play to schools in their school district. 

TEAM 2, ORANGEDALE ELEMENTARY, PHOENIX: STOP ANIMAL ABUSE
The girls of Team 2 want to stop the abuse and mistreatment of homeless animals.  As part of their campaign to increase awareness surrounding this issue, Team 2 developed a presentation that includes activities for youth. The activities will focus on educating young people about resources for animals, and how to access those resources in their community. The girls independently approached their principal and arranged a schedule of presentations for several classes in their school.  The girls also worked in partnership with a local animal shelter. 

TEAM 3, CENTERRA MIRAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL, GOODYEAR: OPERATION GOLDEN RULE
These girls believe that many of the fights and broken friendships at their school result from bullies influencing other students.  The team educated their peers about following “the golden rule” and treating each other with respect, in a school wide assembly. The girls wrote and starred in the play they presented at that assembly. The play deals directly with school bullies and the effect on both those who are bullied and those who do the bullying.  The girls also encouraged a respectful atmosphere at their school by creating and handing out “star awards” to peers who are seen doing something kind for another person. 

TEAM 4, CARL HAYDEN HIGH SCHOOL, PHOENIX: DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR
Team 4 believes that youth in their community are misinformed about the consequences of sex.  They feel that lack of information from adults and too much misinformation from their peers and the media can have a negative impact on the community. The girls created a DVD containing short video clips demonstrating the negative consequences teens face when misinformed about sex.  The girls feel that by using their two best resources, their peers and the media, they will educate and impact change in their community.    

TEAM 5, GRIFFITH ELEMENTARY, PHOENIX: GIRLS: STOP VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY
Girl Action Team 5 is fired up about starting a campaign to take a stand against violence in their community. The team will teach girls about self-awareness and self-esteem in so that girls stop being part of creating violence through gossiping and bullying and also stand up against violence in all forms.  The team created and presented an original educational campaign that engages 7th and 8th grade girls. The curriculum includes discussions and activities on inner beauty, self-confidence, girl power and supporting beauty in others. They will tie in discussions on beauty and self-esteem and how these relate to violence in the community.

TEAM 6, EL DORADO HIGH SCHOOL, CHANDLER: CONNECTING YOUTH TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES
The girls of Team 6 believe their community has a high rate of teen drug use because many of their peers are unaware of the services available for help.  They created and distributed an informational flier that lists various organizations in their community that can assist youth with drug and alcohol related addictions.  By putting the information into the “right hands,” their peers can find safe, effective, affordable help. 

TEAM 8, A&A COTTAGES, MESA: ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF NEGLECT
The girls of Team 8 are creating a workshop to educate junior high and high school students about the cyclical nature of substance abuse and its connection to child neglect. They developed a multi-day workshop including presentations from girls on the team, and also experts in the field of substance abuse.  The girls included an interactive discussion after the workshop for participants to talk about their own experiences in order to learn from one another. 

TEAM 9, GATEWAY EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL, PHOENIX: THE REALITY OF BEING A TEEN PARENT
Team 9 is empowering girls to make better decisions when it comes to sex and the prevention of teen pregnancy. They feel that education is the key to preventing teenage girls from getting pregnant.  The girls made a curriculum for their school that incorporates caring for mechanical babies for two weeks. By letting students experience the “reality” of being a teen parent, they hope to increase awareness about the benefits of waiting to be a parent.

TEAM 10, WILLIAM R SULLIVAN ELEMENTARY, PHOENIX: EDUCATING PEERS ON TEEN PREGNANCY
Girl Action Team 10 educated their peers about drug use, and how it can lead to teen pregnancy.  The girls believe teen decision making can be negatively affected when drugs are consumed. The girls partnered with the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and created a ribbon campaign for 6th, 7th and 8th graders at their school. .  They included a card with each ribbon that contains information regarding the impact drugs can have on sexual decisions or consequence of sexual behavior. 

TEAM 11, ARTHUR M HAMILTON ELEMENTARY, PHEONIX: CREATING A SAFE SPACE
The girls of Team 11 have been working together to create a space in their team meeting for open discussion on community issues.  After their community had violent acts occur to young women, the girls talked about where to go for help and how to create a sisterhood to support each other.  The girls will continue to work as a team on being a network of friends who watch out for each other and know how to offer support.

TEAM 12, SUNS DIAMONDBACK ACADEMY, PHOENIX: TACKLING THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE
All over the Valley, immigration is a hotly debated issue.  The girls of Team 12 feel that it is critical to understand current and pending immigration legislation.  By creating an awareness campaign in their school, the girls plan to educate their peers about the opportunities the DREAM Act (The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act) provides children of illegal immigrants.  The girls each wrote a personal statement about their feelings on current immigration polices and are posting it to internet blogs. They also planned to submit the letters to the Arizona Republic and their school newspaper.    

TEAM 13, CESAR CHAVEZ HIGH SCHOOL, PHOENIX: CALL IT LIKE IT IS; CONFRONTING RACISIM
The girls on Team 13 have decided that the lack of communication between people of various ethnicities is one of the leading causes of racism in their school.  The girls are bringing people together, through an end of the year “Kick Back Party,” with different types of music and food, and interactive activities.  They hope that by brining students of different ethnicities together to talk, hang out, and have fun that the students will start a dialogue and find commonalities.  The girls want people to realize everyone has something to offer.

TEAM 14, TREVOR BROWNE HIGH SCHOOL, PHOENIX: EDUCATION IS KEY
The Girl Action Team at Trevor Browne High School has decided that in order to create social change in their neighborhood, they must first educate themselves on the issues that have the most impact on teens in their community. The girls have started a research campaign by visiting local Valley organizations that work with youth, and plan to interview several service providers.  By learning about these issues the team will be prepared to speak out publicly about the most pressing issues youth face in their community.

TEAM 15, WILSON ELEMENTARY, PHOENIX: STOP THE ABUSE OF CHILDREN
The sexual exploitation of children is a sensitive topic.  The girls of Team 15 believe that by encouraging their peers to speak out about the issue of sexual abuse, they will create a youth voice in the community. They developed a platform for open communication, and organized an open forum for both parents and adults to talk about safeguarding the community.  By incorporating a youth voice into this discussion, the girls hope to impact the way adults approach and talk to children about the issue of abuse.

TEAM 16, STARSHINE ACADEMY, PHOENIX: NO MORE HATERS
The girls of Team 16 have determined that jealousy is the main cause of “haters” in their school, especially among middle school students. They are creating change through an awareness campaign that supports a community of understanding and tolerance amongst their peers.  The girls will distribute information to students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade that focuses on inner-esteem.

TEAM 17, DESERT REACH, PHOENIX: STOP STEROTYPING
The girls of Team 17 are focusing on the negative impact of stereotypes. They want to encourage heir community to see people, for who they really are, not who they think they are.  By creating t-shirts about the harmful effectives of stereotypes, they hope to increase awareness. 

TEAM 18, JACK L KUBAN ELEMENTARY, PHOENIX: THE “HOW TO” OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION
The girls of Team 18 want to empower youth with confidence and self-esteem so that they are able to deal with peer conflict in a safe manner. The girls believe that it is important to have these skills before entering middle school, where peer conflict often arises. They delivered public service announcements to 5th grade students in their school by acting them out live in the class rooms. The PSAs offer information, resources, and choices for students on how to respond and deal with conflict safely. 

TEAM 19, ALFRED F GARCIA ELEMENTARY, PHOENIX: EVERYONE DESERVES A HOME
Team 19’s project is educating the community on the issue of homelessness. They created awareness packets, and plan to distribute them throughout Phoenix.  The girls believe that by making the community more aware of the seriousness of this issue, they can help connect families to resources and help find everyone a safe place to live.

TEAM 20, SANTA MARIA MIDDLE SCHOOL, PHOENIX: CREATING AWARNESS ABOUT ABUSE
The girls at Santa Maria Middle School want to raise awareness about child abuse, and how students can safely find resources on this issue.  The girls created a 30 minute presentation for their peers that includes identifying signs of abuse, the effects of it, and resources in their community to get help.  They presented to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students at their school. They hope that by raising awareness less youth will face this serious issue alone.   

TEAM 21, INDEPENDENCE HIGH SCHOOL, GLENDALE: STOP THE VIOLENCE
The girls at Independence High School want to decrease student violence by addressing the issue of racism.  The girls started a public awareness campaign at their school about the correlation between racism in the community, and student violence on campus.  They wrote original skits depicting racist encounters, and performed them at a school assembly. The girls are recording their performance and will offer it to school administrators to add to the school’s curriculum on conflict resolution.   

TEAM 22, GIRL STEERING COMMITTEE
The Girl Steering Committee has worked relentlessly this year planning events, speaking at Girls For A Change functions, and networking to reach future social change agents.  The girls emceed and planned Spring Into Action and will emcee the Completion Ceremony. They have also been spokesgirls for the organization at 2 GFC fundraisers this year. They are the girl leadership body of the GFC Phoenix site.