program

Here are some highlights from GFC's 2007-2008 program year. Results are from the GFC and GFC Phoenix sites.

Girl Action Teams: Community Impact

More than 3,000 community members were impacted by GFC Girl Action Team projects in the 2007-08 program cycle.

Some projects that impacted community members in Phoenix:

• 200 high school students received teen pregnancy prevention materials at their school 
• 100 middle and high school students learned about how they can love their bodies and have a positive self image
• 30 high school students plus community members participated in a poetry slam against racism 

Some projects that impacted community members in Silicon Valley:

• 100 5th graders actively participated in a school assembly about bullying prevention 
• 350 high school students plus school faculty attended an assembly about peer pressure and its influence on teens, particularly around decision about sexual activity 
• 50 high school students and their family member attended a workshop about how students who are immigrants can access higher education

Girl Evaluation Highlights

Program Goal 1: By the end of the 8 month program, all GFC girl participants will increase their self-efficacy, defined as: one’s belief that they can accomplish their goals.

Objective: 80% of girls participating in GFC will report that despite the challenges of making changes in their community, they know they can do it.

Results...

• 94% of GFC girls agreed that despite the fact that creating changes in a community is challenging, they know they can create change (this is a 4% increase from the previous year!)

Program Goal 2: By the end of the 8 month program, all GFC girls will feel increased adult support and positive adult role modeling.

Objective: 75% of girls participating in GFC will report that there is an adult woman she has met through GFC that cares about her.

Results...

• 87% of GFC girls believe their GFC Coaches (the women volunteers who work with Girl Action Teams) care about what they are doing

Objective: 75% of girls participating in GFC will report that adult women they have met through GFC are working to make the world a better place.

Results...

• 94% of girls in GFC agreed that GFC affiliated women are change agents

Program Goal 3: By the end of the 8 month program, all GFC girls will report being part of a positive peer group in their GFC team, where they feel comfortable and supported.

Objective: 80% of girls participating in GFC will report that they worked well with the girls in their Girl Action Teams.

Results...

• 93% of girls in GFC agreed they work well with their GFC teams.
• 90% of girls participating in GFC will report that they feel comfortable and relaxed working with other girls (this is a 10% increase from the previous year)

Program Goal 4: By the end of the 8 month program, all GFC girls will learn skills in public speaking, problem solving and how to effectively work with a team through their GFC experience.

Objective: 75% of girls participating in GFC will report that they know how to plan, lead and implement a project.

Results...

• 76% of girls on GFC teams agreed they can plan, lead and implement a project.
• 80% said they had done public speaking or a group presentation
• 46% said they led part of a meeting
• 23% said they raised money for their project
• More than half of girls said they had led part of their project or completed a project plan

Program Goal 5: By the end of the 8 month program, all GFC girls will have knowledge about ways to create social change as it relates to their GFC project and in their life outside GFC.

Objective: 75% of girls participating in GFC will report knowing how to identify an issue that affects their community and then take action on that issue, thereby creating change.

Results...

• 72% believed they could fix the problems in their communities
• More than 90% of girls also reported that they know they have choices about what happens to them in life and that they can make positive changes in their personal lives

Program Goal 6: By the end of the 8 month program, all GFC girls will report explicit awareness of the transferability of the skills learned in GFC – such as public speaking, problem solving and working with a team - to other life situations and contexts.

Objective: 75% of girls participating in GFC will begin to understand that if they can make positive changes in their community they can and will use those same skills and knowledge to create positive changes in their own lives.

Results...

• 90% of girls in GFC agreed that if they can make changes in their community that they can make changes in their own lives
• 75% of girls reported they can speak up when things are bothering them

Program Goal 7: By the end of the 8 month program, all GFC girls will have utilized and will have continuing access to a new network of diverse peers and adults.

Objective: 75% of girls participating in GFC will report knowing how to build relationships with people from different backgrounds.

Results...

• 80% of girls in GFC reported that they feel comfortable talking to someone who is not like them
• 78% of girls in GFC reported they met girls and women in GFC they would have not met otherwise

Girls on GFC Girl Action Teams also said:

• 83% of girls reported understanding how social change happens
• 66% of girls reported that they have changed in a positive way since joining GFC

Girls reported that they like the following about GFC:

• Becoming social change agents
• Everyone's ideas are heard and used in project planning
• "I have learned how to speak my opinions"
• Gaining knowledge about the community
• "I learned to overcome my fears"
• "Meetings are productive"
• It's a place to express yourself

GFC Community Outreach

• 2 Parent/Guardian Newsletters in each site
• 2 Community Newsletters (organizations and schools) in each site
• 3 Adult Workshops at the Girl Summit for coaches, parents/guardians and school staff
• Collaborated as a committee member on the Arizona Girls Roundtable to present four unique community workshops addressing the needs of Arizona girls
• Partnered with the University of Arizona Building Partnerships For Youth to present on youth as partners and engaging youth as leaders in community organizations
• Nominated to join the Arizona Governors' Task Force on Youth Development; Out of School Time Work Group
• Collaborated with Phoenix Union High School District for four teams and Murphy School District for four teams
• Participated with Arizona Education Association for coach and school recruitment
• In Silicon Valley, Collaborated with Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula for three teams
• In Silicon Valley, Participated with Overfelt High School Multi-Service Providers Collaborative

Who are GFC Girls?

• 85% of girls attend a GFC target school, meaning it is ethnically diverse and in a low-income neighborhood
• Ethnicity of girls participating in GFC Teams: More than 85% of girls self identify as young women of color. More than 60% of the girls self report their ethnicity as Latina or Chicana, 13% report being African American or Black and 8% as Asian or Asian American. More than 6% of girls report being of Native descent (Native American, Hawaiian, Alaskan or other) and over 15% of girls report being mixed races. (Girls can report more than one ethnicity or race)
• Ages of girls participating in GFC Teams: 62% are in Middle School (10-13) and 38% are in High School (14-18)

Who are GFC Coaches?

• Between the two sites, 135 women participated as Girl Action Team Coaches.
• 40% of Coaches self identified as women of color
• 48% of coaches were between the ages of 18-30

GFC Coaches Reported:

• 96% were highly satisfied with their interactions with GFC staff.

Coaching with GFC has affected them by:

• “It has helped me loosen up so that I could handle the unexpected. “
• “It helped me decide where I’m going in life.”
• “I am more open minded.”
• “It has opened up job opportunities.”
• “I redefined success.”
• “I can now empathize with people I don’t necessarily relate to.”
• “I recognize that I have a choice in how I see all situations."
• “Learned how to tactfully guide a meeting.”

Coaches said they learned the following:

• Learning and sharing from other
• Listening skills
• What empowerment looks like
• Greater awareness of diversity Issues
• Social change project planning skills
• Learning to accept recognition/praise
• How to co-facilitate
• Patience
• Youth are inspiring
• Respect for youth
• Trust in others
• How to connect with others
• Trust the girls, the process, and myself

The Girls For A Change model is built on our core values and uses social change, youth development and coaching to fully engage women and girls in creating change. There are four elements of the model:

1. Girl Action Teams: Girls participate in teams to identify challenges their communities face, then design and implement creative solutions to address them. Each team has 5-10 girls and two women Coaches to guide and support them through the project.
2. New Girls' Network: GFC connects girls to a network of professionals and elected officials who help girls build their own web of contacts and mentors. This network helps girls accomplish their GFC project as well as their personal goals. It also builds a bridge to the opportunities of the community, as many GFC girls live in lower income areas.
3. Girl Events: In 2008, GFC's Annual Girl Summit hit the road for our first ever National Tour! Girls throughout the US particpate in Change Your World Trainings as the National Tour comes to their schools. More than 2,500 girls learn about social change and how to create it in these trainings. Girls in all sites attend an annual Spring Into Action training for girls and coaches and a Completion Ceremony. Spring Into Action includes skill based workshops for girls that relate to the work on their project. The Completion Ceremony is an annual celebration of girls and coaches!
4. Girl Steering Committee: Each year, 15-20 girls also participate as members of the Girl Steering Committee. As members of the Steering Committee, girls serve on organizational committees and also have the opportunity to join the local Advisory Board or the National Board of Directors. At the national level, at least four girls sit on the Board and act as voting members. There is no quorum without two voting girl members at a Board meeting. Girl Board Members also participate in annual strategic planning meetings for the organization and advise staff.

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. Attend a GFC school recruitment event. Then meet in your community with your Girl Action Team and your GFC Coaches to start talking about what’s going on in your neighborhood, city or school. (If there are not teams in your community, check out the GFC Action Network or email a GFC staff person to learn more about getting involved in GFC!)
2. 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!
3. 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.

Silicon Valley Girls, contact:
coachsv@girlsforachange.org  or call 408.529.9046

Phoenix Area Girls, contact:
coachphx@girlsforachange.org or call 602.680.8182

For other cities and countries, contact:
carrie@girlsforachange.org or call 408.515.8148

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!

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.

Girl Action Team Coach
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.

Girl Action Team Consultant
Girls need the support and consultation of professionals in a variety of fields as they plan and implement projects. Girl Action Teams can contact consultants (a.k.a. The New Girls' Network) any time throughout their project cycle.

Organizational Volunteer
Volunteers interested in helping to plan events or participate in organizational decisions can join a GFC Committee focused on diversity, program, marketing, finance, nomination and other topics.

Get involved! Click here to learn more about volunteering:

Phoenix

Richmond

Silicon Valley

Interested in starting a Girl Action Team in a city outside of those listed above? Check out information about starting a Girl Action Team here.