SV girl action teams
SV Team Projects (2005-06)
Here are projects Girl Action Teams across the Bay Area worked on in the 2005-06 program year:
TEAM 1, DARTMOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL, SOUTH SAN JOSE: PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS THROUGH EDUCATION
The
girls of Team 1 believe that by educating middle school and high school
students about the importance of education and not doing drugs, they
will help alleviate homelessness. They understand that substance abuse
can lead to homelessness for some. The girls wrote a script, created a
story board and directed a short film to present to middle and high
school students about the dangers of drug use and the value of
education.
TEAM 2, VARIOUS SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOLS, SAN JOSE: PREVENTING TEEN PREGNANCY AND EXPLORING CHOICES
Team
2 feels that there is a lack of resources about safer sex and unplanned
pregnancies. The girls want to raise awareness about safer sex and
choices girls have when it comes to unplanned pregnancies. They are
creating a webpage that provides links to other informative sites and
includes options for girls who become pregnant along with prevention
information.
TEAM 3, BOYNTON HIGH SCHOOL, CENTRAL SAN JOSE: PLANNING FOR A DIFFERENT FUTURE
This
team focused on personal development and growth and the coaches
provided a space where the girls could work on planning for next steps
in their life. The girls expressed a need for having adults in their
life that could listen, so the team met to share experiences and offer
support to each other. The coaches and girls also worked together on
interview skills, planning for college and following through on goals
upon graduation from high school.
TEAM 4, INDEPENDENCE HIGH SCHOOL, EAST SAN JOSE: CHOOSING FRIENDS WISELY
Friendships
can be empowering and they can also lead to bad choices from peer
pressure. Team 4 is working on a presentation and a website to
encourage healthy friendships and share real experiences of friends who
have helped each other. The girls know that having supportive
friendships can help more students make better choices throughout their
high school years.
TEAM 6, LOS ALTOS HIGH SCHOOL, LOS ALTOS: NO MORE “MEAN GIRLS”
Team
6 wants to empower girls with confidence and self-esteem so that they
are able to stand up to “mean girls” in school. They will create change
in their school by presenting an hour-long workshop to incoming
freshman girls at the Los Altos High School orientation session in
August. The presentation will focus on building positive relationships
between girls.
TEAM 7, GRAHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL, MOUNTAIN VIEW: PROVIDING GIRLS WITH RESOURCES ABOUT SELF-ESTEEM
The
girls of Team 7 understand the pressure for girls to look and act a
certain way, and how that pressure can lead to low self-esteem and a
painful middle school experience. They empowered 4th and 5th grade
girls at Slater Elementary school through a seminar. The seminar had
four stations that each addressed a different aspect of self-esteem.
The seminar included interactive exercises that allowed girls to
express and explore their feelings around self-esteem.
TEAM 8, AUGUST BOEGER MIDDLE SCHOOL, EAST SAN JOSE: STOPPING THE NAME CALLING AT SCHOOL
These
girls believe that many of the fights and broken friendships at their
school result from rumors, name calling and talking about other people.
The girls created one day at the school where students were encouraged
to stop name-calling and stop talking negatively about others. The
girls were role models on “Don’t Hate Appreciate Day” by wearing
special t-shirts and being leaders in the effort. They also presented
to Ida Jew Elementary School students about the issue and encouraged
the students there to participate in the movement.
TEAM 9, CUPERTINO AND SUNNYVALE AREA HIGH SCHOOLS, CUPERTINO AND SUNNYVALE: READERS BECOME LEADERS
Team
9 feels that the lack of academic achievement in literacy at Hoover
Elementary School in Redwood City is caused by the lack of resources.
The girls learned that 3rd grade test scores are used to determine the
number of prisons built in the U.S. They want to reach out to youth as
this pivotal time for learning. The girls raised more than $1,000 to
purchase 5 classroom sets of books covering science and history topics
and visited the school to tutor the students.
TEAM 10, WILLOW GLEN HIGH SCHOOL, WEST SAN JOSE: FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The
girls on this team want to reduce the occurrences of disease and
obesity related to unhealthy eating habits. Since 6th grade students
have the option to purchase sodas and candy in vending machines at
school, the girls taught students at Willow Glen Middle School healthy
eating habits and how to make good food choices. They created a video
and a presentation that addressed the effects of unhealthy eating
habits. They also handed out facts on healthy snacks and how to spread
the word on healthy eating to friends and family.
TEAM 11, LOS GATOS HIGH SCHOOL, LOS GATOS: SUPPORT FOR DEALING WITH THE PRESSURES OF LIFE
Drug
use that starts at an early age can lead to unhealthy choices. The
girls on Team 11 have seen the direct effects of drug use on people who
are close to them and want to spread the word about how to stay away
from drugs and get support rather than turning to drugs. The team
created a workshop about the consequences of drug use and how to deal
with pressures from school, family and friends.
TEAM 12, EAST PALO ALTO CHARTER SCHOOL, EAST PALO ALTO: TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION & AWARENESS
Teen
pregnancy is an issue that Team 12 wants to educate their peers about.
They want to reduce teen pregnancy by increasing awareness. They
collected information and spoke with teen moms to create comprehensive
learning materials and joined teenpregnancy.org in their efforts to
spread the word about pregnancy prevention during the national movement
in May. They want girls to be able to make informed decisions about
their bodies.
TEAM 13, OVERFELT HIGH SCHOOL, EAST SAN JOSE: STARTING EARLY TO PREVENT TEEN PREGNANCY
Team
13 is empowering girls to make better decisions when it comes to sex,
the prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
They feel that self-esteem and not being able to say no to partners are
problems to address with middle school and high school students. The
girls have learned about program development from Planned Parenthood
and created their own program for middle school students. They also
handed out pregnancy prevention information to students at their high
school.
TEAM 14, MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL, MOUNTAIN VIEW: HAPPY, HEALTHY, AND CONFIDENT
The
girls of Team 14 understand how the media contributes to negative body
image for girls. They know that breaking down messages and encouraging
girls to celebrate their diverse beauty is a way to combat the idea of
prettiness that has been created by the media. They also believe they
can reduce the consequences of trying to achieve this prettiness, such
as eating disorders. They presented a workshop on positive body image
and health to girls at Graham Middle School so that more girls enter
high school with a positive view of themselves.
TEAM 15, LEADERSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS, EAST SAN JOSE: STOP THE VIOLENCE, STOP THE SILENCE
The
name for this team’s project is, “Stop the Violence, Stop the Silence”
– a statement rooted in the idea that people should NOT be silent about
abuse. Team 15 wants more people to speak out about physical abuse so
communities can be transformed. They are holding a community event to
educate the public and encourage dialogue between all members of the
community about this devastating issue that is often not talked about.
TEAM 16, MT. PLEASANT HIGH SCHOOL, EAST SAN JOSE: HOMELESS YOUTH – ENDING THE STIGMA
Team
16’s project addressed the stigma of homeless youth. They have created
a documentary that features true stories of local homeless youth, plus
interviews with aid organizations and other people who interact with
homeless youth. The girls on the team have learned that homeless youth
are humans that have the same needs, fears and dreams as other
teenagers. They will be showing their documentary to adults and youth
in order to change the way homeless youth are treated.
TEAM 17, MILLER MIDDLE SCHOOL, SAN JOSE: WHERE DOES YOUR MEAT COME FROM?
Team
17 wants people to be aware of the source of meat products they
consume. The girls’ research shows that consumption in the U.S. and
abroad has increased dramatically and to keep up with demand corporate
farms may not be treating animals humanely. They feel that when people
become aware of the different methods of meat processing, they will no
longer support the assembly line method. They are creating a website
called “Do You Know the Difference?” to educate people on different
forms of farming and meat processing and give examples of alternative
product consumers can buy.
TEAM 18, SAINT ELIZABETH SETON SCHOOL, PALO ALTO: MAKING POSITIVE CHOICES FOR A BETTER FUTURE
The
girls from Saint Elizabeth Seton School want to educate their peers
about low self-esteem, which can lead to poor choices. The girls hope
to educate their peers about making positive decisions so youth can
avoid being a part of the juvenile justice system. They are working on
a presentation at their school that will help increase self esteem that
includes an original song and dance, sharing personal experiences and
letting students know about resources available.
TEAM 19, ALTA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL, MOUNTAIN VIEW: PUTTING AN END TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
This
team was appalled at the amount of trafficking and violence that
continues to happen to women in the world. The girls researched the
aspects of this issue and learned more about it to start an education
awareness campaign among their peers. This grassroots awareness will
encourage more discussion on the topic in the community so that more
action can be taken to stop it worldwide.
TEAM 20, EAST PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL, EAST PALO ALTO: WHAT DRUGS DO TO YOU INSIDE AND OUT
Students
at school often talk about their drug use openly when discussing what
they did on the weekend. The girls also hear drug use glorified in
music and see it in music videos. They are making posters to put up
around East Palo Alto to show young people what drugs can do to your
body inside and out. They are also writing letters to music producers
to encourage them to take drug references out of the music that is
marketed to teens.
TEAM 21, 49ERS ACADEMY. EAST PALO ALTO: HEY WILD 94.9!, STOP “HOMELESS HOLLYWOOD”
The
girls of Team 21 are fed up with the way homeless people are ridiculed
on the morning show game called “Homeless Hollywood” aired on local
radio station 94.9. They want the game off the air. The girls gathered
signatures at the local malls to raise awareness about how the game
disrespects homeless people. With those signatures, they wrote a letter
from the community to the radio station requesting that the show be
stopped. They are working with youth media organizations to continue
their effort to remove the show from the airwaves.
TEAM 22, EVERGREEN VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL, SOUTH SAN JOSE: STARTING COMMUNITY DIALOGUE ABOUT ABUSE
The
goal of Team 22’s project is to make the public aware of the
seriousness of domestic abuse. The girls are putting on a community
event in order to raise money for battered women. At the event, they
will encourage participants to start discussions about domestic abuse,
what resources are available in the community to stop it and how to
help friends and family who are affected by it.
TEAM 23, VARIOUS SANTA CLARA SCHOOLS, SANTA CLARA: WRITING TO STOP PET NEGLECT
These
creative girls have created illustrated children’s booklets that they
are reading to kids in libraries and schools. This book will help youth
understand how to properly take care of pets and what happens to
animals when they are neglected. They want to teach youth what pet
neglect means at a young age, so that their will be less instances of
this animal abuse in the future.
TEAM 24, RANCHO MILPITAS MIDDLE SCHOOL, MILPITAS: ENDING SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY
The
girls of Team 24 feel that expressing their personal experiences with
sexual harassment will build awareness about the issue. They developed
an article to be posted in the opinion section of local Milpitas
newspapers describing personal experiences with sexual harassment
during school and after school. Their goal is to make people aware
that this goes on in a “safe” town like Milpitas and happens to girls
as young as 11-13. They are building a community of support which they
will use in developing an anti-sexual harassment campaign next year.
TEAM 25, MILPITAS HIGH SCHOOL, MILPITAS: RESOURCES FOR TEENAGE GIRLS
The
girls from Team 25 want to empower teenage girls through sharing
knowledge on a variety of issues that teens struggle with daily. They
created a website called independentchica.com with information on
common teen issues. The website includes a section where visitors to
the site can email thoughts and questions to the team. All members of
the team are certified peer counselors and answer the questions that
are sent to them using the knowledge they learned in peer counselor
training.
TEAM 26, CALAVERAS HILLS HIGH SCHOOL, MILPITAS: GETTING INFO TO TEENS ABOUT SUICIDE AND DEPRESSION
The
girls from Team 26 identified a gap in the large number of suicide and
depression support programs that exist in the Bay Area, and the number
of youth who knew about these programs. They decided to get the
information about support programs to a place where young people would
actually see it: myspace.com®. They researched information and
available resources and have created an interactive information page
and blog about suicide and depression to offer support to their peers.
TEAM 27, SIERRAMONT MIDDLE SCHOOL, SAN JOSE: WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL!
The
girls from Team 27 are tired of seeing girls suffer from negative self
image. They know this is caused in part by a lack of positive support
for girls, so they are creating a webpage to promote better
self-confidence and self- image. They call it W.A.A.B Web (We Are All
Beautiful). The site will have resources and build awareness to promote
positive self-image. It will be a space for girls to meet and express
themselves in a positive way.
TEAM 28, CAMDEN COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL, SAN JOSE: BUILDING COMMUNITY AT OUR SCHOOL
The
girls on this team go to a school where the majority of students are
boys so they focused on community building at their school. The girls
wanted to create a space for themselves that was safe, allowed them to
share experiences and give each other support. The girls met with their
coach during the school day to do projects that impacted their personal
lives and increased their self awareness.
TEAM 29, MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL, MOUNTAIN VIEW: HOW MEDIA IMPACTS GENDER RELATIONSHIPS
The
girls from Team 29 feel that because of the media, girls are pressured
to obsess over their physical appearance and boys are pressured to act
tough. They created a video showing popular images from music videos
and commercials, and then showed the video to students at their high
school. The team interviewed the students to get their reaction to the
video and how the images impact girls, boys and relationships between
boys and girls. The girls edited the interviews into the final video
and are showing it to health classes at the school.
TEAM 30, GUNDERSON HIGH SCHOOL, SOUTH SAN JOSE: SHARING STORIES ABOUT BODY IMAGE
This
high school team knows that girls and women are impacted by what they
hear and see about beauty. The girls of Team 30 are collecting stories
from each girl on the team, their coaches, friends and family about
experiences with body image. The letters will be compiled and sent to
magazines and newspapers to encourage others to think about body image
and how we can support each other in developing more positive views of
our bodies.
TEAM 31, MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL, FREMONT: SUPPORTING GIRLS AS THEY TRANSITION TO HIGH SCHOOL
The
girls from Team 31 want younger girls to understand and celebrate their
power. In April, they hosted a one day self-esteem summit at Chadbourne
Elementary School. To build on the relationships they formed with
younger girls at the event, they are creating a network of support,
called Sister to Sister. The girls from the team will serve as guides
for the younger girls as they transition from middle school to high
school. The team also held a parent/guardian night to explain the
summit and their commitment to supporting younger girls.
TEAM 32, EAST PALO ALTO BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, EAST PALO ALTO: PUTTING AN END TO CHILD ABUSE
Team
32 wants more people to know about child abuse and how to stop it. They
know that students who are abused are often embarrassed to talk about
the issues so they created a presentation for elementary school
students. The presentation includes an innovative bingo game the girls
developed to help students learn more about abuse and how to get help
or help a friend. They made their first presentation in May to students
at the Boys and Girls Club and plan to make more presentations to
schools in the future.
TEAM 33, PRESENTATION HIGH SCHOOL, SAN JOSE: ENCOURAGING YOUTH TO GET ACTIVE!
The
girls from Team 33 want to educate youth about unhealthy lifestyles
that lead to obesity. They created a program to teach elementary school
students about the importance of physical activity and healthy eating
habits so the students will continue these habits in to adulthood. The
girls are presenting the workshop at a local school and will raise
money to donate sports equipment to the school.
TEAM 34, BURNETT ACADEMY, CENTRAL SAN JOSE: CREATING A SAFE HAVEN FOR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ASSAULT
The
girls of Team 34 are sick of sexual assault happening in communities.
Through the development of their project, the girls have started to
explore their personal experiences with this issue. They use meetings
to share stories and learn more about how to support each other. They
will continue to create a safe space in their meetings for these
discussions and encourage girls around them to find other girls and
adults to talk to about the problem.
TEAM 35, WILLOW GLEN MIDDLE SCHOOL, WEST SAN JOSE: EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON ANIMAL ABUSE
Protecting
animals is important to the girls on Team 35. They created posters,
fliers, and business cards to educate people on how to protect and be
kind to animals. They distributed their materials in the community and
hung the posters in local businesses, the SPCA and schools. They want
to change the way the public views animals and provide ways for people
to learn about the issue so less animals will be mistreated.
TEAM 36, OCALA MIDDLE SCHOOL, EAST SAN JOSE: SCHOOL UNITY AND PRIDE THROUGH ART
The
girls from Team 36 created a mural project to combat stereotypes and
bring unity to the school. They call their project “Creative Girl
Power.” They hope to increase school spirit by having students involved
in the creation of the mural. They believe that students will show more
respect for their school and be encouraged to learn in the positive
atmosphere that will be created through this project.
TEAM 37, RUSSELL MIDDLE SCHOOL, MILPITAS: RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Domestic
violence is an issue that the girls from Team 37 feel strongly about.
They want their peers to know what to do if they ever witness violence,
are in an unhealthy relationship or have peers who are affected by
domestic violence. The girls sold wristbands to students and used the
sales transaction to inform students about domestic violence and where
to go for more information. The proceeds of the wrist bands will be
donated to a local battered women’s shelter.
TEAM 38, CUPERTINO HIGH SCHOOL, CUPERTINO: HUGS NOT DRUGS
One of
the problems that affect youth in Cupertino is drug use. Students often
use drugs to escape problems and social and academic pressure. The
girls from Team 38 created a program that includes skits to help youth
learn about the effects of drugs. They also gave advice on how to deal
with stress and pressure so youth can avoid using drugs as an escape.
TEAM 39, PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL, PALO ALTO: THE FABRIC OF OUR LIVES
The
girls of team 39 are fed up with the lack of awareness among consumers
about sweatshop labor. They will raise awareness and create behavioral
changes through audio and visual media presentations at their school.
They will interview people who work in sweatshops and use this
firsthand testimony to encourage their peers to petition for labor
reforms and stay away from companies that use sweatshops.
TEAM 40, SANTA CRUZ AREA SCHOOLS, SANTA CRUZ: GIRLS ON BODY IMAGE
The
website created by the team last year, girlsonbodyimage.org, has
received 5-8 questions from visitors to the site each month. The girls
on the team continue to answer questions submitted by women and girls
from states around the U.S. The girls are providing a safe place where
anyone can ask questions they do not feel comfortable asking other
people.
TEAM 41, BURLINGAME HIGH SCHOOL, BURLINGAME: PAST: PREVENTING ALCOHOL SADNESS IN TEENS
The girls on Team 41 have been impacted by death amongst their peers
due to drinking and driving. They are tired of seeing kids as young as
10 years old be pressured into drinking and as a result make harmful
choices. They researched statistics on alcohol abuse among teens and
then produced a short movie showing the dangers of drinking and the
pressure for young people to drink in order to be cool. They presented
the workshop and video to students at Bowditch Middle School so they
can make informed and empowered choices about alcohol use.
TEAM 42, SAN ANTONIO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, EAST SAN JOSE: BRINGING STUDENTS TOGETHER THROUGH DANCE
In
order for their peers to get along better and make the school a better
place for everyone, the girls from Team 42 started an after school
dance class. Every Wednesday after school they teach a dance class for
4th, 5th and 6th graders. They believe that by offering an activity
that will bring students together, it will create a more positive
school atmosphere where students support each other and create
friendships.
TEAM 43, SHERMAN OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, CENTRAL SAN JOSE: CAMPAIGNING FOR HEALTHY LUNCH CHOICES
The
girls on the team want healthy lunch choices at their school. They did
research on healthy foods that could be offered for lunch and then
started a petition among students to encourage all students to request
change. They will also meet with their principal to present the
petition and their research. They will ask for the school incorporate
better choices for students in the school cafeteria including fresh
fruits and vegetables.
TEAM 44, HILLSDALE HIGH SCHOOL, SAN MATEO: RAISING AWARENESS PROTECTION FOR EVERYONE
The
girls from Hillsdale High want to make sure that their female peers
have the tools they need to defend themselves. They started a program
called R.A.P.E, Raising Awareness Protection for Everyone. They held an
assembly where victims of rape spoke about their experiences. A
self-defense demonstration was shown as well and then students were
offered a chance to sign up for a self-defense class.
TEAM 45, SANTA CLARA HIGH SCHOOL, SANTA CLARA: BUILDING COMMUNITY WITH HOMELESS YOUTH
The
girls of Team 45 are interviewing staff at local shelters to learn more
about the issue of homeless youth. The girls are also developing a
training for themselves to learn more about the issues youth face that
may lead them to be homeless. The team hopes that their knowledge of
this issue will allow them to create friendships with homeless youth
and pass on messages of empowerment. The girls will also raise money
for care packages for the youth they meet at the shelter.
TEAM 46, SAN FRANCISCO AREA HIGH SCHOOLS, SAN FRANCISCO: RESPECT FOR ALL
The
girls of Team 46 have noticed an increase in the number of mistreated
and homeless animals. They are working with the SPCA to educate
students at their schools about how to properly care for animals. They
researched animal cruelty patterns and worked with the SPCA to develop
posters teaching students how to prevent the mistreatment and
abandonment of animals. They displayed the posters at several San
Francisco high schools.
TEAM 47, YERBA BUENA HIGH SCHOOL, EAST SAN JOSE: GANG PREVENTION 6
The
girls from Yerba Buena High School are preventing their peers from
joining gangs by making students award of the negative consequences
associated with gang life. They call their program “G.P.6” which stands
for Gant Prevention for 6th-graders. The team wrote and produced a skit
about the consequences of gang involvement and designed and painted a
cloth mural that illustrates what a life can look like without gang
involvement. They presented the workshop to students at Meadows
Elementary School this year.
TEAM 48, LIONEL WILSON PREP ACADEMY, EAST OAKLAND: IMPROVING SCHOOL CLIMATE
The
girls from Team 48 are putting a stop to graffiti and stealing at their
school. They created surveys for 7th, 9th and 11th graders to find out
why students are disrespecting the school and each other. When they
presented their project to their principal, he asked the girls to
survey the entire school. The girls then surveyed all students and
collected and analyzed the data. Next they will present their findings
and ideas for improving their school culture to administrators in order
to develop a school wide plan for action.
TEAM 49, LIONEL WILSON PREP ACADEMY, EAST OAKLAND: UNITED ROOTS PEER SUPPORT SYSTEM
United
Roots is the team name for girls from Team 49. They have found a space
in GFC to express themselves and support each other. They want to
create the same kind of space for students at their school. They have
created a peer counseling program that will enhance self-esteem among
students by providing a place for students to express their feelings
and create trustful relationships with adults and other students. The
girls plan to begin the Peer Counseling program in the fall of 2006.
TEAM 50, LIONEL WILSON PREP ACADEMY, EAST OAKLAND: TRANSFORMING VIOLENCE INTO CREATIVITY
Starting
next fall, students at Lionel Wilson will have an after school art
program thanks to the girls from Team 50. The team, also know as the
“Miracle Makers,” feels that students need a way to creatively express
the violence they see everyday. The art program will be for all
students and the girls will include education about how to keep
violence out of the community during their weekly art classes.
TEAM 51, CASTILLEJA SCHOOL, PALO ALTO: EDUCATING OUR COMMUNITY ON DARFUR
The
girls of Team 51 are raising awareness about the genocide in Darfur.
They have created an educational pamphlet educating their peers about
the situation and ways to take action. They sold t-shirts that say
“Save Darfur,” and have website addresses where people can find more
information. They money earned from selling t-shirts will be donated to
an organization that supports education of women and children refugees
in the Darfur region. The girls also mobilized students from their
school to attend an awareness raising rally about the region in San
Francisco.
TEAM 52, CUNHA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL, HALF MOON BAY: GENDER RESPECT STARTS WITH BOYS AND GIRLS
The
girls at Cunha Intermediate School want boys and girls to start
respecting each other now. They know that if an atmosphere of gender
respect starts at a young age, it will change the way boys and girls
treat each other when they are men and women. The girls presented a
workshop to 5th graders in Half Moon Bay emphasizing the importance of
gender respect. The presentation included skits and sharing personal
stories to get the message across.
TEAM 53 MIGRANT EDUCATION PROGRAM, REDWOOD CITY: SISTERHOOD
The
girls of team 53 were tired of seeing disrespect between girls. They
decided that this came from a lack of self-esteem and a lack of
positive experiences in everyday life. They created collages with
empowering and affirming messages to hang in their schools and public
spaces to encourage girls to be positive toward one another.
TEAM 54, MENLO PARK BOYS & GIRLS CLUB, EAST MENLO PARK: ENCOURAGING STUDENTS AS COMMUNITY LEADERS
“Young
Hope” is what the girls from Team 54 named their project. The girls
want middle school students to be aware of the violence affecting their
community. They also want to encourage those students to change the
trend and give the community hope for the future. They presented a
workshop at Belle Haven Elementary school that featured guest speakers
who spoke about how violence has affected their lives and information
on how violence has affected their community over the years. The girls
from Team 54 hope to foster new community leaders by asking students to
commit to being a positive influence in the community.
GIRL STEERING COMMITTEE, VARIOUS BAY AREA COMMUNITIES
The Girl
Steering Committee is a unique opportunity for girls to hold a position
of leadership in the Girls For A Change organization. This year, the
Steering Committee participated in the implementation of the Girl
Summit, planned the Spring Into Action girl training event and emceed
the Completion Ceremony. Steering Committee members are also voting
members of the GFC Board of Directors, Program Committee and Advisory
Board. The girls have been GFC spokesGIRLS this year at house parties,
fundraisers and other events and also participated in leadership
development workshops on public speaking, college planning and career
planning.