Girls For A Change

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Results

Here are some highlights from GFC's Girl Action Teams across the country.

Girl Action Teams Community Impact

Thousands of community members have been impacted by GFC Girl Action Team projects. Some projects that impacted community members:

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
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

See a full list of Girl Action Team Projects here.

GFC's Long Term Impact
The following are results from a longitudinal study. GFC girls who are a part of GFC Girl Action Teams as compared to girls not in the program showed the following:

Girls have access to a positive caring adults, their GFC Coaches
Girls receive encouragement and support from an adult, for instance Coaches invite girls to take on leadership roles
Girls realize that the skills they are learning through GFC can translate to their own lives and realize they can create change for themselves (self-efficacy)

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Parent/Guardian Newsletters
Community Newsletters (organizations and schools) in each site
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

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.
Ages of girls participating in GFC Teams: approximately 62% are in Middle School (10-13) and 38% are in High School (14-18)

Who are GFC Coaches?