SV girl action teams
SV Team Projects (2006-07)
Here are projects the 44 Girl Action Teams across the Bay Area worked on in the 2006-07 program year.
Check out a video diary of the 2006-07 projects and coach messages here.
TEAM 1, DARTMOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL, SOUTH SAN JOSE: ANIMALS 911
Team
1 wants to solve animal cruelty in their community. They produced a
video to inform the community on how best to treat animals and what is
considered mistreatment and cruelty of animals. They know that once
people are educated about how to treat animals, people will change
their behavior and we’ll have an animal-cruelty free world!
TEAM 2, VARIOUS SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOLS, SAN JOSE: PREVENTING TEEN PREGNANCY AND CREATING CHOICES
The
girls on Team 2 feel that there is a lack of resources about safer sex
and unplanned pregnancies. The girls produced a video which raises
awareness about safer sex and choices girls have when it comes to
unplanned pregnancies. Raising awareness will empower girls to make
informed decisions if they are pregnant and to prevent premature
pregnancies.
TEAM 3, PALA MIDDLE SCHOOL, EAST SAN JOSE: STOP THE VIOLENCE
The
girls on Team 3 are tackling the violence they see on school campus and
in their community. They created a workshop on the causes of violence
and ways to prevent it for peers, teachers, parents, guardians, and
other members of the community. In order to create long lasting change,
the girls also created a Myspace page to reduce violence among their
peers!
TEAM 4, INDEPENDENCE HIGH SCHOOL, EAST SAN JOSE: WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL!
Team
4 understands the pressures teen girls have to look a certain way. They
know that breaking down messages and encouraging girls to celebrate
their diverse beauty is a way to combat the idea of prettiness that
they see in the media. They created their own media, a video, which
celebrates images of diverse girls and women and has tips on how to
have a positive body image. They showed the video to girls on campus
and hope to continue to show the video to more teen girls in order to
create a movement of young women who are able to see the beauty in all
shapes, colors, and sizes.
TEAM 5, SHEPPARD MIDDLE SCHOOL, EAST SAN JOSE: HAPPY, HEALTHY, AND CONFIDENT
The
girls have started the first after-school support group at their school
specifically focused on issues of body image. The girls discuss what a
healthy body image is and where they receive messages about how they
should look to feel beautiful. They believe this will lead to a higher
self esteem and to more success in other aspects of their lives such as
academics. They know that better educated young women with confidence
will create long lasting change now and in the future.
TEAM 6, LOS ALTOS HIGH SCHOOL, LOS ALTOS: HEALTH STARTS NOW!
Team
6 is changing the unhealthy eating and exercise habits that they see
among their peers. The girls created a “Health and Fitness Awareness
Week” at their school where experts in nutrition, yoga, Pilates, and
hip-hop dance came out to educate students on healthy eating habits and
creative ways to exercise. The girls believe that raising awareness
and providing fun ways to stay healthy will encourage students to start
making healthier choices early in life.
TEAM 7, GRAHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL, MOUNTAIN VIEW: IMMIGRANT RIGHTS, RIGHT NOW
Members
of Team 7 and their families are dealing with negative impacts of
immigration law. Girls have seen family members deported as part of
“Operation Return to Sender,” a program of the US Department of
Homeland Security. Many also see their families and other immigrant
families suffering from a lack of access to education, health, and
social services. The girls raised awareness on immigrant rights by
writing an article in the school newspaper. They also started a letter
writing campaign to local elected officials and the Governor of
California to share their experiences and to advocate for immigrant
families.
TEAM 8, AUGUST BOEGER MIDDLE SCHOOL, EAST SAN JOSE: THE TRUTH ABOUT CIGARETTE SMOKING
This
team was tired of hearing young people talk about smoking as a cool
thing to do. They know this comes from the fact that cigarette smoking
is glorified in advertising, music videos, television and movies. To
change the way their peers think and act when it comes to smoking, Team
8 wrote and presented a skit to students on their campus. The skit
informed students about the impacts of smoking on health. The girls
hope that educating others about the dangers of smoking will ultimately
decrease the cool factor and the amount of smokers in the world.
TEAM 9, CUPERTINO AND SUNNYVALE AREA HIGH SCHOOLS, CUPERTINO AND SUNNYVALE: DON’T JUDGE ME!
The
girls of Team 9 feel that it is unfair for people with disabilities to
be judged negatively. They created a You Tube video to encourage
others to look beyond a disability and see a person. Through t-shirts
displaying their You Tube URL, the team will share their video messages.
TEAM 10, SILVER CREEK HIGH SCHOOL, EAST SAN JOSE: HOMELESS YOUTH – ENDING THE STIGMA
Team
10 wants to end the stigma against the homeless youth in their
community. They visited homeless shelters and listened to stories of
how young people became homeless. They created a video of the
interviews which showed that the homeless youth have dreams and
feelings just like other teenagers. They showed the video at their
school and throughout their school district to encourage more
understanding and response to the homelessness in their community.
TEAM 11, LEADERSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS, HAYWARD: RECLAIMING OUR COMMUNITY
Team
11 is committed to making a difference in their community by bringing
awareness of the growing problem of gang violence to the surface. The
girls know that more gangs in their community means more violence and
drugs and less growth and development for youth. They created a
documentary video to persuade youth to stop joining gangs. The video
was shown at a parent/guardian night and a family/community night at
the school campus.
TEAM 12, EAST PALO ALTO CHARTER SCHOOL, EAST PALO ALTO: THE VIOLENCE STOPS NOW
Team
12 was deeply impacted by recent gang violence which led to several
deaths in their community. The girls created an interactive
presentation with a video and a skit to discuss alternatives to gang
life. Following the skit and video, girls led a Q & A session with
participants on the affects of violence and where to go for more
resources for violence prevention. The team also participated in
community peace rallies to unite youth and community members in the
struggle against gang violence.
TEAM 13, OVERFELT HIGH SCHOOL, EAST SAN JOSE: MIRRORS DON’T REFLECT WHAT’S INSIDE
Through
the creation, production, and deployment of a documentary video, the
girls of Team 13 will educate their peers on the negative impacts of
judging others solely based on appearances. The team used interviews
and filmed real-life situations where people judged each other to show
the negative impacts of judging, especially on self-esteem.
TEAM 14, GIRL STEERING COMMITTEE, VARIOUS SCHOOLS,
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 and planned Spring Into Action and the Completion Ceremony.
Steering Committee members are also voting members of the GFC Board of
Directors and Program Committee. The girls have been GFC spokesGIRLS
this year at house parties, networking nights, fundraisers and other
events. They have also planned and participated in leadership
development workshops on public speaking, college planning, career
planning, and financial planning.
TEAM 15, YERBA BUENA HIGH SCHOOL, EAST SAN JOSE: POWERFUL CHOICES: CAMPAIGN TO END TEEN SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Drugs
and alcohol are often wrongly used by teens to feel more popular, solve
problems or just out of curiosity. The girls of Team 15 campaigned
against the use of drugs and alcohol by painting a mural, performing
educational skits and distributing informational fliers. The message
was designed to prevent substance abuse by educating youth about the
consequences and long-term affects of drugs and alcohol.
TEAM 16, KIPP SAN FRANCISCO BAY ACADEMY, SAN FRANCISCO: EDUCATE YOURSELF
These
girls believe that a root cause of issues they want to change, like
homelessness, unemployment, and violence, is dropping out of school.
They know that education is a way to learn about yourself and the world
so that you can be a leader in your community. They partnered with
Definitive Education (DEF ED), an organization that promotes hip hop
values of acceptance, non-violence, creative self-expression, and
physical fitness to teach students to value art and the learning
process. With DEF ED, they created a video to share positive
educational experiences to encourage their peers to stay in school.
TEAM 17, MILLER MIDDLE SCHOOL, SAN JOSE: PEER PRESSURE PULVERIZED
The
girls on Team 17 know that students lose a lot of self-confidence and
self-esteem when they reach middle school. Part of why this happens is
because of peer pressure and a lack of training for youth on how to
manage that pressure. They created and presented a skit for local 4th
and 5th graders to show how to cope with peer pressure and how to make
healthy decisions.
TEAM 18, SAINT ELIZABETH SETON SCHOOL, PALO ALTO: CAMPAIGN TO END PEER PRESSURE
The
girls of Team 18 championed a strong self esteem and tackled peer
pressure at their school. They raised awareness about the affects of
peer pressure by creating fliers and giving presentations that will
encourage girls to feel more confident and comfortable to stand up
against the negative pressures of their peers.
TEAM 19, PIONEER PLUS, SAN JOSE: ANNUAL RETREAT TO SUPPORT YOUNG WOMEN ENTERING ADULTHOOD
The
young women of Team 19 feel that the education they receive in school
should be supplemented with “real life” learning such as problem
solving and decision making that they may encounter once they leave
high school. They started what they hope becomes an annual retreat at
their school. Every summer, they will hold a weekend retreat that will
teach young women life skills to better prepare them for the world
after high school.
TEAM 20, BALBOA HIGH SCHOOL, SAN FRANCISCO: NO MORE TRUANCY…NO MORE GANGS
The
girls on Team 20 are tired of gang activity and truancy at their
school. They know that students who cut class are more likely to engage
in risky behavior such as joining gangs. The girls produced 5 short
videos to encourage students to stay in school and to make healthy
choices about how they spend their time out of class. The girls
presented the videos on campus and to various schools within their
community.
TEAM 21, 49ERS ACADEMY. EAST PALO ALTO: THINK IT OVER
By
creating the “Think It Over” campaign the girls of Team 21 educated
their peers about making better choices about their sexual behavior.
The “Think It Over” campaign included role playing a single mother by
carrying a doll/baby for an entire weekend. The girls shared their
experiences through journaling and presentations to classes on campus
to encourage youth to think about the consequences of unsafe sexual
behavior.
TEAM 22, CESAR CHAVEZ MIDDLE SCHOOL, EAST PALO ALTO: CREATING SAFE SPACES
This
team identified the lack of a safe space for girls to communicate about
their daily struggles as a real problem at their school. They used
their team meetings to focus on personal development and growth, and
the coaches provided a space where the girls could express themselves
through art. The created collages, poetry, and dialogue to help girls
cope with issues of identity, body image, and relationships. The girls
can use these skills to help them transition to high school and beyond.
TEAM 23, VARIOUS SANTA CLARA SCHOOLS, SANTA CLARA: A GIRL’S LIFE
The
girls on Team 23 encounter gang violence, peer pressure, and bullying
everyday. They created a magazine with stories of their daily life, and
interviewed other girls in their communities for their magazine.
Through their magazine and sharing their personal stories, the girls
intend to help their peers grow by seeing stories they can relate to
and learn from. The girls on the team also know that using this
opportunity to express themselves will grow their own self confidence.
TEAM 24, RANCHO MILPITAS MIDDLE SCHOOL, MILPITAS: GANG PREVENTION IS COMMUNITY REINVENTION
This project will be updated soon.
TEAM 25, MILPITAS HIGH SCHOOL, MILPITAS: WHAT’S THAT SMELL? POLLUTION!
The
girls of Team 25 were tired of the bad smell on their campus. The girls
conducted research and found that the source of the smell was coming
from a polluted creek behind their campus. The girls started a letter
writing campaign to their local water company to find and put an end to
the main source of pollution.
TEAM 26, MERCY HIGH SCHOOL, SAN FRANCISCO: TERMINATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Team
26 girls want to put a stop to human trafficking. The girls researched
and compiled information about human trafficking and how youth can help
to end it. They distributed this information through informational
booths and pamphlets, and presentations at their school. Team 26 is
building a movement to end this inhumane treatment and educate other
youth on how to personally contribute to ending this practice.
TEAM 27, SIERRAMONT MIDDLE SCHOOL, SAN JOSE: CAMPAIGN : DID YOU KNOW?
The
girls of Team 27 want youth to know what their rights are and how to
use them. The girls created and distributed educational fliers, and
created an informational video to let students know what legal rights
they have if they are under 18. The girls believe that knowledge is
power and that once youth are informed of the rights they are entitled
to, the students will be able to flex their power.
TEAM 28, CUNHA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL, HALF MOON BAY: THE POWER OF SAYING NO: ALCOHOL & DRUG PREVENTION
The
girls on Team 28 have seen the consequences of drug and alcohol abuse
in their community: job loss, dropping out of school, and interpersonal
problems. They tackled this substance abuse by creating an
informational website geared toward students and young adults in their
community. The website focuses on prevention of using alcohol and
drugs. Team 28 is empowering students to make healthy decisions now and
in the future.
TEAM 29, MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL, MOUNTAIN VIEW: CAN’T HOLD US DOWN
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 with statistics, images from magazines,
music video clips, and student interviews to create dialogue on how
media impacts gender relations and creates negative stereotypes of each
gender. After showing the video to audiences, girls lead interactive
discussions on the topic of gender roles and the media. At the end of
each session they provided audience members with action steps on how to
change what we see in the media.
TEAM 30, GUNDERSON HIGH SCHOOL, SOUTH SAN JOSE: PROTECTING OUR INNOCENCE
Team
30 knows the Internet is a powerful tool. These girls also know that
internet use by young people holds many dangers including adult
predators, identity theft situations, and financial scams. To increase
Internet regulation and student safety, the team held a Parent and
Faculty Conference. They reviewed the district’s policies on Internet
use and also showed a video they made with student interviews and
statistics on incidents of unsafe and unregulated Internet use.
Finally, the girls created a training manual for faculty and
guardians/parents with tips on safe Internet usage. They believe that
students, guardians/parents, and school officials can work together to
utilize the power of the Internet in a safe way and prevent youth from
becoming victims of dangerous situations.
TEAM 31, MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL, FREMONT: EDUCATING OUR COMMUNITY ON DARFUR
Team
31 wants more people to know about the current genocide in the Darfur
region of Sudan. They partnered with Sudan Reach, an organization
dedicated to promoting positive change in women's lives in Sudan, to
host an information night for youth and adults in their community. The
evening included speakers and a documentary screening highlighting the
history of the genocide and action steps that we can take from the
United States to put a stop to it. Proceeds from the event will be
donated to Sudan Reach to support women who are working to empower
themselves and to end the genocide.
TEAM 32, EAST PALO ALTO BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB/EDISON-MCNAIR ACADEMY, EAST PALO ALTO: DON’T BE FOOLED
Girl
Action Team 32 has seen enough. They are tired of their peers joining
gangs because it seems like “the cool thing to do” and because youth
are unsure of where to find outlets to express themselves. The team
created a magazine with information about alternatives to gangs, like
participating in after school programming and using creative expression
as a tool to strengthen self esteem. The girls hosted a release party
of the magazine that brought together parents/guardians, school
officials, and youth. The team believes that this is just the start of
the community uniting to guide youth to positive community activities.
TEAM 33, PRESENTATION HIGH SCHOOL, SAN JOSE: ACTIVATE THE YOUTH!
The
girls from Team 33 want to educate youth about unhealthy lifestyles
that lead to obesity. The girls created a curriculum around proper
nutrition which they are implementing at a local middle school. The
girls know that once students have the information they need to make
healthy food choices they will be less likely to become obese thus
decreasing weight related health risks in their adulthood.
TEAM 34, BURNETT ACADEMY, CENTRAL SAN JOSE: NO MORE VIOLENCE
This
Team is fed up with gang violence in their community. They are
preventing their peers from joining gangs by making students aware of
the negative consequences associated with gang life. They wrote a
script, acted in, and produced a video that was shown to the 6th
graders at their school. The girls believe that now that their peers
are informed about the realities of gangs and the impact gang violence
has on the community, they will not want to join gangs.
TEAM 36, OCALA MIDDLE SCHOOL, EAST SAN JOSE: RECYCLING FOR OUR FUTURE
Team
36 is tired of pollution and other large problems like global warming.
They decided to get students on their campus to recycle in order to
build life-long habits of taking care of our planet. They worked with
the City of San Jose to bring a recycling program to their school. They
educated their peers on how and why to recycle in order to create a
cleaner campus as well as awareness about pollution and the environment.
TEAM 37, RUSSELL MIDDLE SCHOOL, MILPITAS: OPERATION: STOP GOSSIP
These
girls believe that many of the fights and broken friendships at their
school result from rumors and talking about other people. The girls
created a campaign to encourage students to stop talking negatively
about others. The campaign included creating t-shirts that read, “Stop
Gossip!” The girls educated students on campus about the negative
impacts of gossiping while wearing their t-shirts and passing out
ribbons to students who joined their campaign.
TEAM 38, HILLSDALE HIGH SCHOOL, SAN MATEO: SHATTERING STEREOTYPES
“Just
Because I’m A ___, It Doesn’t Mean I’m A ____” is this Team’s slogan.
These girls are tired of the stereotyping they see on campus. They
organized assemblies featuring speakers and performers who encouraged
students to not judge others based on assumptions. By sharing skills on
how to approach people with open minds at a young age, the girls of
Team 38 hope to bring people from different backgrounds together to
work for positive community change.
TEAM 39, LIONEL WILSON PREP ACADEMY, EAST OAKLAND: STOP THE VIOLENCE, STOP THE SILENCE
The
girls of Team 39 believe that people need to NOT be silent about abuse.
They created an after school program for students to dialogue on the
impacts of abuse in their community. They also used this group to learn
about different types of abuse and how to prevent it in their lives.
This team believes that speaking about the issue will ignite community
action to prevent a cycle of abuse.
TEAM 40, LIONEL WILSON PREP ACADEMY, EAST OAKLAND: LOVE YOURSELF SO THAT OTHERS MAY LOVE YOU
One
of the root causes of teen pregnancy that Team 40 identified was that
many young women want to feel loved and to try and satisfy that want
girls give in to having sex before they are ready. The girls on the
team decided to educate their peers on exploring healthy alternatives
to give and receive love. The also talked about safe sex options if
that is how girls decide to show love. The team created two skits with
information about self-love, self-esteem, healthy communication for
couples, and information about safe sex and pregnancy prevention. The
skits were shown during a school assembly and advisory classes. The
team believes that their skits move the discussion from “don’t do it”
or “protect yourself” to the fundamental of making healthy choices from
a place of loving yourself.
TEAM 41, LIONEL WILSON PREP ACADEMY, EAST OAKLAND: WEEK OF WOMEN, WEEK OF POWER
The
girls on Team 41 don’t like how girls are treated differently than
boys. They know this comes from a lack of awareness of women who are
leaders in professional, political and entertainment worlds. They
created a week where a different woman was honored every day– from
Barbara Lee to Oprah. They spread information through informational
pamphlets, skits, and tabling in order to get students and teachers to
start viewing girls as the powerful people they are!
TEAM 42, JOHN O’CONNELL HS, SAN FRANCISCO: THE TRICKS OF MILITARY RECRUITING
Team
42 aimed to educate students, administrators and parents/guardians
about tactics military recruiters use at the high school level to get
students to enlist in the Armed Forces. The girls shared their personal
experiences with military recruiters and researched what they believe
are tricks that the recruiters use to get students to join. Through
their research they found that students of color and students from low
income communities are often specifically targeted. The girls believe
that these tricks used by recruiters lead to young people making
choices based on false information. They hope to raise awareness so
that young people, especially young people of color from low income
communities, are making informed and empowered choices about their
futures.
TEAM 43, SHERMAN OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, CENTRAL SAN JOSE: GIRLS STANDING UP
The
girls of Team 43 are working for equality on campus. The girls created
a skit and performed it at their school to raise awareness about the
unfair treatment of girls by boys. The girls encouraged other girls to
stand up for themselves and provided examples of how young women can
stand up to those treating them unfairly. The skits also shared how
boys can change their behavior. Team 43 knows that gender equality
needs to start at a young age and can change the way boys and girls
treat each other when they are men and women.
TEAM 44, MENLO PARK BOYS & GIRLS CLUB, EAST MENLO PARK: ABUSE KNOWS NO AGE
Team
44 wants to stop abuse in their community. The girls partnered with New
Voices for Youth, an organization which assists young people in media
production for social change, to produce a video which raised awareness
about different types of abuse and provided resources for how to
prevent it. The video included real life testimonials from abuse
survivors. The team showed the video to local community centers and
schools in their district.
TEAM 45, MILPITAS HIGH SCHOOL, MILPITAS: INDEPENDENT CHICAS
Team
45 has created a webpage where girls can go to discuss issues that are
important to them: body image, school, family, friends, relationships,
and more. The team meets regularly to review questions sent to the
website and replies with empowering advice. The girls on Team 45 know
that they are helping girls around the world to make wise decisions and
to feel better about themselves so that they can grow into strong and
powerful leaders in their communities.