Gilroy
– A forward-thinking nonprofit organization intended to empower
teenage girls could be part of Gilroy’s middle schools and high
school next year, if Gilroy Unified School District officials give
the go-ahead.
Gilroy – A forward-thinking nonprofit organization intended to empower teenage girls could be part of Gilroy’s middle schools and high school next year, if Gilroy Unified School District officials give the go-ahead.
Girls For a Change, currently involved in 55 schools across the San Jose area, is a network of middle and high school-aged girls who work together in teams to design, lead, fund and execute social change projects in the urban areas they live.
Founder Whitney Smith spoke with district staff and parents of students in the district’s Gifted and Talented Education program Tuesday night, discussing the possibility of implementing the program here.
Jacki Horejs, the district’s assistant superintendent of educational services, said the program could help Gilroy’s GATE program.
The district is required to re-submit for GATE funding from the state every year and is working with parents to revise its services for next year, and Girls For a Change could possibly be an asset to next year’s plan, Horejs said.
Working in “action teams” composed of six to 10 girls, members identify problems in their communities they want to address. Team members hold meetings to devise a specific plan, raise funds and implement their programs.
The payoff for team members, Smith said, is improved self-confidence, healthy relationships with other girls and strong leadership skills.
One group of girls involved in Girls For a Change, from Evergreen Valley High School in South San Jose, is launching an anti-smoking campaign to demonstrate how peer pressure can lead teens to smoke, thus compromising their health.
Other projects include increasing school pride, reducing violence in the community and tackling homelessness.
Each team has two volunteer women coaches specifically trained not to interfere with their team’s plans.
“The girls we work with are just amazing. Imagine what Silicon Valley would look like if every year a thousand girls learned how to tackle community problems,” she said.
