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Making a Difference

Black Girls Rock! is Now Accepting Applications for its 2013 Youth Enrichment Program!

12/19/2012
inspiration, Local, Making a Difference, Resources
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Black Girls Rock, a non-profit organization that mentors and empowers young women, is now accepting applications for its 2013 youth enrichment program. If you’ve never heard of Black Girls Rock!, or missed their awards show (which aired on BET last month) which honored positive black women in entertainment, check some show highlights out here.

BlackGirlsRock, Inc.

Black girls rocking | http://www.blackgirlsrockinc.com

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit youth empowerment and mentoring organization. The youth enrichment programs at BLACK GIRLS ROCK! empower young women through dynamic art and culture based workshops and  also encourage positive identity development, strong life skills, cultural investigation, critical thinking, and academic enrichment. Read more about the program here.

For admission into the youth enrichment program, candidates must complete a competitive application process beginning with the submission of their application form.

In order to download the application, please visit the website. Please review the eligibility requirements, terms, and conditions  before proceeding with the application and feel free to contact us at the BLACK GIRLS ROCK! office if you have any questions or concerns.

Source

That New New

01/12/2010
Giving Back, It's Me Again, Making a Difference
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Happy New Year, girlies! (I know, I know…said as I hang my head in shame). But new year, new things, right? So…we’re back…AGAIN! Enough with the old, on to the new.

So, did you know that January is National Mentoring Month? Well, neither did I. But, I’m glad that it is. And I’m glad that I am a (new) mentor and that I have a mentee (hey, you!) that I adore. Yesterday we FINALLY went to go see Precious. I know, I know. But I read Precious way back in the day (I have an original hardcover copy of the book), so I had to mentally prepare myself to see the film.

Original Hardcover Edition

New, movie-based, paperback

And I wanted to see it with my mentee. She mentioned to me that she had read the book (!) as well, and she wondered how different the movie would be, so I thought it would be a great idea for us to see it together.

Afterwards, we didn’t speak for at least 15 minutes. And that was as it should have been. The movie was a lot to process. I don’t think that I still have, completely. So I don’t want to give a critique of the movie, that’s been done, ad nauseum. If you haven’t read the book, read it. If you haven’t seen the movie, do so. And if you don’t know about the star, Gabby Sidibe, find out. What I really wanted to talk about is the larger message of literacy and the need for all of us to get involved…in some (what we think is small) way. If you are reading this, you can read. And that is one skill that you have that many others don’t. It’s one thing you know how to do that you can teach to someone else. Or one way that you can help somebody else.

One thing that struck me, as I sat in the movie theater on Sunday afternoon was how packed the place was…still. And this movie came out last year. And it’s not a “feel good” movie, or date-night romantic or action-packed. It’s gritty and raw and uncomfortable to watch. So I was glad to see so many people, so many different kinds of people (seriously, it was like the United Nations and the Special Olympics in there) coing out to support the film. And I thought, if just a fraction of everyone who went to see the movie decided, instead of say analyzing the film to death or comparing it to the book to the point of tears, to DO something (like volunteer to read to school children or to teach literacy to functioning illiterate adults) we could might actually change some lives. And that, after all, is the point, right?

And if teaching is not your thing, or literacy isn’t either, that’s okay, too. But figure out what you can do, and do it. If you would make a good peer mentor/counselor (do they still have those?), or coach, or math tutor, or assistant or volunteer of any kind, do that. If your contribution is just to not be a part of the crowd making fun of another student for not knowing how to read well, or because she doesn’t dress well enough, or smell nice, or look a certain way, or stand up for herself, be that better person. Be that friend, or at least that voice of reason who stands up for someone who really needs it.

In case you want to volunteer, but are unsure of where to start, here are a few links to help you out:

DoSomething.org is exactly what is sounds like…it provides resources to help you do something, even if you don’t know what that something it. So, go do it.

GrooveJob.com is a website that allows students and teens to search for internships and volunteer work by city or zip code. Here’s the link for volunteer opportunities.

Also, check out NYC Service. You can look for volunteer opportunities or even pledge a “Day of Service.” F.Y.I, there’s a “Day of Service” project coming up for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

If you are 17 or older, check out the year-long projects available at City Year.

And here is an article on the variety of opportunities around the city, from acting as a guide a Prospect Park Zoo, to volunteering at the ASPCA (you know, the organization with the sad-eyed animal commercials that make you go awwww…yeah. them. well, they protect animals and need clerical help), to helping out at a botanical garden, museum, library, tutoring younger kids, or helping elders.

Happy hunting!

That is all. For now.

White House Mentoring Program for Teen Girls

11/07/2009
Giving Back, Making a Difference, National, News, Politics
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A few days ago, it was announced that First Lady Michelle Obama is starting a mentoring program for 20 high schools girls in the DC area. The goal of the program is to teach the girls “life skills,” expose them into the inner workings of government, and pair them up with some of the most powerful women in government. “Second Lady Jill Biden, White House advisor Valerie Jarrett, Social Secretary Desiree Rogers, and several members of the first lady’s staff and the senior staff in the West Wing will serve as mentors.”

obama-mentor-program-300x199

According to the article, “the 20 protégées, who are sophomores and juniors, were chosen by principals at area high schools and include young women from military families.”

The program will last for a year and “will include financial literacy training and exposure to different career paths, as well as possible field trips with the first lady, advisors said.”

Score another one for The White House! I LOVE this! I’ve been saying for YEARS that D.C. government needed to create a mentoring program for girls in the area, but maybe now, someone will listen. I love the this is being done, but everyone (not just those at the top levels of government) need to get involved and give back. My only hope is that the girls selected will be ones who can really benefit the most from this type of exposure. Don’t get me wrong, any young woman would benefit (I know I would and I’ve been out of high school for a minute), but I know that at my high school and college, and most times in life, the “chosen ones” are the ones who will make it anyway. And it’s nice to choose the best, but  sometimes it’s better to give the overlooked a shot. My two cents.

Oh, and as not to leave the fellas out, “the West Wing also will launch a mentoring and leadership program for high school boys that the president will participate in, aides said.”

Check out the video, where the First Lady of The United States (FLOTUS) talks more about the program. And you can even read the remarks, courtesy of The Huffington Post. Sounds great to me. And don’t worry ladies, once we’re up and running, mentoring will definitely be a part of the program!

Help G.E.M.S. End Child Sexual Exploitation

10/23/2009
Child Sexual Exploitation, Issues, Local, Magazines, Making a Difference, Uncategorized
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In the previous post, we talked a little bit about Child Sexual Exploitation, around the U.S. and right here in NYC. Here is some additional information on the NY-based organization Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS) and what YOU can do to learn more an get involved.

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“Girls Educational & Mentoring Services (GEMS) is the only organization in New York State specifically designed to serve girls and young women who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking. GEMS was founded in 1999 by Rachel Lloyd, a young woman who had been sexually exploited as a teenager. GEMS has helped hundreds of young women and girls, ages 12-21, who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking to exit the commercial sex industry and to develop to their full potential. GEMS provides young women with empathetic, consistent support and viable opportunities for positive change.”  Source

Know the Facts

  • 2,200 children are estimated to be victimized by commercial sexual exploitation each year in New York City alone (OCFS Prevalence Study 2007).
  • 325,ooo are estimated to be at risk for commercial sexual exploitation annually in the United States (Estes and Wiener, 2001).
  • A 2001 University of Pennsylvania study states “Child commercial sexual exploitation is the most hidden form of child abuse in the Unites States and North America today” (Estes and Wiener, 2001).
  • The majority of victimized youth have run away from home, or were running away from a foster care home, juvenile detention center or group home (Estes and Wiener, 2001).
  • 70-90% of commercially sexually exploited children have a history of child sexual abuse (Murphy, 1993).
  • 1.6 million children run away from home each year in the United States (NISMART). Source

Watch the Film (Trailer)

And read the survivor stories.

What Can You do TODAY Help End the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children?

  • When you see examples of pimp culture glorified in the media, music or movies, acknowledge this kind of societal acceptance adds to the program by not buying those products, albums or movie tickets.
  • Change your language around the issue and encourage those around you to do the same. Instead of saying “teen or child prostitute,” recognize them as legitimate victims by calling them “commercially sexually exploited children and youth.”
  • Join the FB page.

Adults:

  • Be active in the lives of young people you know. Attention, interest, support and love at home will keep children from running away to find it.
  • Volunteer your time to GEMS or other youth-centers programs in your community.
  • Donate to GEMS and support them.

Source

Who Can You Contact For Help?

GEMS (here in New York City): 212-926-8089

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC): 1-800-THE-LOST/ 1-800-843-5678

National Runaway Switchboard: 1-800-RUNAWAY/ 1-800-786-2929

National Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888

Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE/ 1-800-656- 4673

To find organizations that offer help in your state (if not NYC), GEMS offers many additional resources here.