In separate settings, The Girls & Boys Projects engage girls and boys in a participatory process that draws upon their skills and experiences, enabling them to become the young men and women they want to be. Our approach is democratic, creative, analytical, and advocacy-oriented. The three primary tenets of our methodology include: (1) establishing a safe space; (2) building key skills; and (3) engaging in Art & Action.
Establishing a Safe Space
Establishing a safe space is a cornerstone of our methodology. Young people need a place where they feel respected and safe; a space where they can ask difficult questions and get honest answers. Establishing and maintaining such a trusted space is a process that evolves throughout the entire series of weekly workshops. We begin the process by having participants establish their own Safe Space Guidelines during the very first workshop, so they can begin to take ownership of the space and take responsibility for themselves and their peers.
Building Key Skills
Key objectives of both The Girls & Boys Projects include building the following skills:
-
Effective Communication: Young people talk to each other about things that concern them in a safe, positive environment.
-
Critical Thinking: Young people exercise their critical thinking skills, and gain a new understanding about complex social issues.
-
Creative Expression: Young people define their identities, and express themselves freely through a variety of artistic activities.
-
Social Action: Young people learn about the sources of inequity, and begin to advocate for social change around issues important to them.
Engaging in Art & Action
Another significant element of our approach is called Art & Action. We work with local artists and activists who lead innovative workshops that expand upon a particular curriculum topic. These sessions provide girls and boys with the opportunity to engage in the topic (e.g., body image, harassment, or the real world of work) in a new, creative, and/or physical way. By using the arts and/or physical activity in many of these sessions, we also give the multiple intelligences and talents of each girl/boy a chance to shine. When guest activists visit participants also have the opportunity – usually for the first time – to meet and be inspired by dedicated community leaders, who continue to make profound social change. The following are examples of Art & Action workshops:
-
Jaye Austen-Williams, playwright and aikido instructor, introduced the girls to self-defense moves which they then incorporated into skits about teasing and bullying.
-
Youth Channel Communications/Manhattan Neighborhood Network worked with high school participants to create Public Service Announcements about stopping harassment.
-
The Wanted: X-Cheerleaders, a local performance group, taught the girls how to create text and moves (cheers) about themselves which they performed at an end of the year show.
-
A member of the Citizen Action Group, Women at Work, visited three schools to teach girls about discrimination issues in the workplace including the wage gap, job segregation and sexual harassment.
-
Urban Bushwomen, an internationally known dance troupe, discussed different African dances and how to be proud of your body, whatever shape or size. The girls also created poems, which they put to movement, and performed in a traditional circle.
- - - - - - - - - -
top of page
