AFG | March Newsletter 2023
Note from the AFG Team
Last month, the CDC released its Youth Risk Behavior Survey on teens in America. Students across the U.S. were surveyed on topics ranging from sexual behaviors to substance use to violence and mental health. Among the 17,000+ students who were surveyed, almost 60% of female students reported that they had experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the past year (2021–when the survey was given) and nearly 30% seriously considered suicide. Teenage girls who identified as LGBTQ reported higher rates of mental health issues and suicidal behavior.
Two years ago, Alliance for Girls (AFG) released a youth-led research report that outlined similar trends and the underlying realities behind these trends. Based on our research, the mental health crisis is inextricably connected to an increase in caregiving responsibilities, financial instability, lack of access to a caring adult, and lack of access to needed services experienced by girls and gender-expansive youth during the pandemic.
Now that the wheels of power have started spinning toward solving the problem articulated in this latest CDC report, I hope that energy and resources are not spent looking for quick solutions or making assumptions about why these problems exist, but rather on building upon existing successful efforts like those by AFG and its members, and listening to girls and gender-expansive youth themselves. As we know, successful efforts are built not from a few powerful people’s ideas, but rather from the power of the collective, and by listening to those most impacted by the problem.
To our members who have been leading powerful programs that actively reverse these trends: thank you for your work. You have persevered through crisis after crisis, always holding and supporting the young people you serve. Your work is seen, appreciated and deeply valued.
In community,
Emma Mayerson
AFG Founding Executive Director
AFG IN ACTION
IGNITE the Capitol
Monday, April 17, 2023
9am-4pm
Sacramento, California State Capitol
Join over a hundred youth for a day of advocacy on the issues they care about most.
Alliance for Girls is partnering with IGNITE to provide a full day of tools, training and confidence building for young women, girls and gender-expansive youth as they use their political power to share policy agendas and champion bills in California. Together, they will meet with state legislators and their aides at the State Capitol to lift up the bills that matter most to them.
Space is limited! If you and your organization have girls and gender-expansive youth that would be interested in attending, please register today. If you have any questions or would like more information about IGNITE the Capitol, please contact AFG’s Advocacy Manager, De’Anna Miller at de’anna@alliance4girls.org.
AFG and IGNITE will be providing breakfast, lunch, and travel stipends for all participants.
AFG Community Shareback Event
On March 16, Alliance for Girls (AFG) hosted a Community Shareback event to update the AFG community on our recent collective advocacy work at the local and state levels and give our community the chance to give their input and feedback. At the event, audience members learned more about the data and recommendations that came out of the When Young Moms Thrive, We All Do (WYMT) Initiative from young moms and youth fellows, Arabella Guevara and Viviana Arenas. We also debuted the 7-minute When Young Moms Thrive Video co-produced by young moms and fellows from the WYMT initiative. AFG also shared more about our successful advocacy with Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) and the No Place for Hate Campaign that led to the passage of SB 1161.
Building upon our advocacy work in 2022 and based on your feedback during the Advocacy Shareback event, AFG will be focusing our advocacy efforts on:
Ensuring the voices and recommendations of girls, gender-expansive youth, and adult champions who serve them, are included in California’s Department of Education’s solutions to the mental health crises;
Advocating for the expansion of menstrual equity to California’s most under-resourced populations through SB 260 (Menijavar);
Implementing the WYMT policy recommendations created by young moms in Santa Clara county in partnership with the Young Women’s Freedom Center and other members that participated in WYMT; and
Ensuring safety for girls and gender-expansive youth, especially those of color, on public transit through SB 434 (Min): Public Transit for All: Improving Safety and Increasing Ridership Bill authored by Senator Dave Min.
For more information about the Community Shareback event or our advocacy work for 2023, please contact AFG’s Advocacy Manager, De’Anna Miller at de’anna@alliance4girls.org. If you missed the Community Shareback event and want to get more details of what happened, check it out here. Watch the new 7 minute When Young Moms Thrive Video below.
When Young Moms Thrive Update (WYMT)
We are pleased to announce that the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted in favor of implementing the policy recommendations outlined by young mothers and fellows from our When Young Mom’s Thrive, We All Do initiative (WYMT) which include an increase in federal funding for subsidized programs and a universal basic income pilot program to provide monthly payments for at least 100 young moms, among others.
The board also voted to extend this program by funding another cohort of young mothers to continue the necessary work of expanding childcare access and ending the cultural stigma around young parenthood.
We commend the efforts of our Deputy Director, Chantal Hildebrand, former senior advocacy fellow and young mom, Viviana Arenas, members of the Young Women’s Freedom Center team, and all the powerful moms who participated in the WYMT initiative who spoke in favor of this motion that successfully won the board’s support.
The WYMT initiative set out to expose the current service gaps young moms experience and empower them to take charge of the policies that impact them. We are excited to continue this work with the Young Women’s Freedom Center and other AFG members.
THE AFG LEARNING CORNER
Every year, we host workshops that center radical safety to equip our members with tools, resources and networks that enable them to improve the lives of girls and gender-expansive youth. This year, we will be hosting 3 workshops and will also be adding brand new courses to our on-demand learning hub.
Healing for Healers Training Workshop Series (virtual)
Facilitated by: SHE Magick
Healing for Healers: PAUSING with Purpose explores self-care as an act of resistance to our minds, body, and souls as machines. When we embrace our humanity we acknowledge the need for pause, reflection, honoring our stories and connection to the world around us. We will practice how to PAUSE, GROUND, ALIGN and move into ACTION. In session one, we will pause to explore our unique experiences in justice/advocacy while expanding our collective perspectives. In session two, we ground ourselves by exploring our strengths in the movement and begin to develop pathways to deeper connection to the collective movement. Finally, in session 3, we will align in ritual through practicing what sacred space can look like in and out of the office.
Workshop dates:
Tuesday, April 18 from 10am-12pm PST
Tuesday, May 2 from 10am-12pm PST
Tuesday, May 16 from 10am-12pm PST
AFG EVENTS
LA Kickoff Event
Save the date! On Tuesday, May 23rd, Alliance for Girls is excited to host our LA Kickoff to convene organizations that serve girls and gender-expansive youth across LA County as well as youth leaders. We’ll connect, build community, learn from one another, and develop a bold vision for girls and gender-expansive youth in the region that will set the direction for our collective work for the coming year. Stay tuned for more info.
A GIRLS PERSPECTIVE
Kennedy Foye
Membership Fellow
What drew you to the advocacy/non-profit field? What is your background in this field, if any?
I have always had a passion for helping people. In my past, I have volunteered as I have always felt drawn to that being my path. However, I was always determined to do more as I have always been aware of the inequities that exist in this world and the fact not much is being done about it. Accepting that this is just how the world is was not an option to me. I needed to be a part of the solution to these inequities.
How did you hear about Alliance for Girls? What about our work spoke to you?
I actually heard about AFG through Instagram. I accidentally stumbled upon the social media page and just seeing the representation and dedication to girls and gender-expansive youth really spoke to me. I knew that this was an organization that I wanted to be a part of.
What is your role/responsibilities at AFG? Which of your responsibilities excite you the most?
My responsibilities at AFG include supporting the programs teams and programming for members. What excites me the most is getting to know all of AFG’s member organizations and how each one uniquely supports girls and gender-expansive youth.
What impact do you hope your work here will have on girls and gender-expansive youth?
I hope that my role here will help bring the feeling of safety and joy to girls and gender-expansive youth.
AFG Member Spotlight: Black Women for Wellness
AFG member Black Women for Wellness is committed to the health and well-being of Black women and girls through health education, empowerment and advocacy.
Their programs strive to educate Black women about their health, provide them with wellness resources and put them in decision making positions to inform the policies that impact them.
A Look Back at 2022
Last year we proudly marked our 10th anniversary - a special milestone that could not have been achieved without the commitment and dedication of all members and partners of our Alliance for Girls (AFG) family, both past and present.
Our 2022 Impact report chronicles how our AFG model refined over the years with the help of our members has led to a decade of accomplishments. We share updates on AFG programs including the impact of our growing fellowship program and the policy recommendations outlined by young mothers from our When Young Moms Thrive, We All Do initiative.
Our 7th Annual #TheWorldWeImagine Conference convened more than 475 intergenerational leaders including best-selling authors, community leaders, policymakers, champions of girls and gender-expansive youth, and over 200 girls and gender-expansive youth.
Together we engaged in a day of learning and restoration and left feeling energized as girl champions and more connected to the broader movement that is advocating for girls and gender-expansive youth.
As we thought about our past, present and future, we decided it was time for a new look. Simultaneously we thought about how to better explain the AFG model, which we developed and refined together with our members over the past 10 years. A model that centers girls, gender-expansive youth, and our member organizations by uplifting girls’ and gender-expansive youth’s voices through youth-led research, supporting the leaders of organizations that serve girls and gender-expansive youth by equipping them with tools and best practices from across the sector, and facilitating girl-centered policy and budget advocacy.
As we move into our 11th year, AFG remains committed to uplifting the powerful leadership of girls and gender expansive youth, especially those of color, here in the Bay Area and most recently in Los Angeles County. Together we believe our collective work can create radically safe, sustainable, and equitable communities where every girl and gender-expansive youth can truly thrive.
New Faces At AFG
Membership Fellow at Advocacy For Girls. In this role, she directly assists with helping with administrative duties and programmatic member activities. She has spent much of her young adult life traveling, living in places like London and New York City.
These experiences lead Kennedy to realize that she wants to have a career in which she can make a strong and long-lasting impact, which is why she felt drawn to Alliance For Girls. Some of her advocacy efforts include being the Advocacy Coordinator for students of New York University in London and working with underserved youth. She began her education at New York University studying Global Studies, but moved back to her hometown in the Bay Area after a brief pause in her studies. She has resumed her studies currently at San Jose City College, and will begin finishing up her degree at San Francisco State University in Spring 2023.
Kennedy is passionate about yoga, nature, entrepreneurship, and spending time with her family. She is currently in the process of becoming a yoga instructor. In her free time, she also works as a Social Media Manager. As a young mom, Kennedy hopes that her future revolves around helping other young parents receive more resources to ensure their success as parents and professionals.
Check out who's joined below, and learn more about them on our Staff Page.
