1. Babysitting

Babysitting can be very lucrative! It teaches a lot of responsibility that comes with childcare. If you love kids, this is a relatively easy way to make money while enjoying yourself! Reach out to neighbors with young kids, friends who have little siblings, or even family members to put your name out there if they ever need a sitter. Parents also often recommend their babysitters to other friends, so if you get a few clients, then it can be easy to expand. This is very flexible and you can work on your own time, so there is no need to worry about work if out of town this summer.

2. Pet sitting

If you are in town on Memorial Day, 4th of July, or Labor Day, pet sitting could be a great way to make easy money because a lot of people take vacations and boarding facilities are full. There is a pretty high demand for pet sitters in the summertime! At popular vacation times, you can take on multiple households and really make some cash. Reach out to anybody you know with pets who could be going out of town at all this summer! The job is often easy and typically only requires you to stop by a few times throughout the day to care for the pet.

3. Social Media Manager for a Business

Working for a business does offer a steady and predictable flow of income. With so much business advertising relying on social media campaigns, many businesses could need somebody young to help them out. I think this would be a really fun job to have, especially if you are active on social media already. You could search for job openings near you to see if any businesses need people to work on social media.

3. Lifeguard

With this job, you can also get the benefit of working with a team and having scheduled hours with a supervisor. It also teaches responsibility and helps you gain important skills that could help you save a life. In addition, this job is very enjoyable! Hours are flexible and most of your job is sitting by a pool in the sun. Who doesn’t love a nice tan? You do have to complete a lifeguard certification course before taking on the job, but this job can be very rewarding to teens and has a social aspect in that most people working are fellow teens!

4. Restaurants

Many restaurants and fast food places require workers! This job would entail more of a schedule and structure as opposed to freelance work. It is fairly easy to find a job opening in this field because so many places have needed more workers after COVID. This job also has the benefits of working in a team environment, and is an overall very rewarding experience! Whether it is a server, hostess, or working the cash register, the restaurant industry could use more workers! The pay can be very good, as well!

6. Camp Counselor

So many programs put on day camps for children over summer break and are always in need of counselors! Sleep-away camps can be a fun way to earn some cash as well. You could get all the benefits of going to summer camp with more responsibility and a salary! If you enjoy working with kids, this job would also really suit you! It teaches you to be a leader and problem-solver, as well as basic childcare skills! If you love camp, this is the job for you!

7. Driver

Similar to babysitting, if you have a car and can drive, many busy parents are willing to pay you to drive their kids places. This is an easy way to make some quick cash and can be done alongside other jobs easily since it is not very time-consuming. Just remember to stay safe on the roads!

Click here to sign up for jobs on websites to find what you’re looking for in your area!

Indeed.com, Linkedin.com, Hireteen.com

Even if you just want to take it slow this summer, click here to see some fun ways to kick back and relax!

The post Summer Job Ideas for Teens appeared first on GirlSpring.

Dr. Amani Ballour

Dr. Amani Ballour is the first and only woman to have managed a hospital—and an underground hospital, at that—in rebel-held Syria. The challenges that her hospital faced were like no other. They had little-to-no resources. Bombs were constantly hitting above ground, and they didn’t have any anesthetics. She says that the hardest challenge was choosing which patient to help with the little resources they had.

A documentary by National Geographic Documentary Films called “The Cave” (which is what the underground hospital was called) showed what Dr. Ballour accomplished and how she was able to run a hospital in such an atmosphere. In the documentary, there were instances where men questioned Dr. Ballour and her work. She says that even though a lot of men questioned her and other women’s work, there had been a shift in perception in the community when she worked in “the Cave.”

In one scene, Dr. Ballour comforts a girl that is hurt badly by telling her to think about what she wants to become when she is older.

“Every day some children died at the hospital and I wanted to say to her that, ‘You will survive and you have to think of the future. You can be teacher, you can be doctor,’” Dr. Ballour explains. “This is very important to me because no one said that to me when I was a child. No one said to me that I have rights. No one said to me that I can be an important person in the future… All the people around me, they said, ‘You can get married and have children and work in the home.’ This is the idea about women, and all the time I was wondering why I can’t do something else, why do I have to get married, what kind of life is this? I don’t want this life.”

Lena Waithe

Lena Waithe is an American screenwriter, producer, and actress. She starred in the Netflix comedy-drama series “Master of None.” She became the first black woman to win an Emmy for outstanding writing for a comedy series. A lot of her work comes from her own experiences of being a black lesbian from Chicago.

The “Thanksgiving” episode in “Master of None” portrays Waithe’s own experience of coming out to her mother. She works to give young LGBTQ+ individuals a space to see themselves and their experiences on the screen—something that, growing up, she didn’t have. Waithe is a big believer in representation and progression. She changed the film/TV industry and she continues to do so.

In an interview with The Undefeated, she gets into the complex subject of being black and gay and out and verbal about it all in Hollywood.

“I’m so confused by it,” she said. “Maybe I shouldn’t be, because I can somewhat understand why some people want to keep their sexual orientation private — typically African-American people who are in the public eye. I guess to some extent, but I think that our children are literally killing themselves. Our queer children are thinking that they’re less than. Are thinking that they’ll never be loved. Are thinking that they’ll never have a normal, happy life. No. Their lives are priceless.”

Breanna Stewart

Breanna Stewart was the 2016 WNBA rookie of the year, the WNBA MVP of the regular season in 2018, and a two-time finals MVP. She is also known as one of the best college basketball players of all time. She is an amazing basketball player but also a great activist.

When she won the 2016 ESPY for Best Female Athlete, she gave a speech calling out the media for its lack of coverage of women’s sports. She also used her platform to spread awareness for Black Lives Matter and joined protestors at the LA international airport against the Muslim ban. In 2017, she stood up for the LGBTQ community and highlighted the inclusive culture of WNBA. In October of 2018, she came forward as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse with a moving first-person essay with The Players’ Tribune. She then went on to launch a national campaign in partnership with RAINN to help other victims and their families.

For her on-court and off-court accomplishments she was named 2020 Sportsperson of the Year. She said this during her 2016 speech:

“During my time in college I received an enormous amount of media attention, I’m grateful for that. And now that I’m in the WNBA, playing with other amazing female athletes, I’m trying to understand why we, as professional female athletes, don’t receive anywhere near the fame. This has to change.”

Shonda Rhimes

Shonda Rhimes is an American television producer, screenwriter, and author. She is best known for Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and the new Netflix period series Bridgerton. When she moved from working with ABC to working with Netflix, she says that the culture was completely different. She said she had to adapt to discussing her ideas with bigger groups of people.

Shonda Rhimes is a huge inspiration for young women who dream of getting into the film/TV industry, which is largely dominated by men. She partnered with Dove on a photography database, #ShowUs, showcasing more than 5,000 images of diverse women and non-binary individuals to promote more accurate representations in the press.

Shonda Rhimes is able to portray society’s stereotypes of women and the sexism they face every day in a lot of her TV series. For example, Grey’s Anatomy touches on sexism a lot with most of the main characters like Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, Miranda Bailey, and Addison Montgomery. She uses her platform to address the lack of representation in the media and tries to show her audience what women experience in society. She once said,

“I am not lucky. You know what I am? I am smart, I am talented, I take advantage of the opportunities that come my way and I work really, really hard. Don’t call me lucky. Call me a bad-a**.”

Sonia Sotomayor

Sonia Sotomayor grew up in the Bronx in public housing complexes, and ever since she was ten years old, she has wanted to become an attorney. She was awarded a full scholarship to Princeton University, and now she is the first Hispanic and Latina Supreme Court Justice. She is known to be a person of integrity and discipline and is one of the most respected people in America.

Sotomayor overcame the challenges that came with growing up in public housing projects as a young woman of color. She dominated a field known to be mostly male-dominated. She persevered when people told her she couldn’t. Any young girl can look at her and where she has come and be inspired. Her main life advice to young people is to just ask rather than assume the worst in people and in situations. She speaks about the value of seeing and respecting differences. She once said,

“I realized that people had an unreal image of me, that somehow I was a god on Mount Olympus. I decided that if I were going to make use of my role as a Supreme Court Justice, it would be to inspire people to realize that, first, I was just like them and second, if I could do it, so could they.”

Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka is one of the best tennis players in the world. She is currently ranked 10 in Women’s singles and has won three Grand Slams. She is an inspiration on the court with her big forehands and huge serves, but she is also a force off the court with her activism.

Osaka says that she wants to use her platform to spread awareness and start conversations about the inequality people of color face in the US and around the world. She also launched the Nike Play Academy, which is a program solely made to change the game for girls in order to level the playing field. The program is made to give girls confidence not just in sports but also in their everyday lives. She said this in an interview with Britannica:

“I often think about the phrase gambaru/gambare. It’s a classic Japanese phrase and basically means that no matter the hardships or challenges that one may encounter in life, it’s important to face them with a tenacious spirit and to try one’s best. That ethos is what I carry to practice and matches.”

Radhika Jones

Radhika Jones is an American magazine editor and the fifth editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair. Jones completed her undergrad at Harvard before heading to Columbia where she received a Ph.D. in English and Comparative Literature.

Jones changed Vanity Fair by increasing the diversity of its covers and representing more women in them. She herself noticed the discrimination and the lack of representation in Vanity Fair’s covers before she took over as editor-in-chief. She aims to change not just Vanity Fair’s magazine, but also how the media portrays people of color. Jones believes it is important to change the media to actually make significant changes in the world.

“I was determined to change it when I took over as editor in chief—not just as a corrective measure but because it is my job, and the magazine’s job, to center people who are visionaries, who are moving the culture forward. We are not bound to continue the cultural hierarchies we inherit.”

The Future is Female

People say that the “future is female” and these women have helped push that to the forefront. So many young people have big dreams but they look at the TV or their phone and they don’t see big names that sound like their own or people who look like themselves. This may seem like a small, irrelevant factor, but it isn’t, as shown by the women on this list. Representation of different genders and ethnicities matter for the up and coming generations and pave the way to make a more just society.

Check out more articles from GirlSpring on influential women:

• • Black Women in the Women’s Suffrage Movement
  • Women Who Fought for the Vote

The post Influential Women from the Past Decade appeared first on GirlSpring.

Defying the odds, she went against the government and simply declared that she knew exactly what to do to lead the French to victory. What makes this so special? After many years and defeats for the French, a young, poor girl claims to have visions that God is urging her to undertake this role as their army coordinator.

Likewise, Disney’s Mulan’s story is quite similar when comparing the feminism aspect. The story of Mulan is quite simple. Her dad was needed in war but he would have surely died. She disguises herself as a man to bring her army to victory. Against all odds, they succeed with Mulan being one of their most powerful soldiers.

Growing up with movies that show women excelling in “man’s” jobs is crucial for young girls’ understanding and development. Without this early influence, many young girls can lose the idea that women are just as powerful and strong. Mulan is often overlooked because she is not necessarily a standard princess. However, she and Joan of Arc have such similar stories and influences. I think they both are just as important for girls to understand and analyze the positions Joan of Arc and Mulan were in.

The post Young but Strong: What Mulan and Joan of Arc Taught Me appeared first on GirlSpring.

Hi, my name is Trina & I am a manager for my school’s Esports team! Which is overall such a fun and unique experience to have, and to be included onto my resume. So, if you don’t know what an Esports team is, it is essentially a team of gamers. My school has games such as Rocket League, Smash Bros, etc., and my role as a manager is more on the marketing side. So anything marketing related you can think of, I do it. Here is some behind-the-scenes of what it is like to be an Esports manager.

 Constantly posting

My main role as a manager is to help run the social media and create content for them. This can be things like helping to come up with TikTok ideas, creating graphics of the upcoming schedule, etc.. The main social media platform that I run is Twitter. However, prior to doing that I had never used Twitter. So, as you can imagine that was a learning curve. And with the games being at various times throughout the day and the week, it requires posting at random times. Sometimes that can mean 9am or it can be 10pm, you never really know.

Being a part of the team

This is one of my favorite parts by far. There is truly no better feeling than getting to be apart of something bigger than just you. And that is exactly what it is like to be on the team. Even though I am not a player, they all welcomed me like I was one. And I got most of my friend group from joining the team also. They have even taught me how to play some of the games which are very entertaining (I am not very good).

Being outnumbered

Esports is not a very big female “sport”. In fact, our team only has two female players. Then me and my best friend are the two female managers. So that puts 4 girls on a team of 50+ players and staff. Sometimes that can be quite the experience. Such as having to adjust to getting teased by all the guys, sometimes showing you can do something even though you are a girl, etc.. But at the end of the day, they all really do care about us and want what’s best for us.

Balancing school and duties

While being a manager I am still a full-time college student, work multiple jobs, and am a content creator. This means that having good time management is an absolute must and also making sure to stay on top of my work. And that can require some sacrifices such as not hanging out with friends on a weekend so I can get all my homework done and go support my team the next morning. Usually keeping the balance is pretty easy, unless its a heavy homework week or my team is going to travel.

Being a manager for any sports team in college is such a rewarding experience that will be great to add to your resume also. So if there is any sport that you enjoy but don’t want to actually play the sport, then maybe being a manager for the team could be a good fit for you.

Want to read more about games? Check out the Girl Spring article, Where in the World are the Female Protagonists in Video Games?

The post What it’s like to be a College Esports Manager: appeared first on GirlSpring.

WHAT PROGRAMS DOES GIRLSPRING HAVE?

Among its many initiatives, the Springboarders teen program stands out as the largest ongoing program at GirlSpring. The Springboarders consist of 62 girls in total, ages 13-18, including 20 new girls who joined this year in 2023. “Springboarders are content creators for the GirlSpring website and social media platforms,” exclaimed Springboarder Sarah. “We also have opportunities to take part in mentor programs, podcasts, volunteer events, informative workshops, as well as parties and fun events around Birmingham.” The GirlSpring website, girlspring.com, reaches 15,000 visitors per month, in Birmingham and beyond.

There are also executive leadership opportunities and various committees that girls can join. Radhika, the current President of Springboarders stated, “Springboarders was the first place I tasted leadership. In November of 2021, Ms. Greenwood (GirlSpring Executive Director) approached me with the idea of co-hosting the STEAM Fair. It was the first time I was being trusted with such a large event and by the time the event came around, it made me incredibly nervous. However, successfully leading that event led to me feeling more confident and as a result, trusting myself. It built a foundation for me to lead later on, and now I serve as President.”

According to Executive Director Kristen Greenwood, “The girls in leadership roles work together to develop a monthly topic for their website submissions, create online events for their peers, such as trivia nights and peer-to-peer college prep advice panels, and periodically get together to have volunteer days. Girls are drawn from all different schools and backgrounds, so through this program they get exposure to girls from different walks of life, they learn how to work together as a team, develop leadership skills, and get to meet lots of inspiring women from the community that they might not otherwise meet.”

HOW DOES GIRLSPRING BENEFIT GIRLS?

Being a part of a team like the Springboarders has been beneficial for many of the girls involved in the organization. “The Springboarders group has given me the unique opportunity to meet and connect with numerous girls around Birmingham that share a similar mindset as me: to empower girls,” mentioned Wardah, the current Vice President of the Springboarders. “As Vice President, I have gotten to work with several amazing girls to plan new events and come up with new ideas for community involvement and online engagement. Additionally, GirlSpring has given me  an online platform to creatively express myself via creating content for the Girlspring website, something I don’t get to do anywhere else.”

GirlSpring is dedicated to empowering young girls to embrace their unique talents and actively engage in their communities. “GirlSpring has been super beneficial to me in just raising my confidence,” said Sherrod. “Having a place to publish your work is already a big deal on its own, but really knowing other girls are reading it too means a lot. Seeing and getting to talk to other people who have read my articles means a lot and has pushed me out of my comfort zone. I have been able to feel confident enough in my opinions/work to put them out there and I have made lots of new friends because of it.”

Getting involved in GirlSpring also gives girls the opportunity to gain real-world career related experiences. According to Sarah, “Applying to be a Springboarder is a great process within itself given that you gain application and interview skills, plus being accepted welcomes you into a whole new world of opportunities both within your community and beyond.”

“There truly is a place for everyone in GirlSpring,” emphasized Sherrod, the Springboarder community liaison. “Whether you’re more artistically inclined, or up to date on current events, or like writing your pop culture opinion pieces, GirlSpring is welcoming to listen to you, and someone is learning from your work. It is a place that makes you feel comfortable and confident while simultaneously getting you out there and introducing you to so much more.”

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

The Springboarder girls are looking forward to the rest of the year and what is to come. Their next big project includes publishing a collaborative book with help from journalist and writer, Javacia Harris Bowser. The book will consist of a collection of work by individual Springboarders including poetry, personal stories and artwork, all about the empowerment of young girls. Under the guidance of individuals like Radhika, Sarah, Sherrod, and Wardah, GirlSpring is shaping the future for talented young girls, one story and one moment of empowerment at a time. Learn more about GirlSpring at www.GirlSpring.com. 

The post Meet the Springboarders – the group of girls that keeps GirlSpring running! appeared first on GirlSpring.

What is Epithelial tissue? Click here to find out more!

Pseudostratified Tissue

Simple Squamous Tissue

Simple Cuboidal Tissue

Transitional Tissue

Click the link for more information on what you can do as a woman pursuing STEM!

The post Inside the Epithelial Tissue appeared first on GirlSpring.

 It pains me to share that people of color are forgotten in the pages of history. Unfortunately, women of color are most likely underrepresented, underappreciated, and overworked. Society needs to be better at honoring the work of all citizens, especially women from minority ethnic backgrounds. Below are three Latinas in politics who deserve to be in every textbook because of their significant impact on the world.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

She went from being an unknown bartender to being the youngest congressman in the US seemingly overnight. The “democratic socialist” was born in the Bronx, one of the poorest boroughs in New York, in 1989 to Puerto Rican parents. The Nuyorican did not let her underprivilege determine her density.

Instead, from an early age, she was passionate about controlling the outcome of her life. While she was in high school, she was a part of the National Hispanic Institutes’ Lorenzo de Zavala (LDZ) Youth Legislative Session. Moreover, she participated in the 2007 Intel Science and Engineering Fair and won second place. After high school, she attended Boston University and double majored in international relations and economics.

AOC in Politics

Due to her family’s economic situation, she took waitressing and bartending jobs in her early twenties to help support her family; her father’s cancer journey and subsequent death put the family in debt. Therefore, Cortez worked hard to help pay off her family debt while paying off her student loans. Her lower-class socioeconomic background and her young age are two factors that significantly helped her become a popular choice among lower and middle-class Americans, as well as Generation Z.

Her first involvement in politics was during the 2016 presidential election because she was a volunteer organizer for Bernie Sanders, an American senator from Vermont. She became a household name two years later, on June 26, 2018, when she defeated 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley during the 2018 midterm elections. Four months later, the newcomer became the youngest-ever congresswoman.

According to AOC’s website, her first action as Democratic representative for New York’s 14th district in the Bronx was the Green Deal resolution, “which envisions a 10-year national mobilization, akin to FDR’s New Deal, that would put millions to work in good-paying, union jobs repairing the nation’s infrastructure, reducing air and water pollution, and fighting the intertwined economic, social, racial and climate crises crippling the country.” While her first legislation is impressive, the young up-and-comer didn’t stop there.

Instead, she introduced 22 more pieces of legislation, including the Loan Shark Prevention Act, which would cap credit card interest rates at 15%. In 2019, Donald Trump, a Republican, was the President, but AOC did not let Republican control of the Senate and Presidency stop her from accomplishing her goals. On the contrary, she became a nightmare for the republican party as she became an effective questionnaire in committee hearings, a consistent town hall host, and saw three amendments pass into law.

Sonia Sotomayor 

She was the first Hispanic, the first Latina, and the third woman to serve on the High Court. Just like AOC, she was also born in the Bronx neighborhood of New York to Puerto Rican parents. Another similarity to AOC is that Sonia’s father passed away while she was young, so she had to work to support her family. She knew at age ten that she wanted to be an attorney, so she studied diligently.

Her academic efforts paid off as, in 1972, Sotomayor graduated as the valedictorian of Cardinal Spellman High School. After high school, she attended the prestigious Princeton University. At the Ivy League school, Miss Sotomayor was a part of Acción Puertorriqueña, a Puerto Rican activist group. After graduating from Princeton University with a bachelor’s in history, she attended Yale Law School. Her first job in politics was as an assistant district attorney to famous Manhattan attorney Robert Morgenthau.

SS in Politics 

During her time working under Mr. Morgentau, a particular case was the Tarzan murder case. Five years after working with Morgenthau, she joined a private practice known as the New York law firm of Pavia and Harcourt. Rather than handling matters related to shoplifting, robberies, assaults, murders, and police brutality, she mainly dealt with businesses, corporations, and property rights under the private firm.

Three years later, she was appointed to serve as a district court judge. During her time in district court, she remained veiled from media attention as she mainly dealt with non-controversial cases. Six years later, she was appointed Court of Appeals Judge. According to Oyez, Sotomayor heard “more than 3,000 cases and [wrote] around 380 majority opinions.”

Upon the retirement of Supreme Court Justice David Souter, the Barack administration quickly got Sotomayor his seat. On May 26, 2009, Hispanics across America and many working-class people from the Bronx rejoiced as their favored representative rose to the position.

Aida Álvarez

She is the first Hispanic and Latino American woman to serve in the United States Presidential cabinet. Similarly to the first two Latinas, Alvarez also hails from Puerto Rico and grew up in New York. In high school, she was a part of the ASPIRA program, a non-profit founded by Dr. Antonio Pantoja to “empower the Latino community through advocacy and the education and leadership development of its youth” (ASPIRA).

Upon graduating High School, Alvarez attended Harvard University, earning a Bachelor of Arts. Her first job was being a journalist for the New York Post. She later became a successful news anchor for Channel Five. She received an Emmy Award, Front Page Award, and an Associate Press Award. Aidachanged her career path from news reporter to investment banker and succeeded in it. After a decade, in 1997, Alarez made history by becoming the first Hispanic and Latina to serve on the cabinet.

AA in Politics

Her role as an executive officer was to handle small business administration. According to Stanford University, “She presided over record activity: $61.5 billion in guaranteed loans and venture capital financing over four years.” She created social change by “trip[ling] lending to women and doub[ling] lending to minority-owned small businesses” (California Competes). Currently, Alvarez serves on the board of many major businesses, such as HP Inc., Zoosk, and Oportun Financial Corporation. Moreover, she is on the board of the Latino Community Foundation and the San Francisco Symphony.

Click here to read about how women’s voting rights are so important in politics.

The post Influential Latinas in Politics appeared first on GirlSpring.

• Little Amal represents the millions of children and families who have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, and other crises. She embodies the resilience and courage of refugees, reminding us that behind every statistic is a human story.
• Hope and Resilience: Little Amal’s journey is a testament to the indomitable spirit of refugees. She embarks on a journey filled with challenges, but her determination to reach safety and find her family reflects the hope and resilience that many refugees hold onto in the face of adversity.
• Unity and Compassion: Little Amal’s story transcends borders and speaks to the universal values of compassion and unity. As she travels through different countries, she encounters people from diverse backgrounds who come together to help her on her journey. This reflects the idea that we are all connected, regardless of our differences, and that we have a collective responsibility to support those in need.  

Why is Little Amal important?

• Raising Awareness: Little Amal’s journey serves as a powerful platform to raise awareness about the refugee crisis. Through her story, people are reminded of the human faces behind the headlines and statistics, fostering empathy and understanding.
• Fostering Empathy: The Walk project and Little Amal’s character invite people to step into the shoes of refugees, even if just for a moment. This empathetic connection can lead to greater compassion and a willingness to take action to support refugees and migrants.
• Promoting Dialogue: Little Amal’s journey sparks conversations about the refugee crisis, immigration policies, and the need for international cooperation. It encourages individuals and communities to engage in meaningful dialogues about these complex issues.
• Inspiring Action: Little Amal’s journey isn’t just a passive experience; it encourages people to take action. Whether it’s supporting refugee organizations, advocating for policy changes, or volunteering, her story inspires individuals to make a positive difference in the lives of refugees.

Representation for those in need

Little Amal is more than a puppet, she is a symbol of hope, unity, and compassion in a world divided and indifferent to the suffering of others. Her journey serves as a powerful reminder that we can all play a part in creating a more inclusive and empathetic world.

By embracing the values she represents, while taking action to support refugees and migrants, we as a collective people can make a difference. We must ensure that the world becomes a more welcoming place for those seeking safety and a better future. 

Here are the following dates for where Little Amal will be walking across America:

• Sept 20 – Pittsburgh, PA  
• Sept 22 – Cincinnati, OH 
• Sept 24 – Oakland, MI  
• Sept 26 – Detroit MI 
• Sept 28 – Chicago, IL    

The post Little Amal: A Puppet with a Global Message appeared first on GirlSpring.

Who is Little Amal?

Little Amal is not your ordinary character – she is a giant puppet; a 3.5-meter-tall young Syrian refugee girl, brought to life by the acclaimed Handspring Puppet Company. This artistic creation is part of a project called “The Walk,” a remarkable and ambitious theatrical journey that was conceived to highlight the plight of refugees and migrants. Little Amal’s story is fictional, but her presence carries a profound message of empathy and solidarity. 

The post The Story of Little Amal appeared first on GirlSpring.

Before the Vote & Political Sheroes

Before the Vote is a ten-episode podcast video series on YouTube that covers the many ways teens can exert influence over government and politics even before they have the right to vote. On the series, I have been able to interview some pretty cool women that work in the Alabama legislative and judicial systems on how and why they got into their positions, as well as how teen voice can help them in their jobs. On other episodes, I’ve chatted with fellow teens on tangible ways we can share our voices outside of voting. 

If you’d like to check out the series (which I highly recommend you do), you can find it here. Also, if you watch a video, please consider taking the survey linked in the description box of each video. This lets me know what you think of the series! The survey is completely anonymous and takes a maximum of two minutes to fill out.

Now that I’ve given a brief overview of what Before the Vote is, I wanted to share with you some of the major highlights of the interviews and conversations that made up the series to hopefully empower you to use your voice to influence politics in today’s world.

1. We all have a part to play in our government

Oftentimes teens assume that because they don’t yet have the right to vote, they don’t have a part to play in government affairs. This is a far cry from the truth, because our country’s government is designed with the goal of representing all citizens, not just those over 18.

While there are certainly downfalls in that system today, there are still means for teens to get their voices out to ensure they are well-represented, and it’s our responsibility to utilize those resources. This is especially important for female teens, who are vastly underrepresented in today’s government.

2. Know those who represent you

The job of representatives and senators is to represent their constituents, and you are one of them! After talking with two state representatives and a state senator on the podcast, it was made clear to me that they value any and all input from the people they represent, especially young teens.

Teens have a unique perspective and an acute awareness of issues that older generations simply don’t know as much about, therefore, it’s our civic duty to ensure that we share those issues and perspectives with those that represent us. Find the contact information of your State Representative and Senator, as well as your Congressional Representative and Senators. And let them know what you’re thinking! This is definitely a means of sharing my voice that I hope to engage in more going forward.

3. Stay informed

In order to be aware of issues affecting us and our communities, we have to be tuned in to the news. I like to get my news from podcasts, but you can also educate yourself on current affairs by reading online news articles, print news sources, or even on social media, however, a major problem we face today as consumers of the media is the massive amount of misinformation and bias flying around.

It’s a good idea to fact-check information you consume and keep an eye out for potential biases in reporting. Sometimes it’s best to read about the same event from multiple sources to try and weed out the true facts of the case.

4. Use social media to your benefit

As I’m sure you already know, we have a powerful, powerful tool at our fingertips. In addition to using it to get quick updates on current events, social media can also be used to spread the word about a cause you have a passion for.

You can share educational posts that other users make, you can join an online community centered around a specific cause, or you can even create your own page dedicated to an issue you care about. Just make sure that the information you’re sharing is factual, and be sure that you’re understanding and respecting others’ differences in opinion.

5. Get plugged into local politics

Many people overlook the presence of local politics in our daily lives, but if you’re looking for a way to make a direct impact on your community, then getting involved in your local government is a great place to do so.

See if you can form a teen coalition at city council meetings, or get in touch with your mayor’s office to see if there are any opportunities for you to get involved. Even carrying out local community service projects can help further a cause you care about.

6. Explore youth in government programs

Youth in government programs are a fantastic way to get direct experience with the actual processes behind passing legislation, deciding a legal case, and creating policy. The YMCA has Youth in Government programs, including the Youth Judicial and Youth Legislature conferences, in just about every state in the US. There are also Girls State and Boys State programs across the nation.

Furthermore, most schools have a student council of some sort where students can take on a decision-making role within their school governments, which is crucial, because students are the ones mostly impacted by administrators’ decisions.

7. Learn how to have civil conversations

This is a tough skill to take on in today’s politically-polarized society; I struggle with it myself, but it’s crucial if we hope to have a future generation of problem solvers that are united by shared nationality and not divided by different parties.

When faced with a difference in opinion, we must choose to see the person behind the opinion and not just the party. We can’t villainize the other side and get defensive over our own opinion. Instead, we must try our best to listen to the reasoning behind the other person’s beliefs and use the disagreement as an opportunity to educate the other person on our beliefs. If all else fails, and no one is able to pull the other person to their side, then simply agree to disagree. Don’t let political arguments disrupt relationships—it’s just not worth it.

Reflect on everything

This was a lot of information, but don’t be overwhelmed! Those are just a few of the major themes that ran throughout the conversations I had while making the Before the Vote series.

I hope you’ll take a moment to check out an episode or two, but even more than that, realize how important your voice is toward the effectiveness of our government!

If you wish to stay updated on politics and the daily news in the area, click the link here and check out podcasts that cover politics!

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