Give to the Max Day 2010

"Common Ground" Video above.
Dogs are better than cats. No cats are better than dogs. Black white, up down, tall short. In this video poem, Common Ground, girls take a dance through opposites or are they really just the same?

TVbyGIRLS core programs are designed to help young people from diverse communities and the people who care about them to understand and use media tools to build leadership, collaboration skills, critical thinking and social justice action.

We accomplish that with workshops, presentations, mentoring and media making programs. We work with teen girls and develop their skills and thinking in progressive stages.

Our most intensive work is a long term mentoring program for girls only in which girls from diverse communities work with a group of peers and individual mentors over several years (some as long as 7 years) to grow their leadership, self-esteem, critical thinking and media making.

Our successes:

Worked with over 900 girls and young women.

83 films made and shared with over 35,000

Partnership with Minnesota Historical Society and women over the age of 80

Topics covered: Body image, peer pressure, war, bullies, teen suicide, pressure of living with a disease, questions about love and sexuality, and their own cultural traditions.

18 awards

26 screenings across the country

48 presentations and workshops to peers and adults.

Growth as leaders who create thoughtful, emotionally powerful new stories in visual ways. Stories that help change the social perception of girls and women.

100% of graduating girls from the mentoring program have received scholarships to college directly related to their work with TVbyGIRLS.

This is a lot of big work from a very small nonprofit. And we do it by putting all of our resources into the programs we offer to girls and the people who serve as guides and mentors. We have always been a lean and agile organization. All we have is a little bit of equipment, a lot of passion and knowledge, and girls who need us. And we need you. Partner with us in supporting these girls experiences.

"One of the most valuable things for me about being with TVbyGirls was the mentoring program. I got more attention and focus from my TVbyGirls mentors during my time in TVbyGirls than I got from any teacher at school." Maddy

"I've gained greater understanding and empathy for others' experiences." Molly