In Maywood Academy High School, the Girls Build LA team worked with different classes to establish a proper definition of sexual harassment and ensue a better culture of awareness on sexual violence. With a series of different weekly activities throughout the spring semester, we were successful in raising awareness on the impact of sexual violence and how it should be avoided. Our main goal was to empower many to take action against it. We provided a safe place for anyone who has felt victimized by any act of sexual violence by allowing them to anonymously share their stories. For a week, our team spread the importance of knowing Title IX, because of the lack of student knowledge about it. In an environment that has normalized sexual harassment, our project has educated the students of our community about what should be prevented to ensure a better environment for all, as well as setting the foundation for said environment.
Our short term outcomes include serving 210 students during our Title IX assembly. This is important because the hope is that they take the information and disseminate it to others at school. Further, during the assembly we learned that most, if not all, students (and some teachers) did not know who our Title IX Coordinators were, which was particularly troubling because it is difficult to report when you don’t know who to turn to. This contributes to our long term goals because, after our assembly, 210 students learned who to turn to when they need help or need to report instances of sexual harassment, information which they can share to other students.
Other short term outcomes include providing a space for students to share their stories and offer positive messages to survivors through our story sharing week and clothesline project. Although we gathered only a few stories (25) and created a few shirts, they were displayed openly on our school grounds and students had access to read the messages in each. We witnessed students bringing their friends to look through both the stories and the t-shirts signaling that the long term outcomes could include creating an environment for open communication on our campus, which is extremely important and needed. In addition to engaging students, we also included faculty and staff in our efforts. All faculty and staff received a Title IX information handout and were invited to read through it with their first period class. In doing this, we wanted to ensure that all students, not just those who were privy to our assembly, understood Title IX, their rights as students, and who to report should they experience gender discrimination. Not only is it important for students to know this information, but it is also important that they know they’re teachers are allies in their struggle and they can turn to them if needed. Faculty and staff wore our “Know Your IX” buttons to show their allyship.
We hope that by spreading this information the long term outcomes are that students no longer experience sexual harassment on school grounds.
Our short term outcomes include serving 210 students during our Title IX assembly. This is important because the hope is that they take the information and disseminate it to others at school. Further, during the assembly we learned that most, if not all, students (and some teachers) did not know who our Title IX Coordinators were, which was particularly troubling because it is difficult to report when you don’t know who to turn to. This contributes to our long term goals because, after our assembly, 210 students learned who to turn to when they need help or need to report instances of sexual harassment, information which they can share to other students.
Other short term outcomes include providing a space for students to share their stories and offer positive messages to survivors through our story sharing week and clothesline project. Although we gathered only a few stories (25) and created a few shirts, they were displayed openly on our school grounds and students had access to read the messages in each. We witnessed students bringing their friends to look through both the stories and the t-shirts signaling that the long term outcomes could include creating an environment for open communication on our campus, which is extremely important and needed. In addition to engaging students, we also included faculty and staff in our efforts. All faculty and staff received a Title IX information handout and were invited to read through it with their first period class. In doing this, we wanted to ensure that all students, not just those who were privy to our assembly, understood Title IX, their rights as students, and who to report should they experience gender discrimination. Not only is it important for students to know this information, but it is also important that they know they’re teachers are allies in their struggle and they can turn to them if needed. Faculty and staff wore our “Know Your IX” buttons to show their allyship.
We hope that by spreading this information the long term outcomes are that students no longer experience sexual harassment on school grounds.