Who We Are:
Girl Advisory Board members are alums of Girls Leadership programs and want to make a difference in the world. We are in 8th to 12th grades and advise Girls Leadership staff on ways to improve and evolve programming to meet the expressed needs of all girls.
Participation:
Girl Advisory Board membership is an 8-month commitment. We are a national board and we meet virtually once every week for one hour excluding holidays.
Project:
We’re wrapping our 2023-2024 school year. We look forward to a new iteration of our Girl Advisory Board, starting in the Fall of 2024. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to hear more.
Meet our 2023-2024 Girl Advisory Board Members
Alfa she/her
Grade: 11
Location: New York City, NY
A social issue I care about: Food deserts in low income communities. Instead of supermarkets with fresh and healthy food, fast-food chain restaurants dominate these neighborhoods.
Amy she/her
Grade: 12
Location: Jackson Heights, NY
A social issue I care about: A social issue I care about is environmental racism because it is deeply rooted in discrimination within low-income minority people of color’s neighborhoods. Additionally, it is related to the increase in health diseases and destruction of the environment.
Something I wish I people knew about me and/or about my generation: Something I wish people knew about my generation is that our loud uprisings are a result of the government neglecting serious issues that might now affect them, but will affect the younger generations. It is best to listen to our concerns, rather than set them aside as immature and dumb.
Ashley she/her
Grade: 12
Location: Corona, NY
A social issue I care about: Climate change is a significant social issue because of the negative effects the earth and its ecosystems are experiencing. Each year the rising temperatures are incrementally decreasing endangered species survival rate. It’s important to address this issue by raising awareness regarding the effect that politics is having on climate change because some politicians don’t believe in the consequences of climate change. This will negatively affect the upcoming generations as result of the limited resources being exploited.
Something I wish I people knew about me and/or about my generation: I wish other generations would understand that my generation wants to influence future decisions and that we are educated enough to make those decisions. I also wish they would accept people’s identities instead of dismissing them.
Ashley she/her
Grade: 11
Location: Middle Village, NY
A social issue I care about: I care about wages. I believe that we aren’t paying medical professionals enough. People in the entertainment industry get paid more than doctors yet their job is clearly more important. I see this as a huge issue because the only reason the medical industry hasn’t collapsed because of the good will of people. Not only are unfair wages bad for the people who work those jobs, its bad for communities too, because Hospitals in low income communities can experience a shortage of medical personnel, which can be extremely dangerous in case of an emergency.
Something I wish I people knew about me and/or about my generation: Something I wish people recognized about my generation is that we are going to be the next law makers, officials, etc. Trying to shut down our ideas will just lead to a society whos officials are not confident in sharing their thoughts. A good society needs to have officials confident in their abilities and thoughts, and we will be those officials in the future, therefore it is important for us to be involved, and to speak up.
Ava she/her
Grade: 10
Location: Manhattan, NY
A social issue I care about: A social issue that I care about is diversifying artificial intelligence. As we, as a society continue to grow by becoming more reliant on AI, it is detrimental that everyone from all walks of life is not represented in AI. Computers are not racist, but the computer data can be. We must work to ensure that there is diversity in technology fields so all perspectives are represented.
Something I wish I people knew about me and/or about my generation: I wish people realized that our generation grew up with the ability to access everyone and everything. Before, you could affect the community by putting up posters or maybe an ad in a magazine, but we have access to social media, where we can share our activism on a larger scale to reach all corners of the earth.
Bella she/her
Grade: 11
Location: San Francisco, CA
A social issue I care about: Rights for people of color, whether that be environmental rights, the right to basic medical care, or even the right to be given the same opportunities as peers and coworkers, while not having to alienate ourselves from our communities. To be surrounded by people who look like us is essential for us, and essential to society. We need our voices. Society needs to hear our ideas, creations and innovations. Each one of us has something that must be shared with the world. So you see, it is not just one social issue that I care about but a series of issues that all stem from the root. Our voices are not heard because there are not enough people who look like us to stand up for us because our voices are never heard to begin with. My mission with Girl’s Leadership is to change that; to create a space where people of color can exist, take part in all the decision making and learn to use their voices to speak up for others who need it.
Ella she/her
Grade: 11
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Iltaf she/her
Grade: 12
Location: Astoria, NY
A social issue I care about: Climate change is a major issue due to its potential impacts on all aspects of life. Human activities are causing unprecedented warming, leading to negative consequences such as heatwaves, droughts, and more. These impacts threaten human health, food and water security, economic development, and biodiversity.
Kamryn she/her
Grade: 10
Location: New Orleans, LA
A social issue I care about: The food deserts found right next to upper class neighborhoods, which effect the lower class citizens with a lack of affordable, yet healthy food options.
Something I wish I people knew about me and/or about my generation: something I wish people knew about my generation is that most of us are so educated on social issues, and have great ideas, but aren’t all given a platform to speak out on these issues, simply because of our age.
Niki she/her
Grade: 11
Location: San Francisco, CA
A social issue I care about: Gender equality is essential in creating an equitable society for all. From abortion bans to education restriction to oppressive regimes that controls a woman’s appearance, we see that gender disparities exist across the globe.
Something I wish I people knew about me and/or about my generation: I wish society would see that many teenagers genuinely need mental health support. Many societal stigmas prevent struggling youth from getting the support they truly need as their feelings are many times invalidated.
Nyla she/her
Grade: 10
Location: Astoria, NY
A social issue I care about: A social issue that I care about is poverty because it affects a lot of people and with inflation it is hard to purchase necessities like food and i think that nobody should be hungry.
Salsabil she/her
Grade: 11
Location: Astoria, NY
A social issue I care about: Wages are important to me, I feel that we underpay medical professionals. People in the entertainment business get paid more than physicians, despite the fact that their jobs are plainly more vital. This is a significant issue in my opinion since the only reason the medical business hasn’t collapsed is because of people’s goodwill.
Something I wish I people knew about me and/or about my generation: I wish people saw this generation as the future instead of just children. I wish the elders realize that we are bound to do wonderful things even as just teens. That our ideas can solve world problems if provided the opportunities. So instead of “educating” us on their own one-sided beliefs, and quieting our voices, allowing us to be confident.
Sofia she/her
Grade: 11
Location: Culver City, CA
A social issue I care about: A social issue I care about is equal and affordable access to education. There are so many kids in low income and marginalized communities around the country who need more support than they are being given, especially when it comes to literacy.
Something I wish I people knew about me and/or about my generation: Something I wish people knew about my generation is that it’s really hard to be a young person right now. We live in a society where basic human rights are being stripped from people, and it’s scary sometimes to think about our future.
Soumaou she/her
Grade: 12
Location: Bronx, NY
A social issue I care about: A social issue that I care about is women and girls’ rights to education. After the Taliban banned women from attending university, it made me realize how much of a privilege it is attend school and having the opportunity to expand my education by being the first person in my family to attend high school as I believe that having an education can make the future a better place.
Tayiba she/her
Grade: 8
Location: Astoria, NY
A social issue I care about: A social issue I care about is poverty. Living in New York City you pass by many people who live differently from you. The very pavement I pass by is home to many individuals who are forced to live in poor conditions on the street. A few dollars can do so much, so I dream one day I have the power to raise more awareness to help these individuals.
Something I wish I people knew about me and/or about my generation: I wish people saw this generation as the future instead of just children. I wish the elders realize that we are bound to do wonderful things even as just teens. That our ideas can solve world problems if provided the opportunities. So instead of “educating” us on their own one-sided belifs, and quieting our voices, allowing us to be confident.
Teagan she/her
Grade: 11
Location: Chandler, AZ
A social issue I care about: A social issue that I care about is women’s reproductive rights. Even though this topic may be seen as “over done” by some, I still believe that more needs to be said. It’s more complex than just the right to an abortion; it deals with the fact that even to this day women do not have full control over their own bodies.
Something I wish I people knew about me and/or about my generation: I wish other generations could understand that values and opinions are allowed to change from person to person. So many individuals have a black or white view on society and don’t recognize the gray areas. Besides, if everyone shared the same opinion, the world would be very dull. Progressive viewpoints matter just as much as traditional ones do.
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Read Sierra Leonne Andersen’s story and hear her poem.