Lessons learned from the girls' action team program: The intersection and connection of self, school, and community

Introduction: Pre-adolescent girls, especially those from minority, immigrant and low-income backgrounds, can face significant stress as they navigate developmental and social transitions. All girls, but particularly those who are already vulnerable or at-risk socially and economically, need an outlet that allows participation and self-determination, the development of competence to enact personal power and control, and a skill set to help them become agents of change in their community. Objectives: We present an intervention in progress conducted within the context of an ongoing community-academic partnership among a local university, an affiliated pediatric hospital, and a low-resource K-8 public magnet school serving a minority and immigrant population. In response to the struggles expressed by the school's preadolescent girls through a needs assessment and an ancillary Photovoice project, we developed and implemented the Girls' Action Teams (GATs). This participatory, arts-based intervention for girls, 4th-8th grade, was developed to offer a platform for multiple forms of self-expression and development of a social action project. Methods: To evaluate the GATs, we used a multi-method qualitative approach including focus groups, interviews, and reflection forms. Results/Discussion: We identified three salient themes in the qualitative data: 1) the importance of having goals; 2) group cohesiveness; and 3) increased self-expression. We also present the benefits, unique challenges, and lessons learned from the GATs program. GATs provide girls with an outlet for self-expression and self-determination, helping them to become agents of change in their community while forming deeper connections with themselves, their school, and their community.