This year we wanted our year-end sale to be about more than just shopping. Ever since we partnered with the incredible organization Girls Build LA for their leadership summit, we've haven't stopped thinking about all the initiatives that these girls around L.A. are leading within their communities—getting involved in politics, leading the charge around science education and helping the homeless, to name a few—and we wanted to do more to help them succeed. That's why we're donating 10% of proceeds from our year-end sale to reach our goal of giving $50,000 to their cause.
Here's how it works: every year, each Girls Build team can choose to focus on health and wellness, civic engagement and leadership, or STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and college access. They look at specific issues in their community and then decide where they want to focus their efforts. To get a closer look at how you're helping girls do good, see what these three teams are up to...
Promoting Youth Advocacy in Compton
In Compton, one student representative speaks for 5,000 high school students. The Girls Build LA team from Compton Early College High School realized that that just wasn't enough, so this year they're promoting civic engagement within their community. Through creating a dialogue with their classmates and setting up meetings with their Congresswoman to talk about issues like their community's exposure to the carcinogenic chemical chromium 6, they're working toward a future where more girls can become active citizens, stand up and be heard. Ultimately, they want to set up a Youth Advocacy Group within the mayor's office and gain representation on the school board, and they're well on their way to getting there!
Read our interview with the team here and see more about what they're working on here.
Empowering Girls Through STEM Education
The Girls Build LA team from Palmdale Learning Plaza saw a major lack of women and people of color in STEM careers and decided to put their heads together to do something about it. Last year, in the effort to engage women in their community through education around STEM and aerospace opportunities, they built a planetarium that was visited by over 1,000 people. This year, they're conducting STEM workshops with students at local elementary schools and city-wide events like the LA County Air Show and Science Olympiad to further show girls that they can learn and achieve anything they put their mind to.
See more about what the team's working on here.
Helping the Homeless with Solar-Powered Tents
After noticing a need for resources to help address the issue of a growing homeless population (in 2016, there was a 36% increase in chronic homelessness in San Fernando Valley), the Girls Build LA team from San Fernando High School got innovative. They designed and created a solar-powered tent that can fit into a backpack and even won a grant from MIT for the invention. As they continue to improve the tent, the team is traveling around the country to share their vision and exploring other potential uses for the tent, like helping refugee communities.
See more about what the team's working on here.
