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Former Peer Leader Amity Paye and
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick
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Making the Case
Teen Voices is a magazine written by, for and about teenage girls from around the world, touching upon the real life issues that affect them. Teen Voices was built on a foundation of women who believe in the capabilities, power, and strength of the female voice. Girls can openly discuss and challenge current media's exploitation of the female, politics, love, academics, and social conflicts. Teen Voices is not only a magazine, teaching girls to respect themselves, but it is also a program where young women can learn creative journalistic and career skills for the future, while bettering their lives today.
Media's Exploitation of Girls and Body Image
Media powerfully influences teen girls. Instead of seeing their questions, concerns, and personal stories, popular media supports ads and articles displaying unreachable perfection supposedly needed for acceptance. Almost 70 percent of editorial content in teen magazines focuses on beauty and fashion, and 12 percent talks about school or careers for women (Media and Girls, Media Awareness Network, 2007). Media continues to show too-thin women, consumed with their appearance. Young girls begin to think they need certain products for acceptance. Media activist Jean Kilbourne suggests, "Women are sold to the diet industry by the magazines we read and the television programs we watch, almost all of which make us feel anxious about our weight" (Media and Girls, Media Awareness Network). Real women's bodies disappear in place of unrealistic thinness. Teen Voices works to provide women with realistic views of the female body and mind; one in which every woman uniquely offers much to society just the way they are.
In a recent PBS interview, legendary Washington Post emeritus editor Ben Bradlee identified the secret to the Washington Post's continuing strong readership — "stories." Research states the biggest difference is made by the presence of women working in the media industry. Professor Martha M. Lauzen concludes, "When women have more powerful roles in the making of a movie or TV show, we know that we also get more powerful female characters on-screen, women who are more real and more multi-dimensional" (Women Working in the Media, Media Awareness Network, 2007). The combination of "stories" and women working in media is the secret of Teen Voices' success as well. Teen Voices creates accessible media by, for, and about teen girls that is real. Through education and analysis, teen girls create an alternative to the mainstream media expressing their actual interests, experiences, and desires — not what advertisers and corporations try to sell.
Gender Equity Gap in Academic Choices and Success
After excelling equally in school, inequalities between genders emerge around ages 10-12. Dropout rates reflect the fact that girls of color face greater obstacles to success: 24% of Latinas and 14% of African American females drop out of high school, opposed to 7% of white females (Trends in Educational Equity of Girls and Women, U.S. Department of Education, 2000). Nationally, female students continue to achieve higher grades than males, but score lower on PSATs, SATs, ACTs, and Advanced Placement Tests — affecting college admissions, scholarship awarding, and course credit granting (Sadker, David, Gender Equity: Still Knocking at the Classroom Door, 1999).
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Peer Leaders Tanasia Barboza-White
and Adanma Ude at AMPLIFY! |
Gender Equity Gap in Use of Technology
Young girls and boys show equal interest when introduced to computers. By high school, girls lose interest in such studies believing technology subjects are for boys. With less girls involved, computer games, clubs and classes are geared towards boys. Video games and school software programs reinforce gender bias and stereotypical gender roles, with very few powerful female role models. A study conducted in 1995 found 40 percent of elementary math software had gender-identifiable characters: 12 percent were female. Also, a study by Carol Hodes found female characters appeared passive in the stereotypical roles of mothers and princesses, while boys appeared as more active characters: shopkeepers, mountain climbers and factory workers (Technology-The New Gender Gap, Media Awareness Network, 2007). When young girls face these stereotypes, especially at school, they are put off from learning technology skills needed in future careers. By high school, boys are more familiar with computers and girls may be intimidated. Today, women fill only 20% of information technology jobs and the number of women majoring in computer science decreased in the past decade (Tech-Savvy: Educating Girls in the New Computer Age, American Association of University Women, 2000).
To close the gender gap, young women need role models such as peers and adults to encourage them to be able to master science and technology. Cooperative learning programs and those integrating technology lessons and other subjects are successful. Teen Voices' use of technology is such a program. Young women have the opportunity to work with computer programs enhancing their educational and career skills for the future.
Lack of English/Language Arts-Based Opportunities for Teens Beyond School Hours
In 2003, the Boston Office of Cultural Affairs and Mendelsohn, Gittleman Associates surveyed extracurricular opportunities for Boston youth for the Boston After-school for All Partnership (supported by the Barr Foundation). This survey identified creative writing opportunities for youth aged 10-14 enrolled in specific after-school sites, and virtually nothing for teens beyond the middle school age. Few Boston Public high schools sponsor literary magazines or school newspapers. Community and cultural organizations host a range of opportunities for teens with talent and interest in dance, theater, visual arts, choral and instrumental music, but Teen Voices provides the only intensive community-based literary arts and journalism program available for developing job skills and career training.
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| Having fun at Poetically Speaking |
Fighting Teen Pregnancy Rates
Teen girls in Massachusetts and the rest of the United States are not receiving the education they need to be aware of to protect themselves from the risks of teen pregnancy. The annual number of teen pregnancies in the United States is now 821,810; the number has reached 12,160 in Massachusetts alone. 80 percent are unintended pregnancies, and 50 percent end in abortions (Risky Behavior, Research, Studies, and Statistics About Girls, 2007). In 2003 the number of actual teen births in girls ages 15-19, in the state of Massachusetts, reached 4,643; and in the United States the number soared to 414,580 (State Summary Statistics, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2007). Favorable careers and lifestyles are more difficult to achieve for young teen mothers. Because young girls are bombarded with images of sexuality, with women and girls shown as powerless, passive victims, Teen Voices strives to reduce the amount of sexual images thrown at teen girls by focusing on providing them with an outlet to express their concerns and opinions on teen pregnancy (Media and Girls, Media Awareness Network, 2007). Teen girls deserve opportunities to reach their dreams and goals. Teen Voices' focus on education, empowerment and knowledge of young women helps make that reality.
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Health Fieldtrip to Brigham and Women's;
Summer 06 session with Dr. JudyAnn Bigby |
Women, Education and the Job Market
Women have made huge strides in education and career fields, yet continue to concentrate in fields of work historically dominated by women. Women now receive less than 28 percent of computer science bachelor's degrees, down from a high of 37 percent in 1984. They make up 9 percent of the recipients of engineering-related bachelor's degrees (Tech-Savvy: Educating Girls in the New Computer Age, American Association of University Women, 2000). Women represent 45 percent of the workforce in the United States, but hold 12 percent of science and engineering jobs in business and industry (Balancing the Equation: Where are Women and Girls in Science, Engineering and Technology? National Council for Research on Women, 2001). Nearly 75 percent of future jobs will require knowledge and use of computers, while only 33 percent of participants in computer courses are women (JOBS, U.S. Labor Statistics, 2000). Teen Voices works to change these statistics by providing young girls with the opportunity to learn career and computer skills while building confidence. Not only does Teen Voices provide young girls with the chance to use their artistic and writing skills to voice their opinions and thoughts, but it also employs young women in a variety of artistic, financial and business related positions.
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