Programs that improve teen girls’* mental health, leadership skills, and ability to use their voices.

We start by teaching critical-thinking skills around social media and more… and what they can do about it.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve never stopped giving teen girls* the media literacy and action-taking skills they need!

Here’s our Girls* Change-Making Task Force, a program for 15 teen girls in a partnership with the Redwood City Public Library. See all their projects here.

All of our virtual programs follow the content of our in-person programs, addressing

• the effects of social media on teens and youth
• ways to question media messages for mental health
• how to take action, including making media or speaking out in other ways

Whatever you need to deal with social media’s impact on teen girls*, we got you! We can even lead programs outside the San Francisco Bay Area!

* About-Face welcomes and includes gender-expansive youth. To us, “girls” means self-identified girls, trans girls, gender-expansive youth, gender non-conforming, and non-binary youth.

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And when life gets back to “normal” again…

Our in-person programs for school classrooms and other groups

Our thought-provoking programs are geared toward girls* throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and elsewhere. Not just for girls: ALL genders benefit from our introductory Workshop program!

“It was nice hearing about the benefits and harms of media in general from someone other than my parents. The whole workshop was super eye-opening.”

Female, age 15

Education Into Action Programs for Teens

Need a program for adults?

About-Face also does talks for adults who are advocates for youth (parents, teachers, and group leaders). Check it out here. Trainings for teachers are coming up soon!

Topics Teen Girls Discuss in Our Programs

Gender/gender expression/sexism-related harm perpetuated by media

Beauty ideals and body image

Stereotypes in media of identities and constructs that intersect with gender including race/ethnicity, class, sexuality, (dis)ability, and LGBTQ identity

Youth-led activism and its importance to social change

Media motivations: The world of advertising and the business of media

How to think about online harassment and cyberbullying

Wellness and self-care practices around using media

(Please contact us for full details.)

“I will view social media differently because of this workshop.”

Female, age 14

Real Outcomes

We’ve worked with more than 8,000 youth since 2007.

In our analysis, About-Face has found statistically significant improvements for girls related to satisfaction with one’s appearance, reduced importance of looking like people in media, increased self-esteem and self-respect, and a decrease in behaviors such as dangerous dieting.

Where to Start

Many schools and organizations start with a single-session Education Into Action Workshop for students of all genders in the classroom and pair it with an Education Into Action Parent/Teacher Talk.

Other organizations, particularly those hosting girls* in an after-school setting, tend to opt for one of our longer programs (Lab or Boot Camp), where an About-Face Instructor may come on specific days over the course of several weeks.

Most of our programs are tailored for girls*. Note that we welcome and are inclusive of self-identified girls, trans girls, and non-binary youth.

“I liked that it connected to media we’re familiar with, and that it discussed ways we could make a difference.”

Female, age 18

Meeting Educational Requirements

About-Face programs focus on skill-building by engaging students in open-inquiry discussions around the cultural messages that are most relevant to them. Media literacy is a 21st Century skill that youth need to have healthy futures.

Our programs are built around and satisfy the following requirements:

• the Positive Youth Development framework
• core principles of media literacy developed by the National Association for Media Literacy Education
• select aspects of California state educational standards for health education
• select Common Core History and English requirements

Nearly every published research study on media effects on youth, including those from the American Psychological Association, recommends media-literacy education and advocacy training for young people to address harmful effects of mainstream media. That’s what About-Face does!

Most schools struggle to give their students sufficient media-literacy education. About-Face fills the gap by providing experts in both media literacy and youth development and facilitation.

“I liked how we covered the secret effects of media, both the positive and negative.”

Female, age 17

How We Do It

What makes About-Face different? In all our Education Into Action programs, we:

• use the media students are using now that resonate with them personally
• tailor all program content to participant interests, demographics, and information provided by teachers or parents
• we don’t tell youth what to think — we work to help them think for themselves (critical-thinking skills)
• introduce the idea of action-taking and activism to make change in ways that are authentic to them (self-efficacy)

Where We’ve Taught

About-Face has been leading interactive media-literacy workshops in Bay Area schools and communities since 2007, with an emphasis on the specific needs of teen girls. A list and references available upon request!

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We’re excited to speak with you more so you can give your girls* the media and action programs they need.

* About-Face welcomes and includes gender-expansive youth. To us, “girls” means self-identified girls, trans girls, gender-expansive youth, gender non-conforming, and non-binary youth.