Community Bridges - “Smart: The Rebirth of Cool” Campaign

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620 Pershing Drive, 2nd Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910 • 301-585-7155 • info@communitybridges-md.org

“Smart: The Rebirth of Cool” Campaign

Challenge Statement: Community Bridges recognizes that the challenges that diverse girls of Montgomery County, MD are faced with (i.e. peer pressure, low self-esteem, oppression, poverty) increases their chances of participation in unhealthy behaviors while minimizing their ability to thrive.

In order to counteract these issues, Community Bridges is going beyond its programming to address the environments of our girls. The “Smart: The Rebirth of Cool” Campaign was consequently birthed to achieve the following:

Our Mission: To encourage diverse youth to create change in their school environments.

Objective:

A. To create a campaign that mobilizes and unites diverse youth and adults in redefining what it means to be cool and smart in today’s society in Montgomery County, MD.

B. Capacity building of youth/creation of youth leaders with meaningful power.

Outcomes:

A. A kick-off event for 200 youth and adults on 03/20/10 at Montgomery College, MD

B. Increased youth involvement and leadership in schools and communities—SGA’s, Youth Boards

C. New partnerships with youth, families, schools and communities

D. Decreased school and dating violence

E. Increased youth expectations regarding their future

F. The identification and training of someone that will take the reigns of the campaign in their respective school, community, and/or organization.

Kick-Off Event: “Smart: The Rebirth of Cool”

Schedule for Event March 20th, 2010
09:30am	Set-up
10am-10:30am	Registration, bagels and juice
10:30am	Opening
11:15am	Workshop I
01:00pm	Lunch
01:45pm	Workshop II
03:30pm	Closing
04:00pm	Clean up

Workshop I: Purpose of this workshop is to define and break down what’s the particular drama they are struggling with in their schools and communities.

Objectives:

- Help youth vent their fears, issues and concerns as they arise in their schools.

-Help youth discuss their struggles with being smart and cool in dealing with the drama.

Format:

The arts will be used to facilitate the conversation (i.e. poetry, writing lyrics, drawing, videomaking, hip hop routine, stepping, etc.)

Workshop II: Action Planning

Objectives:

Have the youth work in groups to create an “issues to action” proposal for a particular issue that was discussed during the first half of the day. At the end of the day, we would have them present their proposal before the audience and a panel of judges. The group that wins will receive $1000 to implement their action plan in their community.

Format:

· “issues to action” – HCF

o Obstacles to youth success/advancement

o Brainstorm solutions à action plan

§ Groups present action plans

§ Whoever wins action plan get $1,000 to implement

· Facilitators meet with them after the conference to help them implement action plan

Number of Workshops:

2 High School Workshops

2 Middle School Workshops

2 Elementary School Workshops

2 Adult/Community Workshops