Outcomes and Reflections
Student Responses to Mindfulness Presentations:
Below is a slide show displaying the answers we received from students after they participated in our Girls Build LA Mindfulness Presentation. It was encouraging for our team to see that students were actively processing what they learned from our presentation and were thinking about how they can integrate these new mindfulness tips into their daily routine.
Below is a slide show displaying the answers we received from students after they participated in our Girls Build LA Mindfulness Presentation. It was encouraging for our team to see that students were actively processing what they learned from our presentation and were thinking about how they can integrate these new mindfulness tips into their daily routine.
Impact Report
Girls Build LA Team Reflection 2021-22:
As our team reflects on the incredible year we had we are very proud of the way we were able to do really meaningful work in a virtual space. From recruiting, hosting a retreat, planning and executing our projects we had to really stretch ourselves to think how to do our presentation in a way that would still have impact. We feel like we really were able to still have an impact and keep the momentum going that we started 6 years ago.
One thing that surprised us was how open the freshman classes were to our presentations and how ready they were to embrace what we shared. In the middle of the pandemic, with people being so isolated we think this was very necessary and helpful in letting students know that we are here for them and providing tools for them to manage stress and anxiety.
Team members individual reflections:
Melanie Calderon- "I was first interested in Girls Build, to better my speaking skills and communication skills, though it was hard and challenging at first, but with the help of my teammates, I was able to improve on these skills. I had the privilege to work with other girls and build leadership skills. A challenging event for me this year in Girls Build was presenting the mindfulness presentation to classes. Speaking to an audience is not one of my best strengths but over time, I learned to build confidence. I hope to improve more in my remaining years in Girls Build. "
Emely Gonzalez- "My experience in Girls Build LA has been fantastic. The team was very passionate about gathering information about mental health and being about to talk about resources on how to deal with stress and anxiety amongst the underclassmen. Although I was somewhat absent from some meetings for senior activities and dance, I definitely enjoyed participating in planning activities around our mission of mindfulness and providing resources to the youth of our school. I hope Girls Build continues next year with and even stronger team of girls that will create change and impact the staff and faculty at our school "
Mina Alvarado Goldberg - "This year, Girls Build LA has had a really important presence on-campus. Coming back from quarantine, many students (including myself) were in need of tips for self-car and relaxation. Going into classrooms and presenting to 9th graders I feel had a big impact on helping students transition to an in-person learning environment. The lunch activities like stress ball making and bracelet making were a good break for students from their school day. I feel like I learned a lot myself just by teaching about these tips and I still practice mindfulness on the daily."
Julieta Franco - "This year in Girls Build I learned many life skills. We started off our year by doing several mindful lunch activities. These lunch activities helped me learn how to collaborate as a team and work on time management, as well as working with my school community. We then went on to present our mindfulness presentations which we got to collaborate on and present to our freshman classes. These presentations taught me about mindfulness, how to present/ public speaking, time management etc. I was also in charge of sending group reminders and that taught me how to be more aware in general of others depending on me. Overall Girls Build taught me many life skills that I’ll always use."
Zooey Le-Baker - "This year I enjoyed working in Girls Build. I think the work we do for the school is necessary and important. It was hard to participate however due to Covid guidelines and conflicting schedules. "
Tlalpiani Olguin - Working with Girl Build LA has helped me become a more grounded human being in terms of understanding mindfulness and collaboration with others. I have learned how to confidently present in class. In an effort to do this I have felt nothing but support and encouragement to do my best.