Girls! Camera! Action!
Local Teen Girls Join Film Program to Combat Dating Violence
Teen dating violence is a problem affecting youth in every community in the United States. One in three adolescents in this country is a victim of dating violence. This figure exceeds rates of other type of youth violence. Founder and artistic director, Karla Duarte is making a difference with her non-profit project, Girls! Camera! Action! Youth Violence Prevention Program whose mission is to prevent teen dating violence for at-risk girls from the ages of 12 to 18. Through a Social and Arts program, at-risk-girls participate in workshops on how to prevent and safely end abusive relationships; understand their legal rights and responsibilities; and create a framework for building healthy relationships in the future. In addition to the eight week program, the girls also participated in a 12-week session where they learn from scriptwriter development to storyboarding and production. The final production is made into a Public Service Announcement about “How to Break the Cycle of Emotional and Verbal Abuse.”
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