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.”
OUR PURPOSE, OUR MISSION.
“We believe in storytelling as a powerful tool to heal, to transform, and to create positive social change. We believe that film is the medium for girls to connect with this world.
GIRLS are the inspiration for this program because they will be the women of tomorrow and we care for their emotional wellbeing.
We use the CAMERA to engage girls to explore topics on how to make our environment a safer place, a place without violence.
We take ACTION to prevent violence in the girl’s social and emotional relations.”
For more information, please contact Director/ Founder Karla Duarte at (619) 764-3160.
