Vote for Healthy: School Lunch Campaign

By Janette Santos, Editorial Intern

A lot of attention in the media is currently focused on the importance of healthy food for children and adolescents. Coverage ranges from Michelle Obama’s presidential initiative to lower childhood obesity in the nation from a staggering 20 percent to just 5 percent by 2030, to more local initiatives with new school regulations for serving healthier food. Since teens spend a great deal of time at school, healthier food in the cafeteria is an important change.

According to Sociedad Latina, a Boston-based organization working with Latino youth and families to end destructive cycles of poverty, health inequities, and lack of educational and professional opportunities among the Latino community, there is definitely much left to be desired in the average school cafeteria. For example, a recent crackdown in Cambridge Massachusetts for lax inspections in public school cafeterias yielded numerous health code violations, including animal droppings around the storage rooms of a cafeteria and a school freezer that was rusted and rotting.

While this situation may be extreme, it’s very common for the food offered in school cafeterias to be less than ideal in terms of being healthy. In response, youth activists at Sociedad Latina have taken on this issue and they are working to create healthier food options in school cafeterias in Boston public schools.  Vickie Miranda and Achly Esparra are two teen representatives for Sociedad’s School Lunch Campaign. According to Miranda, the School Lunch Campaign was launched with a mission focused on “eating healthy in schools because that’s where we spend most of our time, besides home. If we don’t eat [at school], we don’t have the energy to learn.”

Last year’s controversial finding by councilor-at-large John R. Connolly, that several Boston public schools had been storing foods past their expiration date,and serving them to students, was one of the catalysts that initially drove the Campaign.

Both Miranda and Vickie believe that most Boston Public School (BPS) students don’t even eat school lunch. They explained: “Some students skip lunch altogether and some leave school to go to Burger King or Subway to get food, and then come back to school.” Either way, they aren’t getting a good lunch.

Esparra’s role as a dancer is one of the reasons she feels that working on the Campaign is incredibly important. “I got involved because of my dancing. I wanted to learn more about eating healthy and all things that involve healthy habits…especially eating, because I love food!” Miranda said: “I got involved because I eat school lunch. I eat at school because I know I won’t be able to eat anything else during school hours. And for me, I want to eat healthy. And if the food at school isn’t healthy, meaning that the food that I eat most of the time isn’t healthy, then I’m not healthy.”

The girls would like to see more healthy and great-tasting foods in their cafeteria. Esparra noted that they “want healthy food that tastes good, not just healthy food that tastes awful.”  Miranda added, ”In my school we have fruit, such as oranges and apples, but I would prefer more variety of fruit. Like at one point we had grapes, but then they disappeared.”

You may wonder how a teen-led campaign facilitated change in public schools. First, the teens started talking about what they wanted to change, and how they thought they could make that change. From there, Esparra and Miranda passed out 300 surveys at schools and in the community that asked students directly what kind of food and changes they would like to see in their cafeterias.  More than 70 percent of the respondents were in favor of establishing a salad/fruit bar in their school. Esparra and Miranda, alongside their peers, then began having conversations with their school cafeteria managers and principals to build support. In the early fall, they presented their idea to expand the salad bars in high schools to the director of the food and nutrition services.

The Campaign has been very successful. It has established salad bars in two new high schools, with more planned for the future.  In fact, Miranda and Esparra have secured a commitment from the BPS director of food and nutrition services to establish salad bars in all BPS high schools.  Miranda believes that they are off to a good start, but said:  “There are millions of others schools, millions of other students, who are still not eating healthy, not eating while at school, or leaving school to eat.  It is really important to try to get healthy foods and to try and keep students in school and keep them awake in classes.” In addition, Esparra would like to more see more food prepared in the cafeteria, as opposed to microwave meals, because she believes that “cooking real food is also part of eating healthy.”

Miranda and Esparra attribute much of the success of the School Lunch Campaign to Sociedad Latina’s genuine concern for the health of young people.  And they feel it’s important for girls to be activists in their own communities because “it shows that we’re trying to do something—we’re trying to make a change [for the better.] When people see that a girl is doing something about [a problem], it makes them think that at least someone cares about what’s going on in the community.”

Miranda complemented the thought: “Since we’re teenagers, people think that we don’t take anything seriously.” Miranda often sees the ‘she’s-not-gonna-take-this-job-seriously-because-she’s-a-teenager’ mentality. She stated: “But then, people see what we do here and they see how we take it seriously, so they see that the stereotypes aren’t correct.”

Sociedad staff member Melissa Luna reflected:  “I think it’s very important for adults to act as allies for our young women and encourage their leadership and participation.  In most schools, students and their abilities are taken for granted.  Every youth has the potential to become a leader and make their school a better place.  These young women have take on this charge and created a positive change for both themselves and their peers.”

Esparra advises: If you want to inspire change in your own community, whether it’s in your school cafeteria or elsewhere, “find an interest…My interest is me; I want to be healthy; I want to be fit. I think that finding motivation is the first move, the first step that you need to take to move forward.”

So do some reflective thinking, girls, and decide what you want to change in your community, then figure out your first step.  By moving one step at a time, in collaboration with others, you too can change the negative stereotypes of teens—and create positive change in your community.  Go to it!

For more information on efforts to increase healthy lunches in schools, see “The Secret Life of Lunch: Teen Voices Goes Beyond the Mystery Meat” in the Spring/Summer 2012 issue of the Teen Voices print magazine (pp. 19-21).

For more information on Sociedad Latina and their School Lunch Campaign, see: http://sociedadlatinaschoollunch.blogspot.com/p/sociedad-latina-school-lunch-goals.html

Screen-Free Week 2012: Turn off the TV, and Turn On Life!

By Janette Santos, Editorial Intern

How many hours a day would you guess that you stare at a television, computer screen, video game, or cell phone? According to a 2010 study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, on average, children aged 8-18 spends about seven and a half hours using entertainment media every day. And because so much of that time is spent using more than one medium at a time, it’s really more like 11 hours worth of media content. Furthermore, the average teenager in 7th -12th grade spends about an hour and a half every day just sending and receiving texts!  On average, Black and Hispanic children consume much more TV than white kids–black children watching almost six hours per day, Latino youth about five and a half hours per day, and white kids three and a half hours a day.

A down side to watching TV and using the computer is that you are not physically active (except maybe a little bit with games like Wii Sports). And especially for teens, this is not good. Approximately 12.5 million of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are considered obese. Physical inactivity is a risk factor for not only obesity, but also Type 2 diabetes. Heavy media users also tend to perform poorly in school, usually getting fair or poor grades (mostly C’s or lower). In addition to that, getting wrapped up in screens can be detrimental to developing a well-rounded social life. TV, social media sites, and video games may be entertaining, but they are no substitute for interactions with real people.

Understandably though, with the irresistible lure of modern luxuries such as DVR-ing your favorite television shows (can you say, Once Upon A Time marathon?), updating your Facebook status, or even spending hours exploring the awesome Teen Voices website (ahem!), it can be hard to motivate yourself to get up off the couch and pursue a more physical or social activity such as taking a walk, riding your bike, or doing Double Dutch.

Luckily for all of us, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is sponsoring Screen-Free Week 2012! Started in 1996, the goal is to give children and families around the country a chance to turn off the screens they use for entertainment, and turn on life! For one whole week, you can use your creativity to think up great new ways to spend your free time, whether it be finally cracking open that book you’ve been meaning to read; taking a walk around your city; playing a game of soccer with your friends; swimming at the beach; going for a hike in the woods with your family; or even enjoying a jog through your neighborhood. The possibilities are endless. The fact that it’s spring will hopefully make it more appealing to go outside.

Another piece of good news is that YOU can help spread the word about Screen-Free Week and inspire others to start themselves on the path to a healthier, more active lifestyle by downloading an Organizer’s Kit at the Screen Free Week website.

So, get up off that couch, and get moving! And start talking! To find out more information about Screen Free Week, visit their website.

“Kony 2012:” What About the Girls?

By Teen Voices Interns Kate Szumita, Raven Heroux, and Mary Gilcoine

Even if you don’t have a Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr account, you’ve probably heard something about the Kony 2012 campaign. Kony 2012, the campaign’s 30-minute film, has gone viral and created an unprecedented uproar in social media. The campaign was launched earlier this month by Invisible Children, a non-profit raising awareness of African armed conflict and the use of kidnapped children as rebel soldiers in the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).  Simply stated, the mission of the Kony 2012 campaign is to make Ugandan war criminal Joseph Kony famous enough that he will be captured and brought to trial.

Kony’s crimes are undeniably heinous. According to the campaign film Kony 2012, Kony has abducted more than 30,000 children over the course of 20 years, forcing young girls into sex slavery and young boys into warring as child soldiers. As advocates for teen girl empowerment, we’re deeply disturbed by the statistics about girls.

But we’re also disturbed by the lack of attention to girls and girls’ issues in the film. While it’s understandable that Jason Russell (co-founder of Invisible Children and creator of Kony 2012) seeks to hold the attention of the masses—a temperamental target audience that may shy away from stories that are too graphic or disturbing—we have to wonder: Where are the girls? Why is the film so silent about the stories of these girls? Russell mentions only in passing the atrocious sex crimes committed against young African women. It is astonishing and disappointing how much this film glosses over the extent of crimes committed.

So why has Invisible Children shaped the Kony 2012 to hold such a narrow perspective? The girls—and all the affected children—deserve a safe place to tell their stories, and to be heard.

It’s critical that a film and organization seeking to make “invisible children” visible should not render girls invisible and voiceless. In the past, the organization has showcased the struggles of African girls from war-torn areas. Among these girls is Grace, who was kidnapped and forced to become a sex slave. Soon after, Grace found out she was pregnant. Grace is celebrated for her strength as a survivor and her resilience in starting a new life.

Roseline has another amazing story of strength, when she was left to survive on her own after her parents were killed by the war.

While we wish that Russell had given voice to girls like Grace and Roseline, we also must give credit where credit is due. In many ways, the film is moving and inspirational and it’s clearly tapped a vein among many people. The Kony 2012 campaign has, if nothing else, proven the power and influence of social media on mass society. Despite heavy criticism from bloggers and other media, in a matter of weeks, Kony 2012 has undoubtedly grown from a film to a movement. Many well-intentioned social media consumers, including teens, are indeed making Joseph Kony famous.

But, to quote Spiderman’s uncle, “with great power comes great responsibility.” So the questions become: How can we use this film and the tool of social media wisely? How can we harness the momentum that’s building around the exploitation of all children to make the world safer? What changes would you like to see made in the world? And what actions are you willing to do to foster that change, even if there’s a personal cost?

Valentine’s Day: It’s Not Just for Couples!

By Raven Heroux, Editorial Intern

Valentine’s Day is coming up, and you know what that means: advertising overload for chocolate, heart-wielding teddy bears, and roses. While you may be stocking up on Valentine’s cards, candies, and red blouses, it’s important to remember what love is really all about!

Love isn’t just about finding your soul mate; it’s about taking the time to speak, listen, and care about those around you and share in that mutual caring and trust. Pay attention to the feelings and actions of not only your friends, but also yourself. Valentine’s Day can be a great way to celebrate life, love, and all the important people around you.

This month pay attention to ALL your loved ones: family, friends, crushes, and yourself.  Here are some ways you can show your love:

• February 13-19 is Random Acts of Kindness Week Pay for the person behind you in line at Starbucks, babysit for free, or take all the change you can find in your house (under sofa cushions, behind your bureau, and in the bottom of your purse are hotspots) and give it to a homeless person down the street!
• Write Love on Her Arms! The World Health Organization reports that one million people die every year from suicide. Participate in To Write Love On Her Arms to spread awareness and support those individuals struggling with depression, self-injury, and suicide.
• Attend a local performance of The Vagina Monologues in support of V-Day, the global movement toward ending violence against women and girls.
• Volunteer! Go to a soup kitchen, an animal shelter, a non-profit organization, or an after school program for kids.
• Make dinner or dessert with friends or family. Working together to make a masterpiece dish (or disaster!) is a great way to bond, laugh, and learn the art of cooking or baking with the people you love.
• Have a sleepover with your closest friends! Stay away from the love-obsessed media and get artsy instead. Teen Voices’ Artist of the Month contest is happening right now and we want your art.  Enter for a chance to win a full-scholarship to a summer art program in Boston! So grab your friends, paint, charcoal, pencils, a camera, or whatever you desire, and get creative!

Just remember that Valentine’s Day isn’t about who is dating whom; it’s about loving yourself and others!

Have great Valentine’s Day plans? Leave a comment below and share it with our other readers!

Pass the Mashed Potatoes? Eating Disorders and the Holidays

By Carolyn Schweitzer, Editorial Intern

Photo by Christina McCafferty, 18, Massachusetts

The holiday season, though “the most wonderful time of the year,” can also be the most stressful. As  a teen, besides end-of-the-semester schoolwork, there may also be trips to plan, cards to send, parties to attend, and presents to buy, not to mention the colder weather! Holidays can really take a toll on all of us, but this time of year can be especially difficult for those who struggle with eating disorders.

According to the Eating Recovery Center of Denver, Colorado, more than 11 million Americans struggle with an eating disorder. Major life events, such as leaving home for college, can cause those who are genetically predisposed to having eating disorders to develop them for the first time. In fact, the average age at which an eating disorder first develops is 19. The pressures of living away from home, class work, making new friends, and all around stress can trigger these unhealthy habits in some students. Approximately 10% of women in college are estimated to have an eating disorder.

Families and loved ones often don’t realize that their loved one has developed an eating disorder or may be at risk for one until they come home for the holidays. It’s important to be aware of how new college students are dealing with stress and of any possible problems that might have developed.

The Eating Recovery Center recently outlined five important warning signs that families and friends should keep in mind over winter break.

1. Noticeable weight loss or weight gain since he or she entered college.
2. Helping with the preparation of holiday meals but not eating them.
3. Excessive exercise, even outdoors in poor winter weather conditions.
4. Withdrawal from family and friends and avoidance of gatherings, even if he or she has not seen loved ones for months.
5. Discussing college in a “stressed out” or obviously anxious manner or altogether avoiding conversations about school.

If you do notice any warning signs, set aside some time to talk to your friend or family member in a private place. Even if he or she denies any problems, be sure they know that you’re there for them. Showing someone with disordered eating that you care is important before, after, and during treatment. If someone does need professional help, be informed about the counseling services available on campus and nearby treatment programs that specialize in eating disorders. Asking for help is hard to do, but you can make it easier for them by simply being there.

During the holiday season, it’s easy to get wrapped up (pun intended!) in everything you have to do. But take some time out of your busy holiday schedule this year to check in with all of your friends and family. Let them know that you care. Keep in mind that early treatment is the best way to combat eating disorders and reach out now!

To learn more about eating disorders and what you can do to help, visit:

The National Eating Disorders Association:

http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

Eating Recovery Center: http://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/

 

10 Ways for Youth to Address Teen Depression

With winter coming in quickly and holidays approaching, many of us start to feel a rush of holiday spirit and excitement: we may have family parties, school vacations, and a new year at the tip of our fingers. But not everyone shares in the season’s joy—December can also be a challenging time of loneliness, sadness, and despair for some of us.  And for teens, depression can be especially overwhelming.

Could someone you know, a family member, friend, or peer, be suffering from depression? Look for these symptoms and warning signs:

• Sadness
• Irritability/anger
• Withdrawal from friends and family
• Loss of interest in activities
• Changes in sleeping/eating habits
• Lack of energy
• Difficulty concentrating
• Restlessness
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• Lack of motivation
• Thoughts of death/suicide

If you notice these signs, start by offering your support and look for ways you can help.  These tips may be useful.

Many celebrities and organizations have already stepped in to raise awareness and to find ways to support teens suffering from depression. From posting inspirational videos to taking pledges, big names like Ke$ha, Liv Tyler, and Demi Lovato have found ways to get involved. And you can too! Whether you know someone suffering from teen depression or not, Get Ur Good On has made a list of ten ways you can volunteer support and spread the message!

Check out Get Ur Good On’s list of 10 ways YOU can Get UR Good On for Teen Depression!

1. Take the “It Gets Better” pledge and support LGBTQ youth. Make an even stronger commitment by recording an encouraging It Gets Better video like the ones from Ke$ha, Chris Colfer, Google Employees, and many more.
2. Create a video about teen suicide and prevention. Upload to YouTube like Max Bennington and spread the word. Find information about depression and suicide on Half of Us and TeenScreen.
3. To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) is a nonprofit working to help people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. Miley Cyrus, Liv Tyler,  and Boys Like Girls all support TWLOHA. Want to help too? Plan a penny drive, fashion show, or concert fundraiser and donate. Find more ways to support here.
4. September 10^th is World Suicide Prevention Day. On this day, share Facebook statuses and tweets with organizations peers can contact for counseling or help.
5. Send positive and encouraging messages to friends. Be a support system for them; a little pick-me-up goes a long way!
6. Brittany Snow, Demi Lovato, Victoria Justice, and Zendaya all know that Love is Louder than the pressure to be perfect. Take a “Love is Louder” picture and share on Twitter, or upload to GetUrGoodOn.org, Love is Louder’s Facebook page, or make it your profile picture!
7. Speak out against bullying at school. Visit Teens Against Bullying for anti-bullying activities.
8. Volunteer with the Trevor Project, an organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth. Help make survival kits, volunteer at an event, or join a board committee.
9. Write the word “Love” on your forearm for one day and explain to people that you are raising awareness of teen depression and suicide. Share “love” pictures on Get Ur Good On as others have done. Make sure to use a washable marker!
10. Start a mental health screening program at school. Find resources to develop the program on TeenScreen and get friends involved with the planning.

Source: http://tools.ysa.org/geturgoodon/10WaysTeen_SuicidePrevention_Depression.pdf

http://helpguide.org/mental/depression_teen.htm#sign_and_symptoms.  Reprinted with permission.

KIND Campaign Tries to Put Girl-on-Girl Crime to an End

By Carolyn Hardy, Editorial Intern

Most girls can relate to some experience with girl fighting—physical, verbal, or emotional.  Sometimes it’s “out there” and sometimes it’s in secret. Two college-aged women, Lauren Parsekian and Molly Thompson, recently decided to take a stand against girl-on-girl bullying and start encouraging kindness. They started the KIND Campaign in 2009; it has grown into a full documentary and an international message to girls to STOP the competition, STOP the cattiness, STOP the hate, and BE KIND.

Kindcampaign.com has loads of ways for you to get involved and take part in the campaign!

• Kind Cards: Post positive messages to the girls in your life to let them know how important and how loved they are.
• Kind Magazine: Read more true-life stories from girls and their experiences with girl crime and finding the kind in their lives.
• Kind Country: See where Lauren, Molly, and KIND have been on their tour and check to see if there’s a KIND club near you. If there’s not, find out how to start one!
• Kind Girls: Show your support for the KIND campaign. Type in your name and upload your photo to the mural of dozens of other girls who support KIND.
• In the Media: Check out interviews with Lauren and Molly and see how far KIND has reached among the media.
• Library: Look over the KIND-recommended booklist for girls in middle and high school—They accurately portray “girl world” and the prevalence of girl crime.
• T.A.P.: Here is where you can do the most to support the KIND campaign.
  • T is for Truth: Share your experiences and how you’ve been affected by girl bullying to help expose the truth of what happens in the girl world.
  • A is for Apology: Write an apology to someone you’ve harmed through girl-on-girl crime. You’re encouraged to share your apology with the person to whom you’re writing.
  • P is for Pledge: Take the KIND pledge to unite in kindness in an effort to end female bullying.

Click here to see if a KIND club is hosting a screening of the documentary near you.

For more information about girl-on-girl violence, check out:

Deborah Prothrow-Stith and Howard R. Spivak, Sugar and Spice and No Longer Nice: How We Can Stop Girls’ Violence (2005)

Lyn Mikel Brown, Girlfighting: Betrayal and Rejection among Girls (2003)

Note that Lyn Mikel Brown will be offering the Jean Baker Miller Memorial Lecture at Wellesley College on Friday, October 21, 2011 at 7 pm.  The title is “Fighting Like a Girl: How Girls Can and Do Make a Difference.”  The lecture is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Visit: http://www.jbmti.org/.

Get Your Book On

By Sarah Binning

Ladies, one of our favorite weeks of the year is almost here. Next week, we’ll join libraries around the world in celebrating Teen Reading Week! I can already picture Starbucks filled with teen girls relaxing on the couches, piping hot lattés in one hand, a library book in the other. Now all that’s left is to decide what book to read. Thankfully, the Teen Voices office is full of bookworms. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite books to help you narrow your reading selection!

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Recommendation by Katie Bayerl, features editor

“Speak was an absolutely ground-breaking book. First published in 1999, it addressed tough issues that no other books for teens had tackled: date rape, bullying, and self-injury. But it wasn’t just another hit-you-over-the-head-with-a-lesson “problem” novel. Speak is beautifully written, fast-paced, filled with surprising humor, uplifting, and downright amazing. It changed the game in young adult fiction, inspiring a new wave of fiction for teens that continues to grow. Teens today wouldn’t have access to such a huge variety of books written specifically for them if it weren’t for Speak.

This book will make you laugh and break your heart and inspire you. Melinda’s voice is so funny, so painfully real. Her struggle to face her trauma and ‘speak’  is one that will have you on the edge of your seat, rooting for her to come through okay.”

Dibs in Search of Self by Virginia M. Axline (1964)
Recommendation by Katie Wheeler, editor

“It’s the moving [true] story of a boy who is very withdrawn from the world, and how his psychologist reached him and helped him learn to trust and interact with the world. In hindsight, Dibs was probably autistic, although I don’t think that word was ever used. Back in those days, I don’t think the psychology or education field had any understanding of autism-spectrum disorders. So before Dr. Axline, no one knew what to make of Dibs or how to help him. The sensitivity, patience, skill, and determination of the therapist to reach this boy inspired me to want to read more books about kids with ‘special needs’ and to study psychology, which I did through graduate school.”

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Recommendation by Jenn Johnston, development manager

“As a teenager, I devoured books. I would read anything and everything. When I started Go Ask Alice, it was simply another book in a long list of those recommended by an English teacher. I didn’t think much of it. Within a few pages though, I was hooked; Go Ask Alice was eye opening in a way that not many books had been for me at that point.

Unlike most teen novels, there was no sugar-coating the life of the character. It was very real, and I appreciated it for that sense of ‘telling it like it is.’ It’s an unpretentious novel that doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is: a riveting story about a girl trying to find her place in this world and getting in over her head.”

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Recommendation by Denesha Peter, peer leader

“This book is perfect for teens who want a little of everything: a gripping love story, a little science fiction, and the charming charisma of the characters that will leave you in love with them by the end of the book.

I read this book only after watching the movie. I read tons of reviews that the movie just didn’t do the book justice and how much better the book was and indeed it is. I automatically fell in love with all the characters, including the minor ones.”

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Shiguro
Recommendation by Bria Gadsden, peer leader

“I enjoyed this book because even though it was creepy and the plot was enigmatic at first, it required me to take the time to actually think about what’s going on … Teens should read this book because they will laugh, and even feel a sense of love or sadness for a character. I believe that teens will definitely agree that this book is different from most common modern-day novels. Also, this book will broaden readers’ horizons and allow readers to explore other weird scientific theories, such as cloning.”

Okay For Now by Gary Schmidt
Recommendation by Lindsay McCormack, editorial assistant

“I can’t see a bird now without thinking about this book! … [Schmit’s] language is so simple and direct; the main character in the novel has one of the most powerful voices I’ve ever heard. This book will change the way [teens] think about art and the ‘difficult’ boys in their classrooms.”

Don’t be afraid to get creative. There’s more to reading than just  books and novels. Pick up a copy of Teen Ink, or leaf through peer-generated content on figment.com and teenvoices.com. Next week is about celebrating any and all reading. In fact, this year’s theme, Picture It @ your library®, encourages teens to read illustrated materials, such as graphic novels or other creative types of literature.

Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon
Recommendation by Sarah Binning, marketing and editorial coordinator

“When I was assigned to read this book for school, I remember rolling my eyes. I had (wrongfully) stereotyped graphic novels as comic books for teenage boys. But two pages into this novel, I was hooked. Inspired by true events, this heartbreaking book not only opened my eyes to the beauty and power of graphic novels, but also to what it’s like to live in a war zone. ”

 Be sure to visit our website next week, for a special Teen Reading Week with YALSA Top Ten nominee Cynthia Leitich Smith and other great book reviews.

NEDA

NEDA, or the National Eating Disorders Association, was born in 2001 when two of the biggest organizations dealing with eating disorders and providing support to victims, families, and friends of eating disorders (EDAP - Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention, and AABA – American Anorexia and Bulimia Association) merged and became one single organization.  NEDA’s mission statement is to:  “support individuals and families affected by eating disorders, and serve as a catalyst for prevention, cures, and access to quality care.” Recently, NEDA celebrated its 10^th anniversary with a benefit dinner to raise money for its various programs.

NEDA defines an eating disorder as “extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues.”  The three most commonly recognized eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder.  Anorexia Nervosa is typically characterized by “self-starvation and excessive weight loss.”  Bulimia Nervosa usually includes cycles of binging and then purging to eliminate the calories from the binge.   Binge Eating Disorder is similar to Bulimia Nervosa, but does not include the purging part of the cycle – it is episodic binge eating.  It is easy for people to feel locked into these destructive cycles, and that is what NEDA strives to stop.

Artwork by Gracie Gralike, 19 Missouri

 

NEDA wants Americans to know that eating disorders do not just affect women and girls−they affect everyone, from all walks of life−people of all colors, genders, and sexual orientations.  Statistics on NEDA’s website claim that “as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life-and-death battle with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia.  Millions more are struggling with binge eating disorder.”  These numbers are extremely high and NEDA is working proactively to reduce and, hopefully one day, eliminate these disorders.  NEDA provides many resources on its website to help people feel good about their bodies.  Check out their “Twenty Ways to Love Your Body” article here!

NEDAwareness Week is one of NEDA’s biggest events to raise awareness about the prevalence of eating disorders in the United States, and to combat them through education.  This year, NEDAwareness week was at the end of February.  It’s not too early to plan an Awareness week at your school and NEDA makes it super easy!  Check out their planning guide here.  You can also read a cool article about what one student at Hamilton College did to celebrate the week and make her friends more aware of the stigmas surrounding eating disorders and unrealistic expectations of ‘the perfect body’ at the Huffington Post.

There are tons of other ways to get involved with NEDA if you feel strongly that eating disorders should be eliminated from society.  You can apply to intern, participate in a NEDA Walk, or get involved with NEDA’s Junior Board!

What do you think about NEDA’s mission?  What can Teen Voices do to better send the message to all girls that they are perfect just the way they are?  Let us know in the comments section below!  To read more about what our teen editors have to say about the pressure to be perfect, check out this article on your website!

Celebrating Teen Voices’ Fall Session

By Sarah Binning

Another session has come and gone. Time flies when you’re writing articles and creating social change through media! After three months of hard work, our teen editors handed their completed articles to Jessica, our fantastic editor—a moment worthy of celebrating and special recognition. At last night’s awards ceremony, we celebrated the accomplishments of our Fall 2010 teen editors and mentors!

The teens wrote special tribute paragraphs to their mentors, expressing their thanks and reminiscing on memories made this session. Mentors also read paragraphs to their girls, reflecting on the accomplishments of their mentees.

“One thing that I learned from you is while you are doing an interview be friendly, calm, and professional,” Chelsey (right), reads her paragraph to mentor Julia (left) with group member Marshea.

Mentor Megan (right) reads to Cynthia (left): “I want you to remember that the world needs you, that thoughtful, caring, loving inner you. I am privileged to have gotten under your skin to know the real you, and I hope you share that privilege with more and more people who will be lucky to know you as I have been.”

Megan tells mentee De’Shannah (middle), “One day we were having one of our chats … and I’ll never forget what you said: “day by day.” It’s a thought that’s stuck with me since then, inspiring me to keep going.”

“You and Gilesa worked very hard and I loved seeing a friendship form between the two of you that may never happened if it hadn’t been for Teen Voices. I’ll miss our adventures together and finding out fun facts about the two of you while playing the fruit snack game,” mentor Kathleen reads to Lakhala (left) and Gilesa.

But that’s not all. Saun Green, program director, and our six wonderful peer leaders have been carefully observing the teens this session. They created superlatives for each participant that best expressed the girls’ personalities and contributions to Teen Voices. Above, Saun presents superlatives to the Dear D section.

We laughed. We cried. We left with warm hearts and a greater love for Teen Voices!

Thanks again to our wonderful mentors! Front row:  Michelle, Rachel, Karen, and Julia. Back row: Jessica (Editor), Ashley A., Kathleen, Megan, Ashley M., Mary and Lydia. Missing from photo: Katie (feel better, Katie!).