In the past, GirlGovers have:

  • Organized the successful, international-headline-grabbing “Girlcott” of sexist Abercrombie and Fitch T-shirts – and that was just in the first year!
  • Advocated for Sarah’s Bill (written by a GirlGov participant) to institute a Restraining Order law in PA – one of only 12 states that does not offer such protection.
  • Held bake sales to illustrate the wage gap on National Equal Pay Day; men were charged $1 per item while women were charged only 75¢
  • Organized Pittsburgh’s first International Day of the Girl Celebration in 2013
  • Attended an invitation-only mentoring luncheon at the White House
  • Advocated for reduced school bus emissions to school boards
  • Petitioned schools to include LGBTQ+ issues in teacher diversity training
  • Raised local awareness of the conflict in Syria
  • Petitioned the Pittsburgh City Council to approve the Paid Sick Day ordinance
  • Started a comprehensive sex education campaign in their school districts
  • Organized rallies and walkouts for the March for Our Lives in both DC and Pittsburgh
  • Spoken at a rally for police accountability on the steps of the Pennsylvania State Capitol

What are some more past GirlGov projects?

  • The LGBTQ+ committee created a website resource for queer teens in Western Pennsylvania. The website includes access to queer-friendly sex education, information on how to start a GSA, and a map of which schools in the region have a GSA. You can check out The Big Queer Database of Western PA here!Map courtesy of the Big Queer Database of Western PA
  • “The Black Maternal Health Crisis” was a documentary created by the “Racial Justice League” committee. These students noticed a glaring issue with how medical racism was impacting Black mothers in Pittsburgh and created this documentary to highlight those issues.
  • The Environmental Justice cohort applied for grant funding to supply sustainable and clean menstrual products in Pittsburgh Public Schools.
  • The Mental Health Committee created mental health care packages to distribute to schools across Allegheny County after focusing on the correlation between poor mental health in victims of gun violence.
  • The Intimate Partner Violence committee learned about HB1441, which, if signed, would help those in domestic violence situations break their lease without legal or financial penalty. After speaking with legislators in Harrisburg and learning that the bill was not a top priority, members of this committee organized a letter-writing campaign to remind legislators of the importance of HB1441.
  • The Gun Safety & Tackling Misinformation committee focused on providing accurate and nonpartisan information about gun violence prevention, gun laws, and gun violence-related news in the United States. After noticing how hard it was to find unbiased and reliable information around incidents of gun violence, they created an Instagram page with the idea of reaching out to teens with more accurate information backed by trusted sources. Goodbye to Gun Violence
  • Girl Gov Against Gun Violence Event: All three committees collaborated to organize and run the “GirlGov Against Gun Violence” event. The purpose of the event was to provide information about the role we can all play in gun violence prevention in our communities. An informational panel featuring community violence prevention experts was held, along with interactive tables from each committee related to their advocacy campaign projects.

Using their GirlGov training and combining it with their passions and values for social justice, our teens work to make the world a better place – and more often than not, win. We couldn’t be prouder of all that they have accomplished!

In the words of GirlGovers: 

“Last year’s GirlGov experience was unique, amazing, and a complete eye-opener. I really enjoyed working on a campaign that was close to my heart, as well as being around motivated thinkers from across Pennsylvania to unite and collaborate on this campaign. I was in the Freedom from Violence group, where we aimed to change the current hate crime laws in Pennsylvania to help support and protect the LGBTQ+ community.”

“In addition, I also loved the group discussions which opened up new ideas on different political wavelengths, whether we were debating current candidates, cultural norms, or even Beyonce’s music. My favorite part of my GirlGov experience was being able to shadow Representative Chris Rabb on our retreat to Harrisburg. To physically see the action and work behind different legislators, made the experience all the more personable and eye-opening (definitely worth making up the calculus homework later)! Overall, I loved my GirlGov experience – and I love the person it’s helped me become.”

–Antara, Upper St. Clair High School

“One of the most valuable parts of my experience was working with and learning from the other girls. Through group discussions and committee meetings, I have been exposed to new perspectives and ways of thinking that have shaped my own values and opinions. I have participated in marches from a young age, but GirlGov has taught me to fuel this passion into creating real legislative change. I’ve learned how difficult it is to change policy, but that is nevertheless important to engage in efforts to try. I’ve learned a great deal about state government and how it operates. I’ve learned that policy makers are people and that connecting with them is an important part of helping them do their jobs, which is serving the public’s best interest.”

–Maya, Taylor Allderdice High School

“GirlGov makes me want to shout Xena warrior cries off of buildings and read Bell Hooks to all my male friends!”

–India, Indiana Senior High School