"Talk" Event on Council in Brief

Check out this week's Council in Brief for a great story on the February 22 Talk With a Teen Girl panel put on by Crittenton Services. In the video, young county women talk about the challenges they face and how they are learning to become their own advocates. Note that this story starts at about 2:25 in the video.

My Talk with Teen Girls

It is a good time to be a teen girl in Montgomery County. Nearly 91 percent of girls finish high school and about 989 of every 1,000 girls avoid pregnancy. That doesn’t mean girls don’t face real challenges though. Thanks to the Talk With a Teen Girl Today forum put on by Crittenton Services this week, we now have clearer insight into the real lives of girls who live in our community. I was proud to serve on the discussion panel with Crittenton participants and board members.

Right here in Montgomery County, 39 percent of girls (ages 2 to 18) were overweight or obese in 2011. Given that, it does not come as a surprise that a peer survey conducted by Crittenton participants identified eating healthy at school as their top concern. According to the teen panelists, schools do serve fresh fruits and vegetables, but there is competition to get them. They reported reaching the front of the lunch line only to find all of the healthy foods already had been taken. Incidentally, the girls insisted on serving only healthy snacks at the evening’s event.

The panel also identified fights among young people as an important issue. I was shocked to learn that juvenile arrests for girls (ages 11 to 19) in Montgomery County tripled from 2008 to 2011. Dating violence and sexual stereotyping also made the list of concerns. Nationally, almost 1 in 10 adolescents report verbal, physical, emotional or sexual abuse from a dating partner each year.

While the vast majority of teen girls do not get pregnant before finishing high school, teen pregnancy remains a top issue among them. The statistics are not the same for all County girls, though. In fact, the birth rate for girls (ages 15-17) was 40 per 1,000 for Latinas; 15 per 1,000 for African-American girls; and 11 per 1,000 for white girls from 2007 to 1010.

Congratulations to panelists Dajane Barrett, Jennifer Blanco, Yuvi Hurtado, Eboni Johnson, and Edinam Kumazah as well as the other Crittenton participants who created the peer survey, analyzed the results and shared their insights with us. Representatives from several Montgomery County departments and agencies, Montgomery County Public Schools, non-profit organizations and the media all showed up to listen. I thank the girls for giving us a meaningful look into their lives.

And their biggest request of us? Talk with a teen girl today. To find out what you can do, visit Crittenton Services.

Survey Results at Talk With a Teen Girl Today

Did you know that from 2008 to 2011 (just 3 years!), juvenile arrests for girls in Montgomery County tripled? That statistic came as a shock to me. But you will see evidence of it in the peer survey girls from Crittenton Services conducted.

You will also learn about girls’ thoughts on other important issues like the obesity epidemic and the fact that more people are now living in poverty. The results of the survey, combined with a panel discussion, will give us meaningful insight into the real lives of Montgomery County girls.

Please join me on February 22 for “Talk With a Teen Girl Today.” The forum will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Building.

Talk With a Teen Girl This Wednesday

I was speechless when girls from Crittenton programs shared the unique obstacles they face in the County today. The good news is that all of us, whether we have daughters of our own or not, can do something to help. That’s why I hope you will join me on February 22 for “Talk With a Teen Girl Today.” The forum, to be held from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Building, will include release and discussion of a survey that will provide insight into the real world of some teenage girls in Montgomery County.

The evening’s panel discussion will include Pamela Johnson, former national program officer of the Children’s Bureau and board chair of Crittenton Services; Antonio Tijerino, president of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation; Pamela Jones, president and CEO of Crittenton; and Nicki Sanders, director of programs for Crittenton. NBC4 news anchor Pat Lawson Muse will moderate the panel, which also will include three teen girls from Montgomery County high schools.

The panel discussion will focus on the results of the survey developed by the girls on the panel. The survey questions looked at how adolescence is a challenging stage of life for many teen girls in Montgomery County. Crittenton experts specializing in positive youth development for teen girls will report additional key findings and trends in Montgomery County.

My hat is off to Crittendon for organizing this event. Since 1983, Crittenton has served more than 10,000 young women living in the Greater Washington area. Its voluntary, school-based programs nurture the strengths and build the assets of girls growing up in high-risk environments that frequently lead to serious problems. Through weekly meetings during the school day and a range of out-of-school activities, Crittenton’s youth development specialists deliver a structured curriculum, become trusted advisors for the girls and promote bonding between the girls and their families.

In the 2011-12 school year, Crittenton is working with girls in Montgomery County who attend Argyle, E. Brook Lee and Kelly Miller middle schools and Blair, Gaithersburg and Kennedy high schools. The organization also is working with girls at Ward 7 and Ward 8 D.C. public high schools.

For more information about the forum, visit the event’s web site or call 301-565-9333.

Talk With a Teen Girl Today

Adolescence is challenging, and teens today often feel invisible and unheard. That is why I’m partnering with Crittenton Services of Greater Washington to give you an opportunity to "Talk with a Teen Girl Today.”

Please join me on Wednesday, February 22 from 5:30 pm to 7:00 p.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza to listen to a panel of teen girls from Crittenton programs in Montgomery County speak out on the issues they face in their schools, homes, and lives. We will also share results from a survey that teen girls developed on the issues affecting their peers and additional facts and figures on the lives of girls in Montgomery County.

I was speechless when girls from Crittenton programs shared the unique obstacles they face in the County today. The good news is that all of us, whether we have daughters of our own or not, can do something to help. Crittenton Services has effectively promoted the healthy development of Montgomery County’s girls for nearly thirty years, and I’m grateful for their leadership on this important project.

Please join me not only in listening to these amazing teen girls, but also in learning the simple things that you can do to make a difference in their lives. I look forward to seeing you there.