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		Year of the New Mexico Girl

   Believe in Me:

This conference inspires and celebrates girls!

Call 1-800-432-9168 for more information.

By Kathi Brown, Public Relations Specialist

Round the Roundhouse - November Edition

NM Commission on the Status of Women

COMMISSION EMBARKS ON EXTRAORDINARY
NM GIRLS DOCUMENTARY PROJECT

Teen pregnancy, substance abuse, depression, dating violence, careers for the 21st century, and body image are the topics that will be covered in the Christopher Productions documentary film about girls in New Mexico.

Following-up to the Year of the NM Girl, the Commission joined efforts with Christopher Productions to create a multi-media project that provided a platform for New Mexico's young women to speak out on issues which affect them every day.  The issues selected were based on a statewide survey in which over 1200 girls, ages 13-18, participated in during 2004.

The documentary will be unique from other documentaries as the project will be created about teenage girls by teenage girls.  It will answer the questions, "What is it like to be a teenage girl in New Mexico today?"  and, "What issues have these young women identified as important?"  This project will explore all these issues to improve understanding, empowerment and self-esteem among girls.

The campaign will:

.   inform the public on the issues facing teenage girls and empower young girls in New Mexico through a broadcast documentary and a series of news stories created by girls across New Mexico,

.   create more informed young women through teen peer interaction and an educational video just for them, and

.   help political leaders understand girl's issues through a special premiere showing and a specialized DVD.

Five New Mexico high schools will be involved in the project - Espanola, Farmington, Carlsbad, New Futures High School/West Mesa High School and Onate High School in Las Cruces.

Each school group of girl producers are mentored by broadcast television professionals as the girls research and totally produce a video story about a particular aspect of BEING a GIRL in their community.  Each school is creating one minute and thirty second videos that will include interview with community leaders, education officials, and students in their particular topic.

These five projects will be linked KOAT Channel 7 in Albuquerque and used as a series that will tie to the stations own news broadcast overseen and coordinated by Christopher Productions.  These segments will also be used on the Commission's dedicated website for girls -www.yearofthegirl.com

In addition, the students will continue to work and research on issues facing girls with the students still taking the lead.  They will then develop a three-to-five minute video project that will look at solutions to girl-issues in their particular community.  These projects will be used in a one hour interactive television special "Year of the Girl: Believe in Me"

Christopher Productions will work closely with KOAT Channel 7 as well as all three PBS stations (Albuquerque, Portales, Las Cruces) and will include students, state officials, and education experts.  The broadcast, scheduled for the Spring of 2006, will be geared to educate the general public about improving girl-issues, and changes we can all make to empower girls.  

During the broadcast, the students of all five project schools will coordinate a town hall in their community to discuss the issues in depth with local officials and potential partners. 

Partners on this extraordinary project include:

NM Department of Health

NM Public Education Department

NM Children, Youth and Family

For more information on Emmy-award winning Christopher Productions, please visit their website at www.christopherproductions.org

Sponsored by the NM Commission on the Status of Women

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