Mission Statement
We are the Change Agents of Compton Early College High School. We are a student organization aimed at inspiring girls to develop into change agents who help others, get involved in community activities, and build the skills necessary for effective leadership. Our focus is collaboration, communication, and community building.
The Change Agents are focused on addressing the needs of Health and Wellness in our school community. By promoting a healthy lifestyle, we hope to empower our peers and eventually inspire the city of Compton. Our vision is to transform Compton Early College High School into a Wellness Center aimed at providing emotional support, stress relief, and an overall safe space for our school community. Furthermore, we hope to spread the message of wellness throughout the city.
The Change Agents are focused on addressing the needs of Health and Wellness in our school community. By promoting a healthy lifestyle, we hope to empower our peers and eventually inspire the city of Compton. Our vision is to transform Compton Early College High School into a Wellness Center aimed at providing emotional support, stress relief, and an overall safe space for our school community. Furthermore, we hope to spread the message of wellness throughout the city.
Project Need
Compton Early College High School is a rigorous and challenging high school located in the city of Compton , California. CECHS is currently home to 179 freshpeople and sophomores. An early college's purpose is to provide students with dual enrollment, in order to earn both their high school diploma and Associate's Degree. To that end, attending CECHS can be extremely stressful!
With that in mind and our determination to make a change in the communities of Compton, we were inspired by our peers and the Healthy Compton Initiative (a 90- day fitness challenge designed by the city's mayor, Aja Brown) and, therefore, decided to focus on the impact area of Health and Wellness. According to the LA County Department of Public Health in 2010 over half of the students attending the eight middle schools and three high schools in the Compton Unified School District were not in the Healthy Fitness Zone in both Aerobic Capacity and Body Composition; in addition, there was a 27.7% prevalence of child obesity. We realized in order to bring about a positive change in the health of the residents of Compton, our mission had to begin with educating our peers, for only the youth can transform an entire city.
In order to determine the specific needs of our school community, we developed a Health Survey and posted it on the Google Classroom sites of our Social Studies department. We received 118 responses and after evaluating each, the Healthy Compton project was born. As seen below, it was evident our peers are in a constant state of stress and in need of a healthful living education.
Throughout the school year we focused on the social and emotional wellness of our peers through the Finals Week Positive Affirmation Messages (every day during Finals Week we posted positive messages on the desks of every student before their first final), the Valentine's Day Love Notes(every student received a post-it with a sweet message) Yoga in the Park (which was a community event), and Mother/Guardian-Yoga Evening (taught by one of our English teachers!) We focused on the physical wellness of our peers through both Yoga events, the Dominguez Gap Wetlands School Hike (which 45 students were able to attend), the Healthy Snack Lunch (students were able to receive a healthy snack if they could share one health fact they had learned throughout the year), the Did You Know Campaign (we posted various health facts and statistics throughout campus based on the Health Survey results), and our Second Annual Girls Health Fair (a community event).
The GBLA Change Agents used a community-based comprehensive approach to educating, empowering, and equipping our peers with the tools necessary to lead healthier lives.
With that in mind and our determination to make a change in the communities of Compton, we were inspired by our peers and the Healthy Compton Initiative (a 90- day fitness challenge designed by the city's mayor, Aja Brown) and, therefore, decided to focus on the impact area of Health and Wellness. According to the LA County Department of Public Health in 2010 over half of the students attending the eight middle schools and three high schools in the Compton Unified School District were not in the Healthy Fitness Zone in both Aerobic Capacity and Body Composition; in addition, there was a 27.7% prevalence of child obesity. We realized in order to bring about a positive change in the health of the residents of Compton, our mission had to begin with educating our peers, for only the youth can transform an entire city.
In order to determine the specific needs of our school community, we developed a Health Survey and posted it on the Google Classroom sites of our Social Studies department. We received 118 responses and after evaluating each, the Healthy Compton project was born. As seen below, it was evident our peers are in a constant state of stress and in need of a healthful living education.
Throughout the school year we focused on the social and emotional wellness of our peers through the Finals Week Positive Affirmation Messages (every day during Finals Week we posted positive messages on the desks of every student before their first final), the Valentine's Day Love Notes(every student received a post-it with a sweet message) Yoga in the Park (which was a community event), and Mother/Guardian-Yoga Evening (taught by one of our English teachers!) We focused on the physical wellness of our peers through both Yoga events, the Dominguez Gap Wetlands School Hike (which 45 students were able to attend), the Healthy Snack Lunch (students were able to receive a healthy snack if they could share one health fact they had learned throughout the year), the Did You Know Campaign (we posted various health facts and statistics throughout campus based on the Health Survey results), and our Second Annual Girls Health Fair (a community event).
The GBLA Change Agents used a community-based comprehensive approach to educating, empowering, and equipping our peers with the tools necessary to lead healthier lives.
Process
The 25 member GBLA Change Agents met every Friday after school in order to share a healthy meal, collaborate, plan, and ensure success of every event. The 10 representatives met every Tuesday during lunch, as well, in order to share ideas and organize the Friday meetings. Every team member checked the GBLA Change Agents Google Classroom site in order to find updates, recruitment and/or donation scripts, as well as, healthful resources. *Please refer to the Healthy Compton section for more information.
The Change Agents' Projects Included:
Event:Finals Week Positive Affirmation Messages
Date: December 19-21, 2016
Location: Compton Early College High School (every classroom)
Event: Middle School Wellness Session
Date: February 8, 2017
Location: Enterprise Middle School
Event: Valentine's Day Messages of Love
Date: February 14, 2017
Location: Compton Early College High School
Event: Did You Know? Campaign
Date: March-Present 2017
Location: Compton Early College High School
Event: Yoga in the Park
Date: March 11, 2017
Location: Greenleaf Parkway
Event: Mother/Guardian-Daughter Yoga Evening
Date: March 15, 2017
Location: Compton Early College High School
Event: Dominguez Gap Wetlands School Hike
Date: March 31, 2017
Location: Dominguez Gap Wetlands
Event: Second Annual Girls Health Fair
Date: April 8, 2017
Location: Compton Early College High School
Event: Healthy Snack Lunch
Date: April 19, 2017
Location: Compton Early College High School
*Please refer to the Healthy Compton section for more information.
The Change Agents' Projects Included:
Event:Finals Week Positive Affirmation Messages
Date: December 19-21, 2016
Location: Compton Early College High School (every classroom)
Event: Middle School Wellness Session
Date: February 8, 2017
Location: Enterprise Middle School
Event: Valentine's Day Messages of Love
Date: February 14, 2017
Location: Compton Early College High School
Event: Did You Know? Campaign
Date: March-Present 2017
Location: Compton Early College High School
Event: Yoga in the Park
Date: March 11, 2017
Location: Greenleaf Parkway
Event: Mother/Guardian-Daughter Yoga Evening
Date: March 15, 2017
Location: Compton Early College High School
Event: Dominguez Gap Wetlands School Hike
Date: March 31, 2017
Location: Dominguez Gap Wetlands
Event: Second Annual Girls Health Fair
Date: April 8, 2017
Location: Compton Early College High School
Event: Healthy Snack Lunch
Date: April 19, 2017
Location: Compton Early College High School
*Please refer to the Healthy Compton section for more information.
Outcome
Our goal was to educate our peers in hopes of effecting life long health changes that will benefit our city. This year, we took the first step toward healthful living, and that, was our top achievement. We exposed our peers to new practices, such as yoga, and new means of managing their stress, such as local hikes. We engaged our entire school community through various activities and generated awareness throughout our community by hosting two community events.
Short Term Outcome:
Each GBLA event was a success in terms of educating our peers. Everyone in attendance, whether it was Yoga in the Park or the School Hike, walked away from our event with the knowledge necessary to lead a healthy life and feeling refreshed and energized to continue along the healthful course. Though we did not receive the numbers we had initially hoped for, each event generated a buzz. In fact, we have received several request to host another Yoga in the Park community event and another School Hike, and we intend to!
Long Term Outcome:
One long-term goal was the fact that we began the dialogue about healthy life decisions, emotional health, and mental health amongst the youth in Compton. This will prove to have a lasting effect on the decisions on our peers make in the future. In addition, by organizing and hosting various events, we forged meaningful relationships with significant members and organizations within our community that will continue to grow. One such relationship, with Dr. Cynthia Davis, of Charles Drew University and AIDS Healthcare Foundation, led to us being awarded an additional $2,000 community service grant from AHF for hosting our Second Annual Health Fair. These relationships and networks will continue grow and we will continue on our mission of spreading the positive message of Health and Wellness in our school community and our city.
*Please refer to the Healthy Compton section for more information.
Short Term Outcome:
Each GBLA event was a success in terms of educating our peers. Everyone in attendance, whether it was Yoga in the Park or the School Hike, walked away from our event with the knowledge necessary to lead a healthy life and feeling refreshed and energized to continue along the healthful course. Though we did not receive the numbers we had initially hoped for, each event generated a buzz. In fact, we have received several request to host another Yoga in the Park community event and another School Hike, and we intend to!
Long Term Outcome:
One long-term goal was the fact that we began the dialogue about healthy life decisions, emotional health, and mental health amongst the youth in Compton. This will prove to have a lasting effect on the decisions on our peers make in the future. In addition, by organizing and hosting various events, we forged meaningful relationships with significant members and organizations within our community that will continue to grow. One such relationship, with Dr. Cynthia Davis, of Charles Drew University and AIDS Healthcare Foundation, led to us being awarded an additional $2,000 community service grant from AHF for hosting our Second Annual Health Fair. These relationships and networks will continue grow and we will continue on our mission of spreading the positive message of Health and Wellness in our school community and our city.
*Please refer to the Healthy Compton section for more information.
Evidence
Following the conclusion of our last GBLA event, Healthy Snack Lunch, we conducted a formal school evaluation. We received 61 responses which showed overwhelming support and gratitude for the Change Agents, but more importantly, the success of the Healthy Compton project amongst our peers. You may find a few of the responses below.
*Please refer to the Healthy Compton section for more information.
*Please refer to the Healthy Compton section for more information.
Reflection
When we reflect on the Healthy Compton project, two words come to mind- Progress and Success.
Over the course of the 2016-2017 Girls Build LA project, we, the Change Agents, embarked on a mission to enlighten and empower our peers. We wanted to educate our peers, the city's future, on how to lead healthy lives. Our concern was the constant state of stress the students of Compton Early College High School find themselves. Therefore, we developed a series of events that would educate our peers and introduce them to new and meaningful ways of managing it and ensuring their wellness. However, we neglected to factor in their comfort levels with the introduction of something new-yoga. Had we shared with our peers the freeing nature of yoga, and the fact that our aim was to provide a safe place for them to practice it, we would have received a better turnout. Despite unexpected participation numbers, our determination never wavered and we continued on our mission. We continued to share information with our peers through the Did You Know? Campaign in which their participation came through reading the health facts, which just about every student did. Furthermore, though our events experience low turnouts, a buzz was generated. Progress was made.
The Change Agents have had an impact throughout the school community either through directly engaging our peers to participate in our events, the promotion of healthy decisions, or via simple recognition. The students of CECHS constantly express disappointment in not having participated in a GBLA sponsored activity, therefore, we are committed to continuing our mission. In fact, with our additional grant, we intend to host one more Yoga in the Park event and/or one more School Hike before the end of the school year. Again, progress was made.
Every event we hosted was a success in it's own unique way. The Finals Week Positive Messages gave students hope, leading to an academic success.The Valentine's Day Message of Love demonstrated to every student that he/she is valued on campus, thus an emotional success. The DIY stress balls created during the Middle School Wellness Session was a mental success. Yoga in the Park demonstrated that stress relief and exercise is not confined to performing vigorous exercise, a wellness success. Our Mother and Daughter Yoga, allowed mothers/guardians and their daughters to spend meaningful quality time together, an emotional success. The Dominguez Gap Wetlands School Hike, essentially allowed everyone to take the opportunity to disconnect, constituting a mental, emotional, and physical success. The Did You Know? Campaign, allowed students to receive valuable and pertinent information that focused on their health concerns and needs, ultimately a Health and Wellness success. And finally, though we experienced a low community participation rate at our Second Annual Health Fair, the Change Agents learned how to plan, organize, recruit, promote, and ultimately, host a community event, which can be viewed as a leadership success.
Progress and Success, those two words summarize our year best.
We are the Change Agents of Compton Early College High School and our GBLA project taught us that adversity will not stop us and while our goal is to empower girls, our peers, and our city, we were empowered this year to believe that we will BE the change in Compton.
Over the course of the 2016-2017 Girls Build LA project, we, the Change Agents, embarked on a mission to enlighten and empower our peers. We wanted to educate our peers, the city's future, on how to lead healthy lives. Our concern was the constant state of stress the students of Compton Early College High School find themselves. Therefore, we developed a series of events that would educate our peers and introduce them to new and meaningful ways of managing it and ensuring their wellness. However, we neglected to factor in their comfort levels with the introduction of something new-yoga. Had we shared with our peers the freeing nature of yoga, and the fact that our aim was to provide a safe place for them to practice it, we would have received a better turnout. Despite unexpected participation numbers, our determination never wavered and we continued on our mission. We continued to share information with our peers through the Did You Know? Campaign in which their participation came through reading the health facts, which just about every student did. Furthermore, though our events experience low turnouts, a buzz was generated. Progress was made.
The Change Agents have had an impact throughout the school community either through directly engaging our peers to participate in our events, the promotion of healthy decisions, or via simple recognition. The students of CECHS constantly express disappointment in not having participated in a GBLA sponsored activity, therefore, we are committed to continuing our mission. In fact, with our additional grant, we intend to host one more Yoga in the Park event and/or one more School Hike before the end of the school year. Again, progress was made.
Every event we hosted was a success in it's own unique way. The Finals Week Positive Messages gave students hope, leading to an academic success.The Valentine's Day Message of Love demonstrated to every student that he/she is valued on campus, thus an emotional success. The DIY stress balls created during the Middle School Wellness Session was a mental success. Yoga in the Park demonstrated that stress relief and exercise is not confined to performing vigorous exercise, a wellness success. Our Mother and Daughter Yoga, allowed mothers/guardians and their daughters to spend meaningful quality time together, an emotional success. The Dominguez Gap Wetlands School Hike, essentially allowed everyone to take the opportunity to disconnect, constituting a mental, emotional, and physical success. The Did You Know? Campaign, allowed students to receive valuable and pertinent information that focused on their health concerns and needs, ultimately a Health and Wellness success. And finally, though we experienced a low community participation rate at our Second Annual Health Fair, the Change Agents learned how to plan, organize, recruit, promote, and ultimately, host a community event, which can be viewed as a leadership success.
Progress and Success, those two words summarize our year best.
We are the Change Agents of Compton Early College High School and our GBLA project taught us that adversity will not stop us and while our goal is to empower girls, our peers, and our city, we were empowered this year to believe that we will BE the change in Compton.