This year the Change Agents decided to focus on building a greener community while still spreading the importance of Mental Health.
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 and making our campus more sustainable. 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 and sustainability throughout the city.
Project Need
Inspired by the work we began last year, specifically our Wellness Series, the Change Agents felt compelled to provide their peers with the strategies and guidance for a healthy outlet. Mental and emotional health are still stigmatized in Black and Brown communities, however, as a whole, teenagers have suffered greatly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The need stemmed from personal struggles with mental health, growth from our project last year, and the voice of our peers. The uncertainty and strain of the past two years coupled with attending a highly competitive high school and enrolling in college courses has been difficult for everyone to navigate. Our hope was to simply provide a warm smile, a socially distanced embrace, healthy coping mechanisms, and more importantly an effort to destigmatize mental health.
Process
The 20-member GBLA Change Agents met every Tuesday during lunch, monthly on an Early Release Friday after school. Every meeting consisted of a brief check-in with all the committees, collaboration, and planning.
The most effective use of our time and size was to delegate tasks and responsibilities, therefore three main committees were formed: Wellness Month Committee, STEM Month Committee, and the Civic Engagement Committee.
While committee members were responsible for plan development and execution, every Change Agent assisted with promotion via Advisory announcements and personal social media reposts.
Civic Engagement Committee (CEC) consisted of 4-6 members who took the power to keep students informed about important local and global issues. Within this committee, we promoted and recruited students for the Los Angeles Registrar’s Student Election Worker program, and held a Pre-registration/registration Fair to vote.
Wellness Month Committee (WMC) consisted of 14 members who focused on helping CEC students achieve a peaceful body and mindset. The team split it up into four subcommittees: Painting Party, Just Dance Party, Cook With Us, and Yoga in the Quad. The goal of this was to help students find ways to release stress and anxiety, especially with the overwhelming upcoming testing schedule that included CAASP, CAST, and AP exams. On average, every Compton Early College High School student takes at least one AP exam, with some taking up to 5 per year. Wellness Month events consisted of: Just Dance Party, Painting Party, Cook With Us, and Yoga in the Quad.
STEM Month Committee (STEMMC) consisted of 6-8 members who focused on raising awareness towards environmental issues while also highlighting women in STEM. We then encouraged students to embrace subjects offered at school such as physics, biology, chemistry, and psychology by hosting a science fair with activities.
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 and making our campus more sustainable. 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 and sustainability throughout the city.
Project Need
Inspired by the work we began last year, specifically our Wellness Series, the Change Agents felt compelled to provide their peers with the strategies and guidance for a healthy outlet. Mental and emotional health are still stigmatized in Black and Brown communities, however, as a whole, teenagers have suffered greatly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The need stemmed from personal struggles with mental health, growth from our project last year, and the voice of our peers. The uncertainty and strain of the past two years coupled with attending a highly competitive high school and enrolling in college courses has been difficult for everyone to navigate. Our hope was to simply provide a warm smile, a socially distanced embrace, healthy coping mechanisms, and more importantly an effort to destigmatize mental health.
Process
The 20-member GBLA Change Agents met every Tuesday during lunch, monthly on an Early Release Friday after school. Every meeting consisted of a brief check-in with all the committees, collaboration, and planning.
The most effective use of our time and size was to delegate tasks and responsibilities, therefore three main committees were formed: Wellness Month Committee, STEM Month Committee, and the Civic Engagement Committee.
While committee members were responsible for plan development and execution, every Change Agent assisted with promotion via Advisory announcements and personal social media reposts.
Civic Engagement Committee (CEC) consisted of 4-6 members who took the power to keep students informed about important local and global issues. Within this committee, we promoted and recruited students for the Los Angeles Registrar’s Student Election Worker program, and held a Pre-registration/registration Fair to vote.
Wellness Month Committee (WMC) consisted of 14 members who focused on helping CEC students achieve a peaceful body and mindset. The team split it up into four subcommittees: Painting Party, Just Dance Party, Cook With Us, and Yoga in the Quad. The goal of this was to help students find ways to release stress and anxiety, especially with the overwhelming upcoming testing schedule that included CAASP, CAST, and AP exams. On average, every Compton Early College High School student takes at least one AP exam, with some taking up to 5 per year. Wellness Month events consisted of: Just Dance Party, Painting Party, Cook With Us, and Yoga in the Quad.
STEM Month Committee (STEMMC) consisted of 6-8 members who focused on raising awareness towards environmental issues while also highlighting women in STEM. We then encouraged students to embrace subjects offered at school such as physics, biology, chemistry, and psychology by hosting a science fair with activities.