Girls Rock Santa Barbara, 12/17/20, Vol. 35

THE MISSION

To empower girls, women, and gender-expansive youth through music education, the creative arts, community, and positive mentorship THE Vision

To provide a safe, diverse, and inclusive space to youth. We envision an equitable world that celebrates creativity, embraces authenticity, and values all voices 2021 marks our 10th BIRTHD AY! Help us celebr ate with a bang by gettin g involv ed today

HOW WE SPENT

OUR SUMMER When COVID-19 hit and it became clear we couldn’t safely host our flagship summer camp programs, we had two choices. We could hold our breath until the viral storm passed, or we could make a hard pivot and reimagine our programming, allowing us to keep inspiring and connecting our community from afar. Now more than ever, the world can’t afford to stop encouraging girls and gender-expansive youth to trust their authentic voices and become brave leaders. We chose to pivot, creating our first-ever PAID remote internship for 42 talented, passionate high schoolers.

Studied music production and recording, journalism, photography, and more alongside the experts who’ve been there…Elle King, Shirley Manson, Zella Day, Divinity Roxx, Lauren Mayberry, Patty Schemel, Nik West, Malynda Hale, Emily Haines, Jenna Andrews, Yumi Sakugawa, Ella Richie DeMaria, and dozens more Created a totally youth-run record label, Syryn Records (syrynrecords.com), that launched the music careers of seven teen recording artists Churned out a massive collection of original youth-created work, including...seven debut singles on platforms like Spotify (plus accompanying music videos, cover art, and press releases!); 1,000+ photos and photo essays; seven podcast episodes; 10+ celebrity interviews in publications like Audiofemme; near-daily performances and workshops via Instagram Live; and measured social media marketing to promote it all Paid all 42 interns $500 each for their hard work throughout the seven-week summer internship

ACKS R T L A ION S ES OF R P , SIX CREATIVE ✭ in g Ar ti st ✭ Ph ot og ra ph y Re co rd Re co rd La be l M an ag em en t Jo ur na li sm ✭ Po dc as ti ng

✭

So ci al M ed ia

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le ab rt fo m co ke li el fe ly al re ns io ss se Our Zoom

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ion,

ss re xp -e lf se d an n, io at ir sp in y, it un mm co of spaces

s m a gr o pr ck o R ls r Gi n so er -p just like in

“Amazing, showstopping, astounding.

did all of this in seven freaking weeks!

All of us work together so well, and I love

“

I just can’t believe my fellow interns and I

everyone

How thIS suMMER cHAngED us This brand-new internship was so life-changing—for both staff and participants—that we’re expanding it into a permanent, year-round GRSB program: the Syryn Records internship, where female-identifying and gender-expansive teens receive professional experience and uplifting mentorship while running their very own record label. We plan to serve even

more interns in our next cohort during 2021. None of us are happy that we couldn’t hug and high-five each other at camp this year, but we’ve stumbled on an amazing way to engage our older, more advanced youth artists through this remote internship—even those from the farthest reaches of our resilient community.

SURVEY SAYS:

97% of our interns already felt like they belonged within days of the remote internship’s launch

100% of our interns came out of this program feeling like they could better appreciate opinions that were 100% of our interns felt like different from their own

their choices made a difference

100% of our interns FElt Safe to authentically express themselves while still supporting each other

92% of our interns are leaving this program with more pride in both their race and their gender

JOIN OUR FIGHT TO MAKE SURE ALL

GIRLS & GENDER-EXPANSIVE

YOUTH KNOW THEY’RE ENOUGH

2020 was kind to no one, including GRSB. Because of COVID-19, we had to cancel our summer camp programs—like award-winning Amplify Sleep Away Camp—whose registration fees typically cover one-third of our entire annual budget. Now, on the cusp of 2021, we’re facing the very real possibility that this pandemic will force us to postpone our in-person summer camp programs for a second year in a row, which means two years of going without this crucial primary source of our earned income.

Yet, now more than ever, we know that girls and genderexpansive youth need organizations like GRSB to encourage them to create, lead, and communicate as their most authentic selves. We need to keep banding together and lifting each other up in order to create an equitable world that values all voices, even when we’re down, even when we’re scared. If you agree, there’s many ways for you to get involved with GRSB in big ways and small. Together we can continue providing virtual programs throughout the year that empower our community’s youth, then resume in-person programs as soon as it’s safe to do so.

DONATE. This has been the hardest year for us financially, by far, but we dug deep and pivoted our whole program model this summer to keep engaging our youth in innovative ways from home — and at no cost to our participants and their families, many of whom are also struggling financially. Help us celebrate our 10th year serving this vibrant community by giving to GRSB at girlsrocksb.org/donate, or by sending a check to our address below. Only you — our fans, our neighbors, our modern-day heroes — can make sure we have the support to weather this storm going into next year.

“

I wish the impact of my own work as a school psychologist was as positive as the impact of GRSB’s programs in the lives of young people. It is a powerful and important program that impacts the development of a child across creative, social, and emotional domains. My daughters are all stronger, more compassionate, more aware, and more intelligent humans as a result of the time they’ve spent in GRSB. Of course, they are better musicians as well, but the impact of GRSB goes far beyond music.

Parent

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— Kellie, GRSB

VOLUNTEER. We’re always happy to welcome new, talented team members from all backgrounds, whether you’re an outspoken freshman eager to join our Teen Council or a seasoned local musician interested in being a Band Coach next summer. Bonus points if you’re bringing some relevant experience with you (e.g., in music, the arts, education, even technology), but there’s a place for everyone at GRSB. A passion for empowering and encouraging our limitless girls and genderexpansive youth is the only hard requirement.

JOIN OUR COMMITTEES. If you’re ready to put that powerful brain and invaluable professional experience to good use, consider joining one (or all!) of our committees. We’re actively looking to fill roles in our Development, Event, Marketing, Finance, and Governance Committees, and we look great on resumes.

SHARE & CONNECT. For nearly 10 years, we’ve been blowing up your social media feeds because we want the world to see what’s possible when we lift each other up and focus on being brave, not perfect. The lifelong relationships, the honest artwork, the fearless performances.

If you believe in the work we’re doing, the work that’s allowed us to serve over 8,000 youth and counting, follow us on Facebook (@girlsrocksb) and Instagram (@girlsrocksantabarbara). Bring your friends.

YOUR INVESTMENT IN A SNAPSHOT:

*Additional funds received in 2018 were designated to cover certain 2019 expenses, e.g., program scholarships

g irl s roc ks b. org 1 North Calle Cesar Chavez, Suite 102, Santa Barbara, CA 93103 ✭ 805-699-5247 ✭ girlsrocksb@gmail.com GRSB is a registered non-profit organization • Tax ID: 46-0687975 • All donations are tax deductible