Project Summary

10 local high school reps will be chosen to open a dialogue with community residents that leads to multiple levels of action-action that overcomes age, racial and class barriers: community forums, block activities, blogs and calendars.

About me

My name is Rene Laster. I'm 22, African American and was raised by a single mom who moved to New York from the South. She pastors a small church in the Bronx. I am currently studying filmmaking at NYU. In the summers I work at a church camp in the Adirondack Mountains that focuses on social justice and the environment. In the winter I am at the Girls Club teaching communications- podcasting, blogging and poetry- to younger girls ages 8-13. I would be running 'Cascading Leaders 2.0' with Luna Avila and Valerie Galindo. Luna, age 25, was one of the first Girls Club members. Her family is from Columbia. She teaches art classes and is involved in running our Fair Trade & Girl Made Gift Shop and Saturday Women's performance series at our gallery. Valerie's family is from Puerto Rico. She recently became a mom at 21, has studied in a culinary school and works primarily in our Bake Shop running Cookie Academy, an entrepreneurial training program for younger girls. Luna and Valerie have both grown up here and live in the projects. We believe that our experiences in the Girls Club qualifiy us to work with younger girls and to help identify and lead community initiatives. We currently rent four locations in the community and work in five schools. In 2009 we will open our newly built Lower Eastside Girls Club center for Community. This will help us identify community needs and plan for our future also.