The purpose of the work groups is to fulfill goals and objectives set forth by the strategic plan in the areas of advocacy, research, public awareness, and programs, projects, and products. Each work group is led by a member of the Steering Committee and is responsible for developing and maintaining a yearly budget for all activities.
Advocacy Work Group
The goals of this group are to advocate for all girls through statewide, systemic policy change and empower girls to advocate for themselves. These goals will be accomplished by identifying, screening, analyzing, prioritizing, endorsing or opposing proposed legislation; by writing bills and lobbying policy makers to get girl–positive legislation passed; and by coordinating and promoting girls identifying their priorities. The Colorado Coalition for Girls, through our Advocacy Work Group, is a part of the Women and Family Action Network (WFAN), a legislative and advocacy group convened by the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, which works to create and support policies relating to economic self-sufficiency for women and girls.
Katie Groke Ellis, Advocacy Work Group Chair
kgroke@thewhitehouseproject.org
Research Work Group
The Research Work Group is responsible for conducting, expanding and disseminating research on the status of girls in Colorado. This group will use existing data and update some existing statistics as well as conduct its own research in order to inform members about existing opportunities, determine where programs for girls are needed, and inform the work of the Advocacy Group.
Laurie James–Hawkins, Research Work Group Chair
lhawkins@cocoalitionforgirls.org
Programs, Projects, and Products Work Group
The main goal of this work group is to provide network opportunities for Coalition members. This group is responsible for creating a resource guide of direct service organizations, and coordinating and promoting professional trainings for Coalition members. In the future, this group will develop an internship program for girls in the state of Colorado and will be responsible for resource–sharing events.
Public Awareness Work Group
Increasing awareness of issues affecting all girls and creating change in the cultural perception about girls’ rights and responsibilities is the scope of work for this group. These goals will be accomplished through a media campaign and “Social Norms Campaign.”
Girls in Juvenile Justice
The main goal of the Girls in the Juvenile Justice System (GJJS) working group is to address the needs of girls and identify gender specific services and programs that effectively work with girls at–risk or are involved in the juvenile justice system. The working group will accomplish this through increasing public awareness, determining what works and what promising programs that directly effect girls are and increasing and improving the access to these services and programs.
Lisa Pasko, PhD., Girls in Juvenile Justice Work Group Chair
University of Denver
lisa.pasko@du.edu