Date:  August 30, 2007

CONTACT:  Mary Riherd Broomfield, Marketing and Public Relations Director
                (626) 445-7771, ext. 313, mbroomfield@gsmwvc.org

It's a Wrap…Girl Scouts Produce Timely PSA



It was much more than “lights, camera, action” for eight Girl Scouts this summer.  Girl Scouts On the Set (GSOS), an innovative new program from Mt. Wilson Vista Council offered girls a unique, hands-on experience in every aspect of film production to produce an original public service announcement (PSA).

Conceived, written, produced, filmed and edited entirely by the GSOS team, the PSA, titled “Just be You,” addresses the topic of “bullying.”

The girls spent an engaging six weeks learning from industry professionals with expertise in a particular film production area.  Film school teachers, script developers, producers, and editors from Paramount Studios, Type A Films, and the Disney Corporation taught the girls the tools and techniques that go into the magic of movie making.

The team of girls selected the topic of bullying to bring awareness to the timely issue. According to a 2003 study from The Girl Scout Research Institute, the number one concern for girls ages 8-17, noted by 32 percent of girls in the study that focused on girls’ definition of safety, was being teased and being made fun of. Seventy-two percent defined safety as not being physically hurt and 46 percent defined it as not having their feelings hurt.

In today’s world, girls are faced with unprecedented challenges, including bullying, whether it be in cyberspace or everyday life; peer pressure; fitting in; feeling normal; social pressures; and academic pressures. The original, girl-produced PSA focuses on a teenage girl who is bullied at school because she excels academically and shares the message that “it’s OK to ‘just be you’.”

Girl Scout Michele, a 16-year-old from Montebello Troop 311, enrolled in the workshop to explore the possibility of a career in the industry. “We got to work on everything ourselves, so I really learned a lot,” she said, adding that she was amazed to learn how much “lighting effects can change the mood of the entire film.”

The girls spent their first week creating storyboards, developing a concept and writing a script.  The team focussed on lighting techniques during their second week.  From there they completed preproduction work and held a casting session, selecting the leads and actors from among their friends and professional actors.  During the fifth week the girls went on location to La Salle High School in Pasadena where they learned and practiced filming and directing techniques.  They spent their sixth week in editing and post production.

Fourteen-year-old Girl Scout Hanna, from Arcadia Troop 388, particularly enjoyed hands-on production.  “I enjoyed the actual filming, and especially the editing,” she said. “[It] is a lot more complicated than it looks.”

The program was also made possible through a collaboration with KGEM-TV in Monrovia, which is operated by Community Media of the Foothills, a non-profit organization.  Girl Scouts On the Set will be offered again in 2008 as part of the council’s continuing commitment to provide innovative programs addressing the interests and needs of today’s girls.

The program is part of the council’s expanding offering of the science, technology, engineering and math programs (STEM).  Girl Scouts has a 95-year tradition of encouraging girls to explore and enjoy science, technology, engineering, and math, areas that girls tend to steer away from due to academic stereotypes and social environments.

“Our goal is to build and reinforce girls’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and math and to ensure girls have the opportunity to achieve their full potential in all fields,” said Susan Hill, STEM Program Manager for Mt. Wilson Vista Council.

Today, Girl Scouts offers 75 badges in the STEM subjects, and locally, Mt. Wilson Vista Council partners with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA, and the Night Sky Network of Astronomers on a variety of programs. Mt. Wilson Vista Council is located in a STEM-rich region and has enjoyed partnerships with organizations that are also committed to encouraging girls to explore and pursue education and careers in the STEM fields.

As the new school year gets underway, so does the season of new programs and events for girls of all ages.  Visit the Girl Scout Programs page of the GSMWVC Web site for a complete listing and to register for these exciting opportunities.


To read featured news stories that have appeared on the Homepage in past weeks, click here.