Presentation of Learning: RedBox Project: Small But Mighty
Girl Scout Troop #2316, based in the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Leimert Park, is a small but mighty group of five. All of the girls are also iLEAD Exploration learners — both current and former. Amighlyn Hammers (9th grade), Fauna Schutt (9th grade), Neshama Nassau (7th grade/TK iLEAD alumna), Neva Schutt (5th grade), and Rylie Scott (9th grade/K-8 iLEAD alumna) joined together to explore a topic not many people know anything about: menstruation, or period, poverty. Once they’d learned about it, they set out to help.
Period poverty refers to the difficulty that many menstruators have accessing menstruation health products. Believe it or not, United Nations’ studies indicate that one in three teens living in the United States, including in the city of Los Angeles, experience period poverty and lack not only proper resources but also related education.
Once this group of learners had done their research (see recommended film festival & other resources below) and understood the scope of the problem, they knew they had to act, and RedBox Project was born. Included in their free no-questions-asked boxes — available at a few locations in South Los Angeles such as With Love Market and Cafe, Share Club, and the Jefferson Branch Library — are a box of pads, a period tracker, a reading list, and an informative pamphlet. The box also contains a QR code with questions and a survey to help these learners be responsive to their users’ needs, including a hope to add tampons to future rounds of Red Boxes.
Troop 2316 also researched some of the negative effects of period poverty, including missing school and other social interactions due to lack of appropriate supplies, increased mental health issues like shame and depression, serious health risks associated with using products for longer than directed, and more.
Once their project was complete, Amighlyn, Fauna, Neshama, Neva, and Rylie earned the highest Girl Scout award offered at their respective grade levels. One important requirement of earning this caliber of service award is to build in aspects of the project that continue to serve and/or educate the community beyond the final due date, so the girls will continue to restock the boxes for at least the next year. Even more impactful, they created a how-to graphic and website for other volunteer groups and organizations to replicate this project in their communities.
As 9th grader Amighlyn says, “I think period products should be accessible for everyone who needs them. Period poverty needs to be talked about more.” These iLEAD Exploration learners have certainly succeeded in making this issue, as Fauna Schutt put it, “the tiniest bit smaller.” A small but mighty group indeed!
About RedBox
“RedBox Project,” a brief film made by Troop 2316
Troop #2316 featured on ABC7 News
A few resources the troop used to study period poverty and shape their project:
Period.org, including the “State of the Period” study.
“Menstrual Equity for All” Handbook
“Film Festival” recommendations:
Long Line of Ladies: The story of 13-year-old Ahtyirahm “Ahty” Allen, as her family and community prepare to celebrate her first period with the Ihuk Flower Dance.
Period.End of Sentence: The 2019 Academy Award-winning documentary short that started a movement. It follows a rural village outside of Delhi, India, as a group of women aim to end period stigma and to provide women and girls with period products.
Code Red: Sixth grader Karman gets her period for the first time at school and discovers how difficult accessing period products really is. A humorous yet insightful peek into why period products should be easily available wherever periods happen.
Additional resources:
Share the Dignity: Period Poverty lessons
Code Red | Award Winning Coming-Of-Age Short Film on Period
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