Our Education Into Action Talks for Adults are on hold at this time as we develop a new program strategy to serve more youth. Stay tuned!
If you’re an adult advocate of teen girls — a teacher, parent, mentor, friend, or relative — you know that social media apps, the internet, TV shows, and videos rule teens’ worlds. You’re invited to learn About-Face’s tools and tips for guiding girls in truly understanding media messages — tools that instill productive critical thinking, not just criticism or cynicism.
“It was an amazing workshop. The tools were easy to understand, with potential for a profound impact on girls’ lives.”
Parent at a workshop for adult advocates
In Jennifer’s talks, you’ll learn the basics of media literacy in an interactive, fun format, not a lecture. And you’ll learn the dos and don’ts of engaging with youth about some of the most difficult media-related issues they face, such as adult content, body image, and gender roles, while also grappling with other parts of their identities, such as race, class, sexual orientation, and physical ability.
“I appreciated Jennifer’s candor and the level of openness in About-Face’s approach.”
Teacher at a workshop for adult advocates
Many schools start with an Education Into Action program for teens of all genders and pair it with an Education Into Action Talk for Adults. To learn more about our other programs, visit our Programs page.
Jennifer Berger, Executive Director of About-Face, has been empowering teen girls through the gift of critical-thinking skills, media-literacy, and sense of agency for 17 years. She transformed About-Face from an all-volunteer activist group into an official nonprofit organization in 2009. Before committing full-time to these issues, she was a writer and editor at two technology publications in the Bay Area. Jennifer earned her B.A. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in Communication Studies.
“It was useful and general, yet specific enough to have these kinds of talks with girls/young women of multicultural backgrounds.”
Teacher at a workshop for adult advocates
Is Social Media Really that Bad for Girls?
Social media is associated with girls’ depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues — scary, right? Adult advocates can learn the tools to support girls’ critical thinking and media-literacy skills — instead of judging, nagging, shaming, or confiscating devices. You’ll leave with ways to help develop wellness practices around social media use.
Remedial Media Literacy for Grownups
Most adults today didn’t get any media literacy education like the kind About-Face teaches. In this talk, adults will learn what youth learn in the classroom, so they too can decode and fight back against toxic media — alongside their teens.
All Grown Up: How Media and Culture Keeps Ageism Alive
It’s not just for kids and teens – media culture and advertising is after us well into midlife and the elder years, too! You’d think being smoother, perkier, younger, and “fighting aging” was the secret to happiness. During this talk, you’ll learn how to fight back and re-center yourself when those messages seep in.