Skip To Content Donate today! Click here →

Mission & ValuesWe are on a mission to build leaders, changemakers & activists.

We use socially conscious theater-making, storytelling, and performance to develop, amplify, and celebrate the voices of girls, young women, and gender-expansive youth.

We envision a world where every girl, young woman, and gender-expansive youth is valued and encouraged to be a leader and changemaker.

What We OfferWe Connect and Transform Through Storytelling

We engage youth to advance dialogue about social justice issues affecting their communities—from racism to gender inequity. Our afterschool and weekend education programs, and all the theatrical work our participants produce, are set in New York City's underserved areas.

Our unique model marries art and social justice to empower girls, young women, and gender-expansive youth, build their activist muscle, grow artistic talent (singing, acting, spoken word, etc.), and shape them into the changemakers our world needs.

Girl Be Heard Unplugged Performer

Our Values

    • We believe in the transformative power of theater to engage audiences and inspire activism.
    • We promote empathy and awareness through storytelling.
    • We build connected and inclusive communities of artists and activists.
    • We foster a sense of belonging, acceptance, resilience, and creativity.
    • We use ensemble-devised theater to promote teamwork and forge deep, lasting bonds between participants.

    • We recognize the complexity and fullness of each person’s humanity
    • We listen to understand and cultivate a culture of curiosity
    • We respect individuality
    • We encourage and celebrate self-advocacy
    • We recognize and advocate for human rights and dignity
    • We practice self-care and mindfulness, allowing us to be our best selves for participants and their communities

    • We create inclusive spaces for participants to accept and celebrate themselves and others
    • We pass the mic to elevate participants’ voices
    • We respect lived experiences and insights
    • We help youth tap into their creative talents and innate leadership, so the artist-activist can rise
    • We solicit, listen to, and integrate participants’ feedback. We provide them feedback to strengthen their theatrical work and writing

    • We cultivate a community of learning and knowledge-sharing
    • We encourage interaction and open communication between all levels of the organization since teamwork makes the dream work
    • We keep our hand on the pulse of social justice issues and programmatic best practices
    • We recognize the impact of our words and actions on others
    • We value consent

    • We provide access to opportunities for participants to grow, be heard, and inspire change
    • We strive to create a safe space for creativity, serendipity, flexibility, and nontraditional thinking
    • We encourage everyone to thrive, free their minds, and take risks
    • We aim to be listening leaders who bring diverse voices to the table and encourage absent or muted voices to be heard

Gender-Inclusion PolicyWe envision a world where girls, young women, and gender-expansive youth, and all people experiencing gender-based oppression are valued and have the opportunity to rise to their potential, and we employ resources to effect positive change.

As an intersectional feminist organization, we welcome all participants identifying as women, girls, gender-expansive, genderfluid, transfeminine, and all trans-identified individuals.

We do not discriminate based on the outward appearance or performance of gender put forth by our young folks, and we strive to respect and celebrate that gender identity and presentation, especially amongst young people, is subject to change.

Finally, Girl Be Heard understands that this fluidity of gender and its complexities requires an ongoing process of learning and growth. Therefore, we ask you to join us as we grow and evolve.

Learn more about our gender inclusion policy here.

Afterschool Brooklyn Prep cohort and TAs

Please help us continue to provide our FREE programs!

Donate now

Give back by amplifying the voices of our youth!

Volunteer now

Bring Girl Be Heard to Your Community

Each Girl Be Heard workshop, performance, and even complete after-school programming explores various issues that girls, young women, and gender-expansive youth face worldwide and is tailor-made to fit the needs and interests of your group.

Bring GBH to You