EDUCATION - Wet's Risk Takers Film Series

A Free, City-Wide Leadership & Media-Literacy Program For Teenage Girls. This program accepts 100+ girls from over 50 schools and after school programs throughout New York City. Risk Takers teaches girls how to look at the media with a critical eye, and to distinguish empowering risks from damaging risks, using film as the launching pad for discussion. The program is created to bolster girls’ self-esteem and provide them with communication and leadership tools to support their goals and aspirations. Now going into its fourth year, Risk Takers is helping hundreds of New York City girls address and investigate issues of peer pressure, sexuality, drugs, alcohol, racism, sexism, harassment, teen pregnancy, safe sex and more. Guest participants of the program have included Frances McDormand, Olympia Dukakis, Mary-Louise Parker, Audra McDonald, Kerry Washington, Nicole Holofcener, Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith, and Jessica Sharzer to name a few.

The series brings together high school girls from public, private and magnet schools in the tri-state area. There are four objectives to this program:

1. To encourage girls to look at film and all media with a critical, intelligent eye.
2. To recognize and challenge stereotypes based on gender, race and economics.
3. To distinguish between risks that are empowering versus risks that are damaging.
4. To inspire the girls, demonstrating by example that achieving one's dreams is a possibility.