A few local teenagers who are involved in the Alice Paul Institute’s Girls Advisory Council (GAC) will be gracing national television sets next March on Nickelodeon.
The segment will be part of a feature honoring Women’s History Month.
“Kiersten, Keyanna, and I are going to be on Nickelodeon’s Nick News in March!” wrote GAC member Devon Hartsough in a blog post last month. “The episode will focus on women’s rights, and we were asked to appear on the show to talk our experience lobbying Congress in Washington, D.C.
“In our interviews, we spoke about the history of the Equal Rights Amendment and what it would change, if passed. It was an amazing experience, and we are very thankful that Nick News allowed us to share our story with others,” she continued.
Hartsough is a 16-year-old Mt. Laurel resident and a junior at Lenape High School.
For Alice Paul Program Associate Sarah Bear, the experience was a new one.
“It was really exciting,” Bear said, explaining that she had never before witnessed the behind-the-scenes action that goes into creating a TV episode.
Nickelodeon, she said, reached out to the girls, based on their involvement in women’s rights issues.
The filming took place on Saturday, Oct. 27, Bear said, and the exact release date has yet to be determined.
“It’s really cool to know what we did and our message is going to get out to young girls,” said GAC member 17-year-old Burlington resident Keyanna Wigglesworth, who is currently in her freshman year at Harvard University.
GAC is involved in several events throughout the year, ranging from participation in a national press conference in Washington, D.C., to helping with daycare on Women’s Equality Day and baking cookies for next month’s Holiday Open House at the Mt. Laurel-based institute.
While in Washington, D.C., last March, the girls met with Congressman Jon Runyan and shared their appreciation for his sponsoring of the Congressional Gold Medal Act for Alice Paul and to speak about the importance of the Equal Rights Amendment, according to a release.
“It’s really great that we’re being recognized for our support of the Equal Rights Amendment on national TV,” said 17-year-old Mt. Laurel resident Kiersten Campbell, who is a senior at Lenape, in a statement.
Members range in age from 13 to 17 and are in high school.
Recently, the group began a blogging project. It will run for a year and discuss issues of importance to each member.
“They’re very active in Paulsdale,” said Bear.
The blog launched on Oct. 11, which is the International Day of the Girl.
Since then, the girls have been writing away, posting a new entry each week.
For Hartsough, the opportunity was surprising.
“I never thought that lobbying our congressman would turn into an appearance on Nickelodeon,” she said in a statement.
Follow the girls
Keep up to date with the Girls Advisory Council at the Alice Paul Institute online at www.apigac.blogspot.com.
For additional details about the Girls Advisory Council, contact Sarah Bear at (856) 231–1885 or [email protected].
