HERStory 24-25

Project Need

• • Why was this project selected?  We chose this project because we noticed that many students experience harassment without even realizing it. Subtle actions like brushing up against someone, touching without consent, or making uncomfortable comments are still forms of harassment. We wanted to educate students at our school, both those who have been harassed and those who may be causing harm, possibly without understanding it, that these behaviors are not okay. Many girls tend to brush off these actions as “not a big deal,” which shows how normalized harassment has become. We felt this was an important issue that often gets ignored or avoided, even though it strongly affects students. Through HerStory, we hope to start supportive conversations, raise awareness, and help build a more respectful school community.

  • ​What problem did your team solve/address? Our team is addressing the problem of how normalized and unnoticed sexual harassment is in our school. Many students don’t realize that small, unwanted actions can still be harmful and are not okay. Some people may not even know they’re making others uncomfortable. We are working to raise awareness and start a conversation about what harassment actually looks like. The documentary is meant to be a clear and honest way to bring attention to this issue.

  • How is this need aligned with your impact area?  This project matches our impact area because we are focused on making the school a safer place for everyone. Sexual harassment affects students emotionally and physically, even if it’s not talked about openly. By making this documentary, we are addressing a problem that directly impacts our school environment. Our goal is to promote respect, awareness, and better understanding of personal boundaries. It supports students who have been harmed and teaches others how to avoid causing harm.

  • What research did you do to find out what has come before or already exists? We looked at past campaigns like #MeToo and other student-led movements to understand how people have raised awareness in different ways. We also watched other documentaries. 

  • How did you identify the problem that you wanted to solve?  We identified the problem through conversations with students and from our own observations as well as conducting a school-wide survey focused on how safe students feel at school. We heard stories from people who had been touched without consent or made to feel uncomfortable, but they felt like they couldn’t speak up. Some people didn’t even realize what happened to them counted as harassment. That showed us that many students didn’t have the information or support they needed. We wanted to make something that would make people more aware and help others feel seen.

  • What evidence (observational data, test scores, or research) did you use to identify this issue?  To gather real data, we created and shared an anonymous school-wide Safety Survey, which received 274 student responses. In the survey, we asked questions like: “On a scale of 1 to 10, how safe do you feel on campus?”, “Do you feel like your physical boundaries are respected on campus?”, “Has anyone on campus talked to you in a way that made you feel uncomfortable?”, and “Has anyone on campus ever touched you in a way that made you feel uncomfortable (this could be something as small as rubbing your back)?” The responses showed that many students didn’t always feel safe and had experienced uncomfortable situations. These results confirmed that harassment, especially in subtle forms, is a real issue on campus. This survey helped us back up what we were already seeing and hearing with clear evidence from our school community.