The importance of having a space for young women of color to inquire about sexuality and mental health is often a challenge – and nearly non-existent in some cases. For Tiffany Lloyd, this is among the reasons for creating the online big sister “Layla’s Got You.”

The multigenerational chatbot is a space for women of color who are seeking answers to personal questions and focuses on the premise of being a community made for women, by women. Layla embodies the essence of a trusted and knowledgeable friend.

Since its inception six years ago, Laya’s Got You has expanded to an on- and offline sisterhood, offering a wealth of knowledge on Black women’s concerns, and organizes efforts to support issues Black women care about. Yet, the organization acknowledges it has a long way to go in order to continue making strides in young Black women’s lives.

Links:

• https://www.laylasgotyou.com/
• https://allynfoundation.org/staff/tiffany-lloyd/
• https://giffordfoundation.org/laylas-got-you/
• https://centralcurrent.org/laylas-got-you-the-online-chatbot-big-sister-friend-for-young-women-of-color/
• Layla’s Got You: Developing a tailored contraception chatbot for Black and Hispanic young women - Erika Bonnevie, Tiffany D Lloyd, Sarah D Rosenberg, Kara Williams, Jaclyn Goldbarg, Joe Smyser, 2021 (sagepub.com)
• ERIC - EJ1297431 - "Layla's Got You": Developing a Tailored Contraception Chatbot for Black and Hispanic Young Women, Health Education Journal, 2021-Jun
• Syracuse residents decide together how to spend $150K to fight lead poisoning (centralcurrent.org)

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BackpackX is a new educational initiative from Women Rise which uses short film VR animations to create immersive experiences. BackpackX is designed to educate children (aged 8-14) from marginalised communities where the educational systems are broken or non-existent and focuses on important topics of their time such as gender equality, climate change, refugee crisis, financial independence, emerging technologies and more. Using the power of art and innovative technology, BackpackX will provide immersive experiences and educational content that inspires children while learning. Through this experience we will also introduce young children to the exciting new worlds of Metaverse and Web3. BackpackX launched in Oct 2023.

Maliha Abidi is a Pakistani-American multidisciplinary artist and author living between London and Los Angeles. Born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan, she migrated to California, United States at the age of 14. As a South Asian immigrant, her experiences play a huge role in her work. Her art focuses on advocating for social justice including women’s rights, girls’ education and mental health. Using bright and bold colors, Maliha hopes to get people interested in complex issues that impact our societies. “Come for the art, stay for the cause.”

She is also the founder and creator of Women Rise NFT. A Web 3.0 initiative with the focus on women’s rights and girls’ education through using art as a tool for advocacy. Maliha’s work includes illustrations, animations, NFT art and illustrated books.

Links:

• https://www.malihaabidi.com/
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebekahbastian/2022/02/20/seven-nft-projects-that-are-applying-an-equity-lens-to-their-work/?sh=5255857330b4
• https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/virtual-reality-better-video-evoking-fear-spurring-climate-action/
• https://www.womenrise.art/

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Stakeholders in a nascent program in NYC talk about their roles building formal pathways from high school programs to careers in the growing video game economy. Marc joins the gathering to celebrate one of partners' latest achievements in Harlem, a youth-driven exhibition that celebrates the role of video games in the lives of young people, challenging negative tropes about being an enemy to positive growth and development. Special thanks to Harlem School For The Arts, host and without whose support the exhibit would not be possible.

Video Games: The Great Connector, explores how young people leverage video games in this pursuit, emphasizing less what games do to youth than what youth do with games. Special thanks to hosts of the event and exhibition, Harlem School of The Arts, without whose support the exhibit would not be possible.

Gaming Pathways was founded by a city initiative from the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment as a new way for high school students in Harlem, Northern Manhattan, and the South Bronx to get training, degrees, and eventually jobs in digital games. Gaming Pathways is guided by an Educational Advisory Board, which includes many of NYC's leading AAA and indie games companies.

Guests:

• Nick Martinez
• Sylvia Aguinaga at Mimogames
• Nick Fortugno
• Phil Courtney & Meredith Summs at Urban Arts
• Barry Joseph

Special thanks:

• Stan Altman
• Karen Murray
• NYC office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner Pat Swinney Kaufman
• Harlem School of The Arts

Links:

• https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/gamingpathways
• https://hgs-ny.org/
• https://animogames.org/
• https://urbanarts.org/

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