“You Geaux Girl!”
by Y’Vonne Antoine
During this semester, I worked with Geaux Girl Magazine. Geaux Girl! was inspired by a teen magazine that executive director Heide Winston grew up with in her native Germany. Concerned about the lack of comprehensive sex education in New Orleans, Heide approached her friend Danielle Del Sol in 2016 with the idea to start a teen girl magazine that features adolescent reproductive health information in every issue. They spent the next almost two years (when they weren’t taking care of their young children, working their day jobs, or welcoming new babies into the world) reaching out to potential contributors and developing the concept for what would become Geaux Girl!, a local nonprofit print and online magazine created for and with New Orleans teen girls. Heide officially launched Geaux Girl! in early 2018 and the GG family has been growing ever since. Geaux Girl! is about building a sense of community among local girls and women while celebrating individuality and diversity. With a mission to inform, inspire, engage, and empower, Geaux Girl! serves as a unique resource and platform for teen girls all across New Orleans. Our main distribution locations are New Orleans Public Library Branches, Jefferson Library Branches, NORD Recreation Center, Uptown JCC, Broadmoor Arts and Wellness Center, and ReFresh Project on N. Broad.
The work I completed this semester included research, information collection, data history updating, and social media planning. Reflecting on the semester I am appreciative of the opportunity to have a more hands-on experience with Geaux Girl!. I originally started working with the magazine as a Sophomore in high school. Seven years later, my role has evolved into seeing more and more of the business and editing side. Being able to assist more over the years has been a very fulfilling experience. I look forward to seeing how my time with Geaux Girl! will continue to grow and expand.