Did you know that girls growing up in poverty are more likely to experience mental health challenges, according to a 2017 report by Girls Inc? Did you know that more than 70% of LGBTQ+ youth reported feeling sad or hopeless for at least two weeks in a year, according to a 2019 survey by The Trevor Project?
Health is an extremely multifaceted subject, and especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen that there are clear disparities. Our organization, AZIZA PE&CE (commonly referred to as “AP”), was established in 2008, and is a Baltimore-based non-profit that primarily serves girls and LGBTQ+ youth ages 14 to 24.
AP uses the arts, fashion, fitness, music, mentoring and entertainment to address social, emotional, cultural, life and critical thinking skills. We use a non-conventional approach to address public health and personal development which includes, but is not limited to: anxiety, depression, confidence and self-esteem.
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Saran Fossett
Founder, Executive Director