Do Something and Liz Claiborne Inc. launched a campaign this November to empower youth to take action around teen dating abuse. Do Something wants to make sure that teens have their voice heard, too! That’s why we gave out 10 $250 Grants for your projects that are fighting teen dating abuse many of which are incorporating a special event on December 3rd, 2009: It's Time to Talk Day. Check out these amazing winners below!

Cheyenne Ruiz, 17

Salem, AK

Teen Dating Abuse Awareness Campaign
Cheyenne was inspired to take action to fight teen dating abuse after learning of the abundance of abuse in her town. She visited the local Liberty House, a place for people who have suffered abuse to seek refuge and counseling. Cheyenne and her group are holding a benefit concert to raise awareness about teen dating abuse in their area. At the concert they will pass out fliers and buttons with facts about teen dating abuse to raise awareness. Additionally any proceeds from the event will be donated to The Liberty Center to help other abused youth in their area.

Donovan Norris, 17

Georgetown, KY

Students Against Violence Everywhere
Donavon started the club, SAVE-US at his school to address the growing problem of violence within his community but especially amongst youth. The club runs events throughout the year to help youth stand up, speak out and stop violence, and on December 3rd they’re hosting an event about teen-dating violence. They will hold an awareness day at their high school, and conclude the day by performing a play about teen dating violence called "Love X 2=Respect.” The play will be performed at the end of the day for students and in the evening a performance will be open to the whole community.

Lauren Lewark, 15

Weston, MO

Stop the Violence
Lauren and her group are working to spread awareness of teen dating abuse in order to stop the trend of victims going back to date their abusers. They are hosting an awareness week at their high school from November 30th through December 4th. The first day they will conduct surveys about previous knowledge, the second day with be an assembly of testimonials, PSAs and a guest speaker. On the third day students will receive informational packets and t-shirts that say “Love Shouldn’t Hurt… You have the right to a safe and healthy relationship, free from violence and free from fear.” On the last day they will distribute more information about warning signs and resources to contact if you know someone in an abusive relationship or if you are being abused. Through this combination of events they will bring light to new topics and help other teens in their school realize how big a problem teen dating violence really is.

Mikala Jennings, 19

Tuscon, AZ

Do Not Disturb: A message on Teen Dating Abuse
Mikala’s goal is to eliminate the mindset that physical abuse is okay if it's only every once in a while, and to demonstrate that emotional harm is a form of abuse in its own right. She believes that by raising awareness to these issues victims will have a safe place to talk and the cycle of violence will end as teens realize it is not normal and not okay. To raise awareness Mikala is creating door-hangers with facts about teen dating violence and resources for those who need help. Mikala believes that by placing these where teens already are and including different ways to help it will be a real way to reach youth who may not want to reach out to a counselor.

Alyssa Korman, 17

Longmeadow, MA

Longmeadow High School's Teen Dating Abuse Awareness Day
Alyssa and her group are planning an awareness day on December 3rd, It’s Time to Talk Day, to raise awareness about teen-dating violence, highlighting the facts about how often it occurs, the signs of an abusive relationship, and where to seek help. During the day they will pass out 333 stickers (out of their school of 1,000 students) to represent the statistic that 1 in 3 teens will be abused in a relationship. By creating this visual awareness they hope to spark interest and discussion, and by doing so to decrease the number of victims to domestic violence.

Cierra Phelps, 16

Rutland, VT

Hands are Not for Hitting (Teen Dating Violence Prevention and Awareness)
Rutland has the highest rate of domestic violence in Vermont, and it is largely due to the large number of high school and college students in the area. Cierra understands how imiportant this issue is, as she was emotionally abused in a relationship. To make sure others don’t suffer the same, she is traveling to each of the area high schools and colleges to teach the nationally recognized RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) Program, combined with an awareness program. At each event she and her group will place cut-outs of women which are each posted with a story of abuse. This combined day of awareness and preparation will help to bring the issue of importance and also to decrease the number of victims.

Lauren Cheeseborough, 16

Wichita, KS

Just Walk Away Day
Lauren is organizing an awareness day at her school on December 3rd to raise awareness that 1 in 3 teens will be in an abusive relationship. First she is holding a button-design contest to engage initial interest in the event, then the winning design will be made into button to be passed out to students with facts about dating abuse. On December 3rd they will also have t-shirts, 1 in 3 bracelets, and posters. During lunch period they will pass out flowers to every third student to show the statistic of dating abuse amongst teens. To conclude the day they’ll hold a skit of “Why Don’t You Love Me?” a short play that addresses teen-dating abuse in a creative way.

Robert Dunn, 14

Henniker, NH

Dating Awareness Play
Robert and his drama club are doing a performance of a play called, “How to Be a Successful Teen,” which focuses on various teen topics including dating abuse. This will be part of a larger school event on December 3rd to raise awareness about teen dating violence and date-rape awareness. The play will be completely student-run, directed, and performed, and will highlight different aspects of a healthy relationship. Robert hopes that this interactive method awareness will reach youth who would otherwise not know about the importance of this issue.

Jessica White, 14

Baltimore, MD

Youth Dreamer's Club: Teen Dating Abuse Awareness Day
Jessica works with the local group Youth Dreamers, where she and others help to create a safe environment to talk about teen-issues that she and many of her peers face on a day-to-day basis. Teen dating abuse is one of the most common topics of discussion, and so they are working to expand their curriculum so this can be a more regular topic. The goal is to help teenagers make smart choices for themselves, and to provide a safe haven for discussion. They are planning to hold several dating abuse awareness events to help prompt a discussion about teen violence.

Corinne Raum, 15

Warren, MI

It's Time to Talk Day
To fight teen dating abuse, Corrine is holding an awareness event at her school on December 3rd, National Time to Talk Day. Corrine and her friends are organizing this event at their school where students will wear blue and red shirts to represent the dating statistics that 1 in 3 teenagers will be in an abusive relationship. They are also creating posters and handouts about the statistics of teen dating abuse. Corrine is also working with her school to set up a peer mentoring group to help other youth who are being abused. Corrine hopes that this day of awareness will show many youth who don’t know the extent of dating abuse.