Voices of the Community (VOC), a student-run organization based at Dos Pueblos High School, will be hosting Her Festival at Girsh Park on International Women’s Day, noon-4 p.m. Sunday, March 8. The event is free to attend.

Those attending can visit a range of booths run by organizations offering programs, activities and inspiration. Guests can learn about women in all fields of work and discover community programs, opportunities and organizations. There will be arts and crafts booths, a free prize drawing, photo booths, a rock wall, henna, and free face painting.

Youth Making Change is a teen-led program created by The Fund for Santa Barbara, which offers grants to youth-lead projects that aim to make a difference in their community. Voices of the Community was one of their 2019-20 cycle grantees, and has just received a grant for $3,000 for the Her Festival project.

The goal of Her Festival is to celebrate the women of Santa Barbara and to inspire female youth in the community. This new event aims to empower the next generation of female leaders through promoting confidence, equality and inclusiveness.

Sponsored by Appfolio, Deckers and Procore, Her Festival is a celebration designed to leave the girls and women of Santa Barbara feeling capable of pursuing their dreams and changing their communities for the better.

Voices of the Community is entirely made up of Santa Barbara youth, all who are passionate about changing the community for the better by ensuring the voices of underrepresented groups are heard. Her Festival is VOC’s first project, and all efforts are being dedicated to the success of the event.

VOC’s core belief is that the opinion and experience of every person from any background must be given value.