Girlstart May 2016 Program Report

Girlstart Program Im pact Statem ent: 2015-16 May 2016 Your investment in Girlstart makes it possible for us to accomplish the outcomes that are shared in this report to you. As we do each year, we are sending you this detailed report that highlights all of our program outcomes, and particularly the recent progress of girls in our Girlstart After School program for 2015-16, and in-progress details on our teacher Professional Development and Community STEM Education programs (previous reports to you have included Girls in STEM and Summer Camp). We hope you will be pleased with the quality and level of work that we are doing to ensure that girls not only engage in high-quality STEM education programs, but that they also achieve in STEM subjects, majors, and careers. Our progress is only possible thanks to your investments in our work; we are grateful to you!

Girlstart’s Programs: Audiences Summary Program Girlstart After School (2015-16) Girlstart Summer Camps (2015) Girls in STEM 2016 Community/Public STEM Programming Teacher Professional Development Total

Participants Served 1,441 girls 719 girls 543 girls 7,778 girls and community members 201: 105 educators, 96 STEM CREW 23,172 girls, educators, community members

Program Impact Summary Girlstart After School, 2015-2016 • Number of girls reached: 1,441 • Number of After School programs in Central Texas: 35 (946 girls) • Number of After School programs in ‘to Go’ communities: 20 (495 girls) Girlstart Summer Camps 2015 • Number of girls reached: 719 • Number of girls who participated at no cost (through need-based scholarships and free Camps ‘to Go’): 341 (47%) • Number of Camps offered: 27 (14 at Girlstart; 13 in ‘to Go’ communities) Girls in STEM 2016 • Number of girls reached: 543 • Number of girls who participated at no cost (scholarships): 92 • Number of volunteers: 222 Community STEM Programming 2016 (to date 1/1/2016-5/10/2016) • Number of girls and community members reached: 7,778 (4,657 children; 3,121 adults) • Number of free events held: 50 Teacher Professional Development 2016 (to date 1/1/2016-5/10/2016) • Number of educators reached: 201 • Number of STEM CREW members trained: 96 o 96 Girlstart After School (64 Centx—32 ‘to Go’) 1

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Number of in-service educators reached: 105

Detailed Program Im pact Girlstart After School 2015-16 • Number of girls reached: 1,441 • Number of After School programs in Central Texas: 35 (7 ISDs) • Number of After School programs in ‘to Go’ communities: 20 (11 ISDs) Girlstart After School is a free, weekly STEM after-school program designed to increase girls’ learning hours in STEM. This intensive intervention involves sequential, informal, hands-on and inquiry-based activities in topics across the STEM acronym, designed to build girls’ skills in collaboration, creative problem solving, and critical thinking, as well as their STEM knowledge and their interest and confidence in STEM activities, studies, and careers. Girlstart After School also supports whole-school communities through a suite of wraparound services offered at no cost to our partner schools. These services include pedagogical and strategic support to STEM teaching efforts, Math & Science Nights and Science Extravaganzas, parent association meetings, and teacher professional development services.

Girlstart After School is the largest program of its type in the nation. It is also a diverse program: of the 1,441 girls who participated in Girlstart After School in 2015-16, 64% are Latina, 13% are white, 11% are African-American, 4% are Asian-American, and 8% identify as multiethnic or are of another self-identified ethnic group. 35% of children speak another language at home; in all, 20 languages other than English are spoken at Girlstart After School homes. 73% of participants’ parents did not graduate from college; 20% of their parents did not graduate from high school.

74% are considered economically disadvantaged (they receive free or reduced-price lunch at school; we do not inquire about eligibility for the program, so the eligibility factor may be higher).

Girlstart After School participants are girls in the 4th through 6th grades.

Girlstart After School partner schools in 2015-16 were: Central Texas Austin ISD Cook Elementary Govalle Elementary McBee Elementary Padron Elementary Palm Elementary Pecan Springs Elementary Pleasant Hill Elementary Rodriguez Elementary Widen Elementary Wooldridge Elementary Wooten Elementary Zavala Elementary

Del Valle ISD Baty Elementary Gilbert Elementary

Negley Elementary Pfluger Elementary Tobias Elementary

Georgetown ISD Cooper Elementary McCoy Elementary Mitchell Elementary Pickett Elementary Williams Elementary

Hays CISD Fuentes Elementary Hemphill Elementary Kyle Elementary

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Leander ISD Reed Elementary Pflugerville ISD Copperfield Elementary Dessau Elementary Northwest Elementary Parmer Lane Elementary Riojas Elementary Wieland Elementary Round Rock ISD Caraway Elementary Voigt Elementary Wells Branch Elementary

‘to Go’ (outside Central Texas) Bryan: Bryan ISD Kemp-Carver Elementary Dallas: Mansfield ISD Asa Low Intermediate Houston: Alief ISD Collins Elementary Cummings Elementary Heflin Elementary Smith Elementary Youens Elementary Houston: Houston ISD DeChaumes Elementary

Rio Grande Valley: Pharr-San Juan ISD IDEA Public School

Rio Grande Valley: Mission ISD Pearson Elementary San Antonio: Northeast ISD Camelot Elementary Walzem Elementary San Antonio: Northside ISD Linton Elementary Mary Hull Elementary

Rio Grande Valley: McAllen ISD Waco: Connally ISD Alvarez Elementary Connally Elementary Fields Elementary San Houston Elementary Woodrow Wilson Elementary Rio Grande Valley: Edinburg ISD Lincoln Elementary

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Girlstart After School is particularly impactful for girls because of the length, consistency, and rigor of the program. All lessons are aligned to Texas’s learning standards (TEKS) as well as Next Generation Science Standards, and Girlstart’s STEM CREW staffing model ensures that participants receive instruction and mentorship from talented, dedicated educators and role models. Girlstart’s end-of-year program evaluation (May 2016) demonstrated the following progress against desired outcomes: Goal #1: Participants will demonstrate competency in conducting scientific inquiry, investigations and reasoning and will gain competency in STEM skills.

• 82% of participants correctly identified all the steps of the engineering design process.

• 92% reported a willingness to redesign their activity if it did not work on the first try (demonstrates confidence in solving problems).

• 85% agreed with the statement, “I like science!”

Goal #2: Increase # of girls interested in continued/future STEM study (in high school and college), including interest in STEM electives, additional STEM study, STEM higher education, and STEM majors.

• 92% agree that, “if I try hard, I can be good at science.”

• 89% want to return to Girlstart next school year (97% strong interest) • 82% report a strong interest in taking more STEM courses in middle & high school.

• 94% (97% strongly) understand that doing well in STEM in school means that they are more likely to get into college.

• 93% report intent to go to college.

Goal #3: Increase # of girls interested in STEM careers.

• 94% of participants understand that doing well in STEM in college can lead to a better job.

• 73% report a strong desire to pursue a STEM career (95% report at least a moderate interest in a STEM career).

Additionally: • 98% of participants agree with the statement, “I feel that I can be myself at Girlstart After School.”

• 93% of participants tell their friends and families about what they learn at Girlstart.

Here is a detailed overview of our outputs and outcomes, aligned with objectives, for May 2016: After School Goal 1: Increase participants' competency in/mastery of the scientific method and facility in STEM knowledge/skills Projected Outputs: 100% of participants engage in activities that foster reasoning and scientific investigation skills while building STEM skills acquisition.

Projected Outcomes: 75% of all participants demonstrate competence in scientific investigations and reasoning; 80% of participants will report confidence in solving problems; and 80% of participants report enjoying STEM activities.

Actual Outputs: 100% of participants have engaged in weekly activities that foster reasoning and scientific investigation skills while building STEM skills acquisition.

Desired: 75% of all participants will demonstrate competence in scientific investigations and inquiry.

Actual: 82% of participants correctly identified all the steps of the engineering design process.

Desired: 80% of participants will report confidence in solving problems.

Actual: 92% demonstrated willingness to redesign their activity if it did not work on the first try (demonstrating confidence in solving problems) Desired: 80% of participants will report enjoying STEM activities.

Actual: 85% report: “I like science!”

Performance Measures: Surveys were conducted during the course of the program by Girlstart staff (pre and post each semester). We assessed showcases of student progress. We reviewed progress logs maintained by STEM CREW, as well as girls’ STEM journals.

After School Goal 2: Increase # of girls interested in continued/future STEM study (in high school and college), including interest in STEM electives, additional STEM study, STEM higher education, and STEM majors.

Projected Outputs: Girlstart activities will include a college/career component in the lesson. At least one Girlstart After School session will be dedicated to a discussion about college and career options and opportunities. 100% of partner schools will be invited to have students attend the Girls in STEM (GIS) Conference.

Projected Outcomes: 75% of girls will report interest in doing more STEM activities; 75% of participants believe that doing well in STEM in school means that they are more likely to get into college.

Actual Outputs: 100% of activities in Girlstart After School had a career component. Each activity conducted introduced careers such as geology, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and aerospace engineering. Our day that is dedicated to college, career, and goal setting took place in December 2015 and April 2016. 100% of Girlstart After School participants were invited to attend Girls in STEM (April 16, 2016). 543 attended. We provided free registration for each girl’s school.

Desired: 75% of girls will report interest in doing more STEM activities.

Actual: 97% want more STEM at school (82% strong desire).

Desired: 75% of participants will believe that doing well in STEM in school means that they are more likely to get into college.

Actual: 94% understand that doing well in STEM at school means they are more likely to get into college.

Desired: 75% of girls will report intent to attend college.

Actual: 93% of Girlstart After School girls want to go to college.

Desired: 40% of Girlstart After School participants will report interest in participating in additional Girlstart programs or register in an additional Girlstart program.

Actual: 97% (89% strongly) want to return to Girlstart next year.

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Performance Measures: Surveys were conducted during the course of the program by Girlstart staff. We reviewed recruitment/ attendance data and progress logs maintained by STEM CREW. We also reviewed girls’ end-of-semester showcases of work highlighting career connections from activities conducted in Girlstart After School.

After School Goal 3: Increase # of girls interested in STEM careers Projected Outputs: Girlstart activities will include a college/career component in the lesson. 100% of partner schools will be invited to have students attend the Girls in STEM Conference.

Projected Outcomes: 75% will report increased awareness of STEM careers; 80% of participants will believe that doing well in STEM in college can lead to a better career; and 65% of participants will express a desire to have a STEM-related career.

Actual Outputs: 100% of activities in Girlstart After School had a career component. Each activity introduced careers such as geology, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and aerospace engineering. The day that is dedicated to college, careers, and setting goals was conducted in December 2015 and April 2016.

Desired: 80% will report increased awareness of STEM careers.

Actual: 80% of Girls in STEM participants reported that they are MORE interested in a STEM career after attending (97% at least moderate interest). 100% of all participants could name two new STEM careers that they learned about at Girls in STEM. 98% could name two new careers on the post-survey for Girlstart After School.

Desired: 70% of participants believe that doing well in STEM in college can lead to a better career.

Actual: 94% of Girlstart After School girls report understanding that if they do well in STEM in college, it can lead to a better career.

Desired: 65% of participants will express a desire to have a STEM-related career.

Actual: 73%--99% express at least moderate interest--of Girlstart After School girls express a desire for a STEM career; 70% (97% express at least moderate interest) of Girls in STEM participants express this.

After School Goal 4: Increase # educators trained in innovative, informal STEM teaching models.

Projected Outputs: At least 20 pre-service teachers will participate in Girlstart’s STEM CREW internship program. At least 350 in-service teachers will participate in Girlstart TPD. Projected Outcomes: 80% of STEM CREW Interns will report increased confidence in STEM teaching; 80% of STEM CREW Interns will report that Girlstart improved their preparation for the classroom; 80% of all teachers will report that Girlstart provided them with helpful and relevant teaching resources.

Desired: 20 pre-service teachers will participate in Girlstart’s STEM CREW internship program. 110 teachers attend Teacher Professional Development.

Actual to Date: 96 participated in the STEM CREW program. 105 inservice teachers were reached through TPD. (Total: 201) Girlstart is also continuing to update its longitudinal study to assess the long-term impact of Girlstart After School participation on girls’ academic progress, course selection, graduation rates,

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and college enrollment. The first iteration of this study, completed in April 2014, includes several significant findings: •

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Over two years, 71% of Austin ISD Girlstart After School participants passed the 5th grade science STAAR exam (Texas’s state-mandated standardized test). 62% of students overall at our partner schools, and only 48% of a comparison group of non-participant girls matched on key demographic indicators, passed the same exam during this time.

Girlstart After School participants also achieved Commended Performance status on 5th grade math and science tests at a higher rate than non-participant girls.

After leaving Girlstart After School, participants enrolled in advanced and pre-AP math and science classes at a rate of 1.58 courses per girl (over three years), compared to 1.00 courses per non-participant girl in our comparison group.

As we continue to expand our After School program, Girlstart will expand this study to include more data from more partner schools and districts. We will also continue to collect data as more participants age into middle and high school, graduate, and enroll in higher education. We currently have requests for data out to 6 districts and aim to refresh this study with additional performance data in 2016.

Girlstart Sum m er Cam ps 2015 • Number of girls reached: 719 • Number of girls who participated at no cost (through need-based scholarships and free Camps ‘to Go’): 341 (47%) • Number of Camps offered: 27 (14 at Girlstart; 13 in ‘to Go’ communities) Girlstart Summer Camps are weeklong (40 hour) STEM programs for girls entering the 4th through 8th grades. These programs achieve consistent positive outcomes by combining formal and informal educational strategies with challenging and relevant STEM curriculum. Girlstart Summer Camp provides individualized experiences that develop a strong conceptual understanding of STEM subjects and increase participants’ interest in STEM activities and careers.

Since 2010, Girlstart has expanded our Summer Camp programming to reach more girls, both within the Austin area and in high-need communities in Texas and across the nation. Girlstart now offers 14 weeklong Camps at the Girlstart STEM Center in Austin and additional Camps ‘to Go’ in other communities. Because our Camps ‘to Go’ are designed to reach girls who otherwise might never have access to high-quality STEM programming, especially during the summer months, all Camps ‘to Go’ are offered to girls at no cost. This program delivery strategy enables us to reach more girls in more locations by running several Camps concurrently.

In 2015, 27% of Girlstart Summer Camp participants were Latina, 40% were white, 9% were African-American, 12% were Asian-American, and 12% identified as multiethnic or ‘other’. 33% (n=235) reported that they receive free or reduced-price lunch at school, and 12% (among parents who provided this information to us, 8% left the answer blank) that they are first-generation college aspirants (another 12% indicated ‘Some College’ but indicated that they did not graduate from college). 47% (n=341) of participants, including all participants at our 13 Camps ‘to Go,’ attended Girlstart Summer Camp on scholarship.

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In addition to designing our own curricula, Girlstart focuses on building innovative activities by using vanguard tools and strategies with which to develop unique and content rich curriculum. All Girlstart Summer Camps feature multiple intensive technology components, including: • • • • • • • • •

498 girls designed and programmed their own playable video games; 197 girls built and programmed object-to-computer interfaces using MaKey MaKey devices and MIT's Scratch; 147 girls built working robots using the LEGO Mindstorms platform; 138 girls designed and programmed mobile apps using App Inventor; 138 girls developed solar powered devices (such as solar food trucks or music boxes); 137 girls programmed using the Raspberry Pi-based KANO computers (such as Pong or Minecraft); 137 girls created games using the Blockly programming environment; 116 girls created 3D designs using Google SketchUp; and 56 girls designed and programmed animated commercials.

2015’s Summer Camp program evaluation demonstrated the following progress against program objectives: Goal 1: Participants will demonstrate competency in conducting scientific inquiry, investigations and reasoning and will gain competency in STEM skills.

• 92% of participants demonstrated acumen in conducting scientific investigations and reasoning (using the scientific method effectively).

• 96% of participants reported a willingness to redesign their activity if it did not work on the first try (demonstrates understanding of the engineering design process).

• 86% of girls demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the engineering design process and the ability to use the process to solve problems.

• 94% of girls know what ‘STEM’ stands for.

Goal 2: Increase # girls interested in selecting STEM at HS/college • 88% of participants reported a strong desire to take more STEM classes in high school.

• 97% of participants understand that success in STEM courses can help them achieve college enrollment.

• 97% of participants plan to attend college when they grow up.

• 97% of participants understand that doing well in STEM in college can lead to increased job opportunities.

Goal 3: Increase # of girls interested and confident in STEM • 89% of participants reported that they are MORE interested in STEM after attending Girlstart Summer Camp.

• 90% of participants agreed with the statement, “I like science!”

• 95% agreed with the statement, “if I try hard, I can be good at science.”

• 89% reported that “I feel I can be myself at Girlstart camp.”

• 93% reported the desire to attend another Girlstart program.

Goal 4: Increase # of girls interested in pursuing STEM careers • 78% of participants expressed a strong interest in entering a STEM career.

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97% of participants demonstrated awareness of the importance of higher education as a way to broaden their career options.

Additionally, computer science outcomes include: • 83% say that they think developing games, robots, or apps would be a fun career.

• 40% say they have never created an app, a video game, or built a robot before Girlstart Summer Camp.

2015 Girlstart Summer Camp locations were: • Girlstart STEM Center, Austin, Texas (14 weeks) • Boys and Girls Clubs of Bellevue, Bellevue, Washington (1 week) • Boys and Girls Clubs of Elgin, Elgin, Illinois (2 weeks) • Columbia Neighborhood Center, Sunnyvale, California (2 weeks) • Techbridge, San Jose, California (1 week) • Boys and Girls Club of Royal ISD, Brookshire, Texas (Houston area, 1 week) • Heflin Elementary, Houston, Texas (1 week) • Kemp-Carver Elementary, Bryan, Texas (1 week) • Camelot Elementary, San Antonio, Texas (1 week) • Fuentes Elementary, Kyle, Texas (1 week) • Tobias Elementary, Kyle, Texas (1 week) • Ralph Pfluger Elementary, Buda, Texas (1 week) Camp themes for Summer 2015 were: Once Upon A Time (3 weeks at Girlstart) Girls built a beanstalk to reach the clouds, engineered a crane to rescue Rapunzel from her tower, designed an LED shoe for Cinderella, programmed a fairy tale video game and a virtual enchanted forest maze, among other activities.

Keep Girlstart Weird (3 weeks at Girlstart) Girls engaged in STEM activities based on all the fun and interesting things about Austin: they recreated a famous local bridge, designed a one-of-a-kind food truck, engineered an outdoor music stage, and explored the unique creatures and habitats of Austin.

Everything is Awesome (2 weeks at Girlstart) This energy-themed Camp taught girls the engineering secrets behind various types of energy. Girls created unique light-up soft circuitry creations, designed a flashlight powered by magnets, engineered a roller coaster, learned concepts of bioluminescence, and more.

Camp Hermione (2 weeks at Girlstart) Girls learned about chemical reactions in Potions class, designed a catapult in Defense Against the Dark Arts, built a sturdy tower from which to watch Quiddich, built a virtual Hogwarts Castle in Minecraft (after building their own computers from Raspberry Pi boards), and programmed a virtual TriWizard Tournament maze.

Scrub In (2 weeks at Girlstart) Girlstart’s popular medical-themed Camp is back: girls learned to suture incisions, designed a working prosthetic device (and a virtual prosthesis in SketchUp), and diagnosed growing bacteria; they also learned about various organs, programmed a working “Operation” board game, and more.

Frosty Summer (13 weeks in To Go communities)

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Girlstart has adapted our popular 2014 “Ice Age” camp as the theme for all of 2015’s Camps ‘to Go.’ In this Camp, girls designed avalanche protection gear, learned about coldweather animals and habitats, programmed a downhill skiing video game, and designed unique snowflakes in 3D. They studied the physics and engineering behind the Winter Olympics, insulation, and built avalanche rescue robots.

Girls in STEM 2016 • Number of girls reached: 543 • Number of girls who participated at no cost (scholarships): 92 • Number of volunteers: 222 Each spring, Girlstart’s annual Girls in STEM conference brings 4th through 8th grade girls together with female role models in STEM careers for a day of hands-on STEM workshops. The conference is designed to introduce girls to professional women working in STEM, who inspire the girls to consider and pursue STEM careers. In 2016, 130 women leaders gave a combined 601.5 hours, were presenters and co-presenters at Girls in STEM, offering 34 different workshops in STEM topics. Workshop activities ranged from building edible microchips and recording brain activity to programming LEGO Mindstorm robots and running forensic DNA tests. 92 generalist volunteers also contributed more than 423 volunteer hours, helping make this day a success. Girlstart was able to offer scholarships to 92 of this year’s 543 Girls in STEM participants, thanks to our generous community of supporters.

Results of the 2016 Girls in STEM program evaluation include: • • • • • • • •

82% of participants reported that they enjoy doing STEM activities (98% report at least moderate enjoyment) 90% of girls agreed with the statement, “if I try hard, I can be good at STEM!” (100% at least moderate) 97% reported that they intend to go to college (99% moderate).

82% reported a desire to take additional STEM courses in middle or high school (98% moderate) 93% understand that doing well in STEM in school can increase their chance of college admission (99% moderate) 70% report that they are interested in pursuing a STEM career (96%) 80% report that after Girls in STEM, they are MORE interested in pursuing a career in STEM (97% moderate) 100% of participants were able to name a new STEM career they learned about at Girls in STEM.

Community STEM Program m ing 2016 to date • Number of girls and community members reached: 7,778 (4,657 children; 3,121 adults) • Number of free events held: 50 As a community outreach service, Girlstart provides free, family-friendly Community STEM programming that involves hands-on STEM learning activities for thousands of girls, families, and community members across Central Texas and beyond each year. By offering a wide variety of free programming at many sites throughout the community, we are able to reach a broad crosssection of our population. Through these activities, Girlstart is able to strengthen STEM learning at

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schools and other community locations that we cannot yet serve through our more intensive programs. In addition to introducing children to the fun of STEM learning, Community STEM education is designed to make STEM accessible to community members from all walks of life, to educate parents about the importance of STEM, and to educate the public about gender inequity in STEM fields. Girlstart’s Community STEM programs introduce participants to a variety of handson activities in robotics, mechanical engineering, computer science, biology, medicine, forensic science, chemistry, and more.

Science Extravaganzas: Science Extravaganzas are traveling science events in diverse neighborhoods that reach hundreds of girls and families. Each Extravaganza offers 10-12 booths with dynamic, hands-on science and technology activities surrounding a common theme (eg Starry Science, Weather Fest).

DeSTEMber: Girlstart’s online DeSTEMber initiative is designed to keep children engaged in STEM learning during the winter school holidays by providing a free activity for each day of the month of December. Activities and experiments are gender-neutral and low-cost, and can be done using materials many families have at home. DeSTEMber also engages students through numerous Google Hangouts with STEM professionals from partner institutions worldwide (past partners have included the San Diego Zoo, CERN, and National Geographic). The DeSTEMber website also features a suite of support materials that enable teachers to use DeSTEMber activities in their classrooms. Students, teachers, and community members reached through DeSTEMber and other online initiatives are not included in our Public STEM reach numbers.

Community STEM Outreach: Girlstart conducts extensive outreach activities designed to introduce informal STEM topics and learning to our community. These Community STEM Outreach activities take the form of our traveling StarLab program or use of our on-site STEM Studio and Mini-Planetarium (‘Starry Nights’), assistance to schools with their science and/or math nights, and STEM activities at community booths and events.

Teacher Professional Developm ent 2016 • Number of educators reached: 105 • Number of STEM CREW members trained: 96 • Number of in-service educators reached: 201 In order to effectively support Girlstart program delivery and scale-up, Girlstart has developed and formalized a training program for part-time staff. Our STEM CREW internship and teacher preparation program trains and supports a cadre of Girlstart interns who are pre-service teachers either in the University of Texas UTeach program, or other colleges of education (some of whom are also Girlstart alumnae). We prepare these future teachers for effective STEM teaching by providing them with the pedagogical and practical skills they will need to engage students in STEM. At the same time, the STEM CREW lead all Girlstart programs, providing consistency to our program delivery. Internship program elements also nurture a personal framework that fosters our interns’ future development and growth as teachers. Girlstart’s training for the STEM CREW involves more than 100 hours of training and classroom time each semester. In the past year (2015), 111 educators have participated in Girlstart’s STEM CREW program.

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To further address the need for high-quality math and science teachers, Girlstart provides professional development services to in-service teachers at our After School partner schools and nationwide. The majority of our Teacher Professional Development (TPD) services are offered at no cost, but to bring these services to a wider national audience, some training sessions take place at conferences for educators (such as the CAST Teacher Resource Fair and the annual NAA convention).

As we build our suite of resources for STEM teaching, we aim to continue increasing the number of educators we can reach through our Professional Development programs. In this way, Girlstart can impact even more students, and increase the capacity of teachers, schools, and districts to deliver high-quality STEM education.

Horizon: 2016 and Beyond In 2014, Girlstart completed an ambitious 3-year strategic plan that charted our growth from a handful of Girlstart After School programs to more than 50, and from 8 Summer Camp programs to 27 in 2014. During the course of 2014, we were tasked with assembling the next (2015-2017) strategic plan. Throughout 2014, the staff and board assessed different growth options, created and refined a tool for decision-making and growth options, and came to a consensus. The resultant plan is not only thoughtful, but it is also realistic, with a heavy focus on sustainability. One of the core goals of our new strategic plan is for Girlstart to sustain our current reach and impact— we are deeply committed to continuing to serve our current partner communities. As we accomplish that goal, we will also aim to nearly triple our reach in the next three years by scaling up Girlstart After School and Girlstart Summer Camp to reach girls in Houston, the DFW area, and the Rio Grande Valley, and create a pathway for national replication by 2017. As of January 2016, we are exceeding the goals set in our strategic plan.

It is only owing to you that we have been able to accomplish what we have during the past years, and it is only because of your continued dedication to our mission that we will be able to reach our goals in the coming year. Your support makes our current work, as well as our strategic plan to scale up, possible. Because of you, more girls will be inspired to take on the world’s greatest challenges.

Thank you!

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