GIRLS INC. MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR GIRLS IN DALLAS

March is Women’s History Month where we celebrate women’s contributions to society and the vital role of women in American history. As we feature this month’s Community Champion nonprofit organization, we celebrate the great work of Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas.

Girls Inc. focuses on the development of the whole girl, supporting, mentoring, and guiding girls in an affirming, pro-girl environment. Through Girls Inc., girls learn to value their whole selves, discover and develop their inherent strengths, and receive the support they need to navigate the challenges they face.

“The Girls Inc. mission is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold,” said Beth Myers, CEO of Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas. “We are an innovative youth development organization focusing on girls age 6 through 18, 95% of whom are girls of color who are growing up in low-income and underresourced communities and neighborhoods.

“Our work focuses on helping girls in the areas of healthy living, academic enrichment and support, and life skills and leadership instruction. We help girls be strong by participating in activities that provide them with knowledge, skills, and encouragement to develop and sustain a healthy lifestyle. We help girls become smart by engaging them in activities and experiences that complement them with what they are already learning in their school-based settings. We also provide a very heavy focus on STEM.”

Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas is part of a network of local Girls Inc. nonprofit organizations that serves girls at more than 1,200 sites in 350 cities across the United States and Canada.

On January 29, nearly 400 local community leaders, youth advocates, and philanthropists joined Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas for the second annual

Bold Dreams Breakfast to celebrate the life-changing impacts of Girls Inc.’s programs on girls in Dallas.

The event raised critical funds to help the organization reach its goal of serving 25,000 girls by the end of the decade – helping to bridge the gap for the thousands of girls in our community from low-income homes with limited access to quality programs outside of school.

“There are 50,000 girls in Dallas in low-income households and too few of them have access to after school or summer programming,” Myers said. “We know that girls from low-income homes are five times more likely to drop out of school than their more affluent peers without interventions. We keep growing and are on track to serve 4,200 girls this year, but we must do more. Educational disparities widen daily, and economic, social, and emotional challenges push girls farther behind. I worry about the thousands of girls who need support but cannot access our programs due to a lack of resources.”

You can help girls in North Texas break the cycle of poverty and provide them with healthy and educational experiences by donating to Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas, visit www.girlsincdallas.org.