Girls Inc. of Southwestern CT's mission is to inspire all girls to be "strong, smart and bold."
We were established in 1864 as the first Girls Club in the United States and in 1945 were one of the founding members of the Girls Clubs of America. This affiliate is part of the national Girls Inc. organization headquartered in New York City that serves over 900,000 girls annually in the United States & Canada.
Girls Inc. of Southwestern CT (Girls Inc. of SWCT) responds to the changing needs of girls through research-based and age-appropriate programs. We have been building a strong network of girls' communities where girls can get together to be themselves and discover their full potential. Within this structured, supportive and safe environment, girls are challenged to take an active part in realizing our organization's vision - empowered girls and an equitable society. Girls Inc. programs help girls with careers & college planning, self-reliance & life skills, sports & adventure, leadership & community action and health & sexuality.
In addition to our own locally developed programs, we offer the following Girls Inc. National Identity programs: Girls Inc. Operation SMART® builds girls' skills and interest in science, math and relevant technology. Hands-on activities give girls the opportunity to explore, ask questions, and solve problems.
Girls Inc. Discovery Leadership® partners girls and women in community action projects chosen by girls, building leadership skills and creating lasting change. This leadership development program for girls ages 9 to 11 celebrates the heritage of girls and women as leaders, and fosters girls' awareness of themselves as community resources and trustees of the common good.
Girls Inc. Economic Literacy® introduces girls as young as six to basic financial concepts, including money management and investment. The program explores howmoney affects us locally and globally as it fosters development of skills needed to be financially self-sufficient.
Girls Inc. Friendly PEERsuasion® builds girls' skills for resisting pressure to use harmful substances such as alcohol, tobacco, household chemicals and other drugs.
The two-part substance abuse prevention program teaches girls ages 11 to 14 healthy ways to manage stress and confront peer, media and other pressures. The girls then assume roles as PEERsuaders for younger girls.
Girls Inc. Project BOLD® strengthens girls' abilities to lead safer lives. Girls develop strategies for self-defense (including physical techniques), for seeking out and talking with caring adults about personal violence, and for advocating on violence issues for girls and young women.
Girls Inc. Sporting Chance® builds movement and athletic skills; cooperative and competitive spirit, health awareness, and interest in all sports as girls explore career opportunities related to sports and experience the benefits of healthy risk taking. The program lays a foundation for a lifetime of sports participation.
Girls Inc. Media Literacy® encourages girls to think critically about media messages and fosters their awareness of the scope and power of the media and its effects on girls and women.
Girls gain media literacy skills that enhance their ability to critically examine and advocate for change in entertainment, news and advertising.
Girls Inc. Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy® helps girls identify ways and reasons to avoid early pregnancy.
The program fosters girls' communication skills, provides basic health education, and encourages girls to plan for the future.
STEM Growth Through Transformation is an allied health focused program developed to encourage high school aged girls 15 -18 years old to explore a more advance learning and internship based extension of Operation SMART® (Science, Math, and Relevant Technology). This program promotes interest and exploration in the wide variety of careers available in the health field ranging from pharmaceuticals to nursing and general surgery, as well as to gain the knowledge needed to pursue STEM based careers in the future.
All of the programs we offer are broken down into sub-components that allow for us to facilitate these topics to girls ranging from age 6-18. We are able to evaluate the effectiveness of our programs through pre and post surveys which show the change in knowledge attitudes and beliefs in these topics. We provide girls with strategies to overcome social, intellectual, and economic challenges while being change agents of the next millennium, and we would love to share that with you! If you are interested in having us provide programs to your organization, school, or existing program, please complete the online form accessible from the link to your right or contact .
