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WHAT WE OFFER

Girls to Women partners with families, other local youth development agencies, and local schools to provide a nurturing environment supporting 45 disadvantaged elementary and early middle-school girls' healthy development each year. At the core of our youth development approach is respect for the abilities, knowledge and potential of each girl we serve. They thrive among the positive, culturally-reflective female role models they find at Girls to Women.

School Year Program: Every weekday afternoon during the school year we offer a comprehensive program that includes academic support; gardening & nature; sports & fitness; arts; health awareness; social & cultural skills-building; and leadership development. We generally expect girls to complete their homework assignments before moving on to other activities. Our Spanish-English bilingual staff and community volunteers support girls' development in a multicultural context. We maintain an adult-to-child ratio of 1:8 or lower.

Summer Session: Our six-week summer session emphasizes fun and various outdoor activities, but we continue to embed literacy and problem-solving into the program. Girls take field trips to the beach, visit regional parks, swim, grow flowers and vegetables, find books they love at the East Palo Alto Library, practice their arithmetic through games and exercises, produce plays for our periodic Family Nights, and share favorite family recipes.

Contact us for more details about either the School Year or Summer Session offerings.

WHY IT MATTERS

Out-of-school learning and enrichment opportunities are critical for the healthy development of all children. Families in San Mateo County's "East of Bayshore (East Palo Alto and Menlo Park's Belle Haven neighborhood)" community depend on Girls to Women for year-round programming. We're the only girl-centered youth development program in the community.

Nevertheless, there's only slots for only about 20% of our K-8 youth . . . compare that to nearby Palo Alto, where such resources are on-hand for over 90% of young people. And even in "high-risk neighborhoods," over 80% of kids across the socioeconomic spectrum will be involved in at least one regular out-of-school program where they are available. That's certainly true for the East of Bayshore.

OUR OUTCOMES

As a result of their participation in Girls to Women, the girls will:

  • Receive individual academic assistance that takes their linguistic and cultural background into consideration. Late elementary-age girls will be more likely to gain admittance to academic-track middle schools.
  • Optimize their mental and physical development through nutritional support; emotional and physical health education & consultations; and through a variety of sports, games, and movement arts.
  • Appreciate the arts and learn about themselves through participation in a variety of creative activities such as painting, drama, music, crafts, and through field trips to regional arts and cultural centers.
  • Become competent with basic information technology that can help them achieve scholastic, creative, and basic communications objectives.
  • Receive the physical, educational, and spiritual benefits of frequent exposure to the outdoors, gardens, and natural areas.
  • Become more familiar with and feel supported by their local community, leading to viewing a multicultural community as an asset, while affirming their own cultural traditions.
  • Gain a sense of their own positive potential as doers and leaders.
  • See increased involvement and leadership among their families in Girls to Women through the expanded work of the new Parent Advisory Council.
  • Enjoy adult support and mentorship from well-prepared, motivated program staff and volunteers who retain their commitment over time.