B10 • January 2021
280 Living SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
The Women of Girls Inc. of Central Alabama
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n order to grow the business and community leaders of tomorrow, Girls Inc. is inspiring today’s girls to be strong, smart and bold. Girls Inc. of Central Alabama has been in Birmingham since 1938 providing a progirl environment, research-based programs and mentoring relationships. Girls are encouraged to take risks, get dirty, ask questions and find their unique voice. When asked what they learned at Girls Inc., the most common word alums use is “confidence.” A recent study (Strong, Smarter, Bolder: Girls Take the Lead) showed how the confidence girls find at Girls Inc. prepares them for leadership roles in business, politics and their communities. While there are more women today in key leadership positions than ever before, there still exists a pervasive gender gap in top leadership. Girls Inc. seeks to eliminate this gap by providing the support that girls need to become leaders. The study found that Girls Inc. offered four fundamental supports that turn girls into leaders: providing mentoring relationships; encouraging girls to develop and use their voices; promoting positive self-image; and fostering intellectual confidence. These supports help girls navigate and overcome the personal and societal barriers they face. “All girls deserve equity of access to wellbeing and opportunity, and we have to see the whole girl, in her context and community. That’s what Girls Inc. has always done, and we believe that’s a key to the success we’ve achieved,” said Stephanie J. Hull, Ph.D., president and CEO of Girls Inc. Regardless of demographic, academic and social characteristics, girls who participated in Girls Inc. were outpacing their peers in multiple areas of success and were more likely to: • See themselves as leaders, with the skills and capabilities to influence and improve their local communities. • Exercise regularly and participate in sports teams. • Have higher standardized math test scores and self-confidence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and MATH (STEM) subjects, as well
► WHERE: 5201 Eighth Ave. S. ► CALL: 205-595-4475 ► WEBSITE: girlsinccentral-al.org
as see themselves in STEM careers. • Be engaged in and attend school, avoid serious disciplinary action including being suspended, and be prepared for life after high school. “When half of a community and the majority of consumer-buying power is female, companies are stronger if women/girls fill roles throughout an organization,” said Brooke Battle, founder and CEO of Swell. “The business community needs us to invest in the female leadership of tomorrow. Further, the benefit is mutual and multiplies. When a girl is resourced to become a leader, she will positively impact everyone around her.” Girls Inc.’s focus on STEM helps girls remain engaged in math and science through high school, preparing them for a world that is increasingly technological. The true value of this program is captured in the faces of girls learning to make clouds from liquid nitrogen, through the Girls Inc. scholar alumna who just graduated with a plan for medical school, and through the simulated Moon Camp and Re-entry mission concluding the Lockheed Martin shadow program. The Girls Inc. approach to STEM education works because it focuses on girls who are too often left out of the math-science pipeline: girls of color, from lower socio-economic households, girls who are the first in their families to pursue a college education, and girls achieving at an average academic level. Whatever their interests, Girls Inc. helps girls reach their goals. Whether it is exploring future careers, applying for a first job, or going on a college visit, Girls Inc. offers the support girls
need. For Trinity, a high school senior, this meant a summer internship that helped her prepare for college. She said, “At Girls Inc. it is never a maybe, or a wait a minute, they help you when you need it.” This help has become even more critical for girls this year. The agency’s focus for 2020, particularly since the onset of COVID-19, has been to “Listen to the girls.” Girls Inc. of Central Alabama CEO Connie Hill, Ph.D., says that, “Through our listening we’ve discovered that many struggle with anxiety, uncertainty and overwhelming worry about school, their parents returning to work, fear of being victims of racial targeting and adjusting to the new normal of virtual schooling. However, we have also discovered that girls are eager for a supportive place to connect with each other and supportive adults. Whether in person or virtually, Girls Inc. provides a safe space for girls to continue to grow, learn, explore, and most importantly, find confidence.”