We don’t have to tell you—the past year has been unlike any other! As we all retreated to our homes this past March, we did not have a clue what we would do to be of service for our communities or to keep our doors open. Hundreds of phone calls to interview families in our network revealed some important needs: girls were isolated, anxious, and, in some cases, experiencing trauma. Alongside basic needs and access to technology, parents wished for safe, inexpensive, flexible summer programming which would inspire creativity in their girls. So, we adapted—and quickly! Our team strategized and emerged with the concept of Spark Kits: a magical and safe way for girls to increase their connection to other girls, reduce stress and anxiety, and feel creative and powerful – all in one hand-decorated box. We also invited girls to call our new Connectline, a “warmline” by phone/text, and to join our virtually adapted Girl Connect groups online, and guess what? They called and logged in!
While our “what” (increasing girls’ self-efficacy) did not change our “how” changed in order to overcome school closures and social distancing, and we know that our mission is more relevant than ever. Self-efficacy is extremely important in times of crisis and trauma for children, as research shows that higher levels of self-efficacy are protective factors during and after experiencing trauma. Self-efficacy interventions reduce the impact of trauma better than just teaching coping skills*.
One of values is ‘Ring the Bell’ meaning that we are committed to proving our impact. Our Impact Highlights Report from our 2019-2020 year, linked here, reveals that even in the midst of the pandemic and its challenges, we have plenty of reasons to Ring the Bell! The report shows a year divided—fall and winter contained our traditional in-person programs, and spring and summer included our pivot, lots of innovation, and ingenuity. We’re extremely proud that what you see in the report shows resiliency, creativity, and undaunted commitment to our mission to ignite the power in girls by increasing their self-efficacy, no matter what.
Remarkably, we demonstrated increased self-efficacy for girls served by our flagship Girl Connect program in ALL of our Six Cs, with statistically significant increases from pre- to post-survey levels in 4 of the 6 domains. Additionally, in Girl Connect we aimed to serve 1,600 girls with weekly programming at their school campus for our 19-20 school year. We are proud to report these outputs for this program, despite the complications presented by COVID-19:
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1,669 girls served in statewide weekly Girl Connect groups grades 3-12
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95 total Girl Connect schools/group served statewide
Across all of our program for our 2019-2020 year, we served 3,764 girls, parents, and educators through direct services and an additional 11,692 individuals were impacted through educational campaigns and outreach efforts. 78% of these girls served in our most recently completed year come from low-income families (as determined by their qualification for the federal free/reduced lunch program). A similar percentage are girls of color with the majority being Latina (64%) and all are between the ages of 8 and 18. Other 2019-2020 school year outcomes include that across all of our direct services, girls reported that because of our programming:
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96% believe they can achieve their goals,
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93% are comfortable working with others who are different than them,
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91% can now use critical thinking to find solutions to a challenge,
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89% learned to be kind to themselves when going through a tough time, and
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95% would recommend our services to others.
Perhaps there is no better way to hear about our programming’s lasting benefits thank to hear from the girls the program serves, their families and parents, as well as our school champions who we work with on each campus to schedule and run Girl Connect programming. Here are some quotes and testimonials from these groups this year that help tell the story of how the Girl Connect program is experienced by them:
What Girls Said:
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“Before I joined Girl Connect, I was super stressed, but now I feel so much better.”
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“I like how we share problems with each other and how we talk about our feelings. I love that you all understand me.”
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“I loved the group because it was something I could look forward to. It was a great way to start my mornings and I got to see some of my friends there.”
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“I have gained a lot of body confidence and I have been having more of a happy mood than before”
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“I liked how we can share how we feel and know we won’t be judged.”
What School Partners Said:
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"I have been able to witness personal growth with academics and confidence with some of the girls participating in Girls Connect groups. They absolutely love the sense of belonging and looking forward to being a part of the team/engaging in creative activities."
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“Girls Empowerment Network offers time for our students to come together and share with each other. They learn positive skills and healthy forms of communication, as well as being inspired by women professionals. I don't know many programs that would bring in women professionals for a Career Day lunch for our students in group. These intimate settings allow for strong impacts and experiences that will turn into goals.”
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"Girls Empowerment Network has been a reliable source of sunshine on our campus! The staff is amazing to work with and beautifully graceful examples for our girls. I wish every campus could have this service."
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“I can't say enough for the work Girls Empowerment Network does. The commitment they have for the work that they do shows every day that they are at my school, the girls feel it in their groups. I feel really good when one of my girls graduates to High School and she has had a year or two of [Girl Connect.] I know that the confidence they gain in their Girl Connect is going to help them be successful.”
What Parents Said:
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“My daughter LOVES her Spark Kit. She went straight to enjoying it and talking about it and loving it. The personalized box is really special with stickers and positive messaging.”
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“My daughters are doing their Spark Kits this week. Yesterday after attending the Virtual check ins, my 10 year told came to me with a heart-melting grin and said, ‘I didn't realize just how lonely I have been. Seeing and hearing those girls and the leaders made me not feel lonely anymore.’ She has attended a number of online camps this summer, but they primarily emphasize a lecture/classroom type atmosphere. She just needed to connect! She loved the Kit and crafts, and most of all the people. Like so many families, we are isolating and feeling the longer term impact of being apart from friends and family. What a special service you are providing.”