Dear friends of Girls Empowerment Network,
As you may have guessed, running a non-profit during a pandemic is no small feat. As we all retreated to our homes this past March and left our Central Texas and Houston offices vacant, 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.
Our team strategized and emerged with the concept of a Spark Kit: 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 hustled and developed a system to produce this kit ultimately reaching more than 1,000 girls in just two months. We invited girls with Spark Kits to join our virtual groups happening three times a day, and guess what? They logged in.
[Spoiler alert!] We will be releasing an executive summary of our 2019-2020 impact very soon. A sneak peek of something you will discover in that report: girls who attended our in-person and/or virtual programs achieved statistically significant gains in self-efficacy!
The discovery that Spark Kits are an effective vehicle for engaging girls in virtual programs which increase their self-efficacy has been profound. We know everyone is “Zoomed out”, but yet we continue to see girls showing up in this space in order to gain access to other girls and work the magical activities of their kits together. It is because of this extraordinary success and the ambiguity of the pandemic we have decided to cancel our We Are Girls Conferences in Austin and Houston for the 2020-2021 school year. In place of our conferences we will be rolling out multiple themed Spark Kits throughout the year, such as a Back-to-School kit (available now!), a 19th Amendment kit, and an advocacy and activism kit.
We are looking forward to engaging you in our programs and activities this next school year. Here’s some of what we have in store:
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Dynamic, innovative, collaborative and culturally responsive Spark Kit content and virtual curriculum to reach 10,000 girls and their families in Texas and beyond
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Virtual (and maybe in-person) Girl Connect in schools across Texas
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Professional development to districts wanting to build self-efficacious classrooms
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Workshops for parents wanting effective tools to communicate with their daughters
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Mission-focused work with our gender justice heroes - the Girl Advocacy League
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Brave space for our staff and board as we continue our racial equity work
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Powerful collaborations with organizations we love
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Camp in Austin, and Pathfinder Leadership Summit in Houston this summer
Don’t miss out. Stay up-to-date at www.girlsempowermentnetwork.org.
There will be ample opportunity for virtual volunteer engagement through Spark Kit decorating, Spark Kit deliveries, Spark Kit letter-writing, virtual Girl Connect support, virtual Power Chats, Girl Advocacy League and the contribution of “how-to” videos for our Grow Girl Grow video series. Sign up to volunteer here.
Additionally, we will be honoring our 25th anniversary in 2021! I am excited to announce we will be dedicating the entire year to the theme of advocacy and activism. Stay tuned for further celebration details and opportunities to join our movement to improve social, educational and health outcomes for Texas girls.
We are grateful for your support as we have navigated this strange time. You have made it possible for us to reach girls in relevant and meaningful ways and thrive as an organization. Despite the ongoing challenges we all face as a nation, we’ll be helping girls discover they are powerful, and we invite you to join our movement.
Stay safe, and “see” you soon -
Julia Cuba Lewis, CEO
#igniteherpower
Event Cancellations & Six Safeguards Against COVID-19
March 13, 2020
[Click here to access the April 7th agency update, including detail on virtual programs & resources.]
Dear friends and family of Girls Empowerment Network,
I want to provide you with an update of six ways we are preventing the spread and stress of COVID-19. We are hearing that the lives of our girls have already been deeply affected by the impact of COVID-19. Their soccer games, school dances, plays, field trips, and extra-curricular activities are canceled. In many cases, their schools have closed. The majority of our girls come from low-income families where their parents/guardians will not have the luxury of remote workspaces and will have a higher risk of being exposed to COVID-19. The stress in their homes is rising and the unfortunate reality is that girls today are already experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety. However, when girls believe in their ability to succeed, they are healthier, and they positively affect the lives of those around them.
Here are six ways we are helping to reduce the spread and stress of COVID-19:
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We are canceling Houston’s We Are Girls Conference, previously scheduled on April 18, 2020. We want to thank the hundreds of volunteers, speakers, donors and Hogg Middle School who helped plan this special day. You are at the heart of our mission and our network is exponentially stronger with you. Ticket-buyers will receive a follow-up email next week with instructions for how to access a full refund. Plans for the 2021 event are under way. Stay updated on our We Are Girls Houston homepage for updates.
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We are also canceling all community events and volunteer engagements through April 20, 2020. If you are currently signed up to attend or volunteer at any event with Girls Empowerment Network, you will receive direct communication about these cancelations. Thank you for signing up to be with us this spring. We won’t forget it.
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We are suspending all school programs through March 30th in order to protect the safety of our staff, our girls and the wider community. We are working to provide online programs for our school-based groups where possible.
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However, we don’t want to lose your engagement with Girls Empowerment Network this spring. We invite you to make empowerment viral, and not empower the virus! We are launching a YouTube playlist called Girl Sparks with short stress-relieving activities you can do with your girl in a school or home setting. Check out our first 60-second episode on how we greet one another with a safe and healthy “The Girls Empowerment Network Greeting” and our “Take Your Emotional Temperature” tutorial.
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We know you may be experiencing a good deal of downtime in the coming weeks, therefore we have also published our “Stress Management Kit” for you to access fun and stress-relieving activities with your girl. Managing stress is key to managing health. We invite you to download the kit to practice these short exercises that will teach your girl how to become empowered through stress-management. We will continue to provide resources in the coming days to support girls and families.
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When you and your girl just need a good movie or book to sink into, get all the best pro-girl media recs by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. We will be sharing all of our favorites.
Of course, with event and program cancellations comes the loss of resources. If you are thinking of ways you can help organizations during this challenging time, please consider Girls Empowerment Network. Even the smallest gift makes it possible for us to help girls become unstoppable.
While the threat of COVID-19 continues to grow in the Texas communities we serve, Girls Empowerment Network will be furthering our mission by taking our educational resources online, testing ourselves for innovation in direct service, and deepening relationships with all of you. We invite you to join us to make empowerment viral and not empower the virus. #GIRLSstrong
Gratefully,
Julia Cuba Lewis
Chief Executive Officer