GIRLS IN THE GAME NFP

At Girls in the Game every girl finds her voice, discovers her strength and leads with confidence through fun and active sports, health, and leadership programs. Our programs serve over 3,600 girls, ages 7-18, each year, reaching over 15 Chicago neighborhoods. We prioritize girls of color from low-income backgrounds who live in under-resourced neighborhoods. At our largest program, After School, participants play sports, learn about healthy lifestyle choices, and improve their leadership skills in an all-girl setting. Ninety-minute sessions take place weekly for three 10-week seasons over the course of the school year. During the program year, participants are engaged in a variety of fitness, health and leadership activities. The curriculum also addresses topics related to bullying, healthy relationships and personal safety. After School provides a safe, non-competitive environment for girls to learn and be physically active. Through Family Nights and field trip opportunities for the whole family, Girls in the Game strives to involve parents and caregivers in our healthy lifestyle curriculum, helping to increase the likelihood that the lessons learned during programming will continue at home.

Girls in the Games teen programs are designed to offer teen girls further opportunities for leadership development.Teen Squad: Teen Squad provides up to 40 teen leaders the opportunity to earn scholarships for college while improving their self-esteem and leadership skills. Members of Teen Squad lead health and leadership workshops for younger girls in the community and participate in fitness activities along with younger participants to set a positive example of healthy living. In exchange, members earn scholarships for higher education and other incentives through a tiered rewards system. In addition to leading workshops for younger girls, Teen Squad members participate in Leader to Leader Interviews where they meet with panels of professionals in a variety of different roles and industries and interview them about their backgrounds and careers. Teens prepare and lead the interview and use the opportunity to educate the panelists about the needs and issues facing teen girls today.Summer Squad: Summer Squad provides leadership training for girls ages 14 to 18. Participants learn coaching skills, while increasing their leadership ability, personal responsibility, time management, and knowledge of healthy lifestyle behaviors.Teen Club: The site-based Teen Club adapts our traditional programming to dive deeper into needed topics. It is used to engage girls ages 14 to 18 who we arent currently reaching through Teen Squad due to family obligations, part-time jobs, or lack of transportation. Teen Club meets girls where they are by entering school spaces to work with teens. We utilize small groups and lunch periods during school time once a week for twelve-week seasons.Teen Residential Programming: We offer teen programming at Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) and Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. This programming adapts our sports, health, and leadership curriculum to allow participants more choice over topics and incorporate trauma-informed approaches such as opening and closing check-in circles. Programming at JTDC is offered year-round and programming at Mercy Home occurs during the school year.