GIRLS INCORPORATED OF ALAMEDA COUNTY

ELEMENTARY PROGRAMSWE ENVISION A WORLD WHERE EVERY GIRL FEELS VALUED, SAFE, AND PREPARED TO ACHIEVE HER DREAMS. WE FOCUS ON THE WHOLE GIRL FROM AGE 5-18: HER HEALTH, EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT AS A LEADER. OUR CONTINUUM OF ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS IS OFFERED AT NO COST, TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION. IN THE EARLY SCHOOL YEARS, GIRLS BEGIN TO DEVELOP CONFIDENCE AS LEARNERS, AND BUILD THE FOUNDATION FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS. THEY ALSO FORM ATTITUDES ABOUT THEMSELVES IN RELATION TO SCHOOL AND THEIR PEERS, FAMILY, AND SOCIAL GROUPS THAT CAN LAST THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES.GIRLS INC. SUPPORTS ELEMENTARY GIRLS' SUCCESS BY HELPING THEM MASTER FOUNDATIONAL ACADEMIC SKILLS, PRACTICE HEALTHY BEHAVIORS, AND BUILD POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS AND ADULTS. GIRLS BEGIN TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS READERS WHILE ACTING OUT CHARACTERS FROM CULTURALLY-RELEVANT BOOKS, WONDER OVER STEAM IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES AS THEY ENGAGE IN "JUMP ROPE MATH AND "SCHOOLYARD BUG SCIENCE, AND EXPLORE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS AND STAFF.CORE COMPONENTS ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT: LITERACY, LIFE SCIENCE, BASIC CAREER EXPLORATION HEALTHY LIVING: NUTRITION, SPORTS, PREADOLESCENT HEALTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: CONFIDENCE, RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS AND ADULTS, POSITIVE SELF AND COMMUNITY IMAGES, POSITIVE RISK-TAKING BOYS' PROGRAMMING: DUE TO THE OUTSTANDING RESULTS OF OUR LITERACY PROGRAMMING, GIRLS INC. WAS ASKED BY SOME PARTNER SCHOOLS TO SERVE BOYS, TOO, SO ALL STUDENTS CAN REACH GRADE-LEVEL READING. WE DO SO IN SAME-GENDER SETTINGS.-GIRLSTART LITERACY PROGRAM (GRADES K-3): PROVIDING GIRLS AND BOYS IN GENDER-RESPONSIVE SETTINGS - WITH A STRONG LITERACY FOUNDATION FOR THEIR SCHOOL YEARS AND BEYOND. WE HAVE EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATING THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF OUR PROGRAMS. PARTICIPANTS ARE REFERRED DUE TO BELOW-GRADE-LEVEL LITERACY, AND INCREASE THEIR SPELLING, WRITING, SPEAKING, AND READING LEVELS, THUS CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP TO FUTURE ACADEMIC SUCCESS.-TEAM (TOGETHER EMPOWERED AND ACADEMICALLY MOTIVATED) FOR 4TH-5TH GRADERS, WHO PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES INCLUDING BOOK CLUBS WITH ACADEMIC DISCUSSION AND INTENTIONAL EXTENSION ACTIVITIES, INDEPENDENT READING AND EXPLORATION OF COMPLEX TEXT USING NON-FICTION ARTICLES. EACH ACADEMIC HOUR COMPONENT COMPLEMENTS SCHOOL DAY LEARNING IN A FUN, ENRICHING WAY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF YOUTH IN AN AFTERSCHOOL ENVIRONMENT. TEAM INCLUDES HANDS-ON ENRICHMENT AND/OR COMMUNITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES CHOSEN TO MEET THE UNIQUE NEEDS, INTERESTS AND GROUP DYNAMIC OF EACH INDIVIDUAL CLASS. -STEAM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ART, AND MATH) PROVIDE HIGH-QUALITY, HANDS-ON LEARNING TO BUILD YOUTH CONFIDENCE IN APPLYING DESIGN SKILLS, IMPROVE ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND BOOST INTEREST IN STUDYING STEAM TOPICS.-CONCORDIA PARK SUMMER PROGRAM ALSO RESUMED IN PERSON PROGRAMMING AT OUR SITE IN EAST OAKLAND. THE PROGRAM RAN FOR 1ST - 8TH GRADE WHICH INCLUDED FIELD TRIPS, STEAM, LITERACY, AND ACTIVITY.

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAMSIN MIDDLE SCHOOL, GIRLS LEARN TO ASSERT AND EXPRESS THEMSELVES, DEVELOP THEIR SELF-IMAGE, AND BEGIN TO DEFINE THEIR OWN MORALS AND VALUES. THEY ALSO LOOK FOR CONNECTIONS BETWEEN CLASSROOM LEARNING AND THE WORLD AROUND THEM. THE MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS ARE A CHALLENGING TIME FOR MANY GIRLS, AS THEY ARE DEVELOPING THEIR IDENTITY WHILE FACING MANY NEGATIVE MESSAGES.GIRLS INC. SUPPORTS MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS' SUCCESS BY PROVIDING A WIDE RANGE OF PHYSICAL AND INTELLECTUAL ACTIVITIES TO EXPLORE, PROMOTING SUSTAINED AND INCREASED INTEREST IN STEAM, AND GIVING GIRLS OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE AS THEY THINK ABOUT THEIR FUTURE. GIRLS TRY BIKE RIDING AND HIKING AND LEARN ABOUT MEDIA MESSAGES AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH; ENGAGE IN HANDS-ON STEAM PROJECTS AND CONNECT WITH FEMALE STEAM PROFESSIONALS; AND TALK ABOUT HOW TO MOVE INTO A SAFE AND SUCCESSFUL FUTURE POST-HIGH SCHOOL.CORE COMPONENTS ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT: STEAM PROJECTS, TUTORING, COLLEGE PREP, CAREER EXPLORATION HEALTHY LIVING: NUTRITION AND COOKING, BODY IMAGE, SPORTS AND FITNESS, MINDFULNESS, YOGA, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: CRITICAL THINKING, DEVELOPING VOICE, PROBLEM SOLVING, RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS AND ADULTS, POSITIVE RISK-TAKINGFOR THE 24-25 SCHOOL YEAR, THE FOCUS OF OUR PROGRAMS REMAINED THE SAME. MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAMS INCLUDE:-ALL STARS (SPORTS, TECHNOLOGY, ACADEMICS, RESPONSIBILITY, SISTERHOOD) (GRADES 6-8): EMPOWERING GIRLS TO DEVELOP THEIR CAPABILITIES THROUGH TECHNOLOGY, ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT, CAREER EXPLORATION, LEADERSHIP, SISTERHOOD, FITNESS AND TEAM-BUILDING ACTIVITIES.-EUREKA! TEEN ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM (GRADES 8-12): FOSTERING GIRLS'INTEREST IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH, PROVIDING THEM WITH VALUABLE SUMMER INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, AND PREPARING THEM FOR COLLEGE DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR AND DURING THE SUMMER.-- WE LEAD IS A LEADERSHIP CURRICULUM FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL PARTICIPANTS THAT OFFERS A BALANCE OF STRENGTH-BUILDING ACTIVITIES AND IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS ON IMPORTANT TOPICS LIKE LEADERSHIP STYLES AND ALLYSHIP. PARTICIPANTS LEARN TO EMBRACE THEIR LEADERSHIP SUPERPOWERS AND REJECT LIMITING PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS OF WHAT GIRLS CAN DO. THE CURRICULUM WILL ALSO INCLUDE FIELD TRIP OFFERINGS AND HEALTH AND WELLNESS EDUCATION.GIRLS RESOURCE CENTER (GRADES 6-12): A DOWNTOWN OAKLAND HUB WHERE GIRLS ACCESS INNOVATIVE AND RESPONSIVE SERVICES AND PROGRAMMING. GIRLS ARE OFFERED OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE POSITIVE RISK IN EXPLORING ADVENTURE SPORTS, LEARN SELF-DEFENSE PRINCIPLES, BECOME THE NEXT GENERATION OF WOMEN RECORDING ARTISTS AND ENGINEERS, LEARN ABOUT NUTRITION AND HEALTHY EATING, WORKOUT IN THE FITNESS CENTER, PARTICIPATE IN YOGA, DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND CREATE CHANGE WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION, GIRLS MAKE NEW FRIENDS, BECOME MORE CONFIDENT, FIND THEIR OWN VOICE, AND RECEIVE ACADEMIC SUPPORT AND COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS IN A POSITIVE ALLGIRL SPACE.GIRLS IN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAMS REPORT INCREASED CONFIDENCE AND INTEREST IN STEAM LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND CAREER EXPLORATION, PAVING THE WAY TO A COMMITMENT TO LEARNING.