Girls Inc. of New York City

Welcome back to school! We're happy to reconvene with our community of young people and educators and we look forward to collaborating on our strong, smart, and bold visions for the year.

This year, we will continue to support the development of the “whole girl," by delivering life-transforming programs on mental health, healthy sexuality, financial literacy, STEM, college and career preparation, and leadership.

We hope our students, staff, and community partners have an amazing school year!

Celebrate your right to vote. Register to vote, or update your registration status, at https://vote.gov.

On this day in 1920, the U.S. Secretary of State certified the 19th Amendment, officially granting women the right to vote in the U.S. Constitution. Yet, in practice, the right to vote isn’t guaranteed.

Through the Civil Rights era of the 1960s, people of color, especially Black people, experienced intimidation and life threatening violence if they dared to vote, and states enacted discriminatory voting requirements effectively barring people of color from voting.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 made states’ discriminatory voting requirements illegal and required states to obtain permission--or “preclearance”--from the U.S. Department of Justice or a court before they could change voting rules.

However, Supreme Court decisions in 2013 and 2021 weakened provisions within the Voting Rights Act. Since 2008, several states have passed restrictive voting laws, making it more burdensome to vote.

Don’t take your right to vote for granted. Register to vote, and vote on November 5.

This summer, high school students joined us for four weeks of financial literacy, college prep, and career exploration. Students learned how to create standout resumes and dress for success, while also diving into the Girls Inc. Bill of Rights. The days were filled with laughter and collaborative group work, while our staff provided guidance along the way. We're so proud of our students and look forward to seeing them work towards turning their aspirations into reality! ✨

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This week, Girls Inc. of NYC staff from sites across the city convene for our annual week-long retreat focused on visioning, community building, and professional development. This year, the atmosphere is especially energized and joyful.

CEO Pam Maraldo opened up the morning session by discussing the importance of the energy we bring as the centerpiece of our leadership. Staff then explored mission-centered storytelling in our work.

As changemakers, we are telling a counter-cultural narrative. Each day, we share our own stories, letting the students we serve know that they don't have to live by an outdated playbook and fear their own greatness. Instead, they are free to be themselves and shine.

This morning, we celebrated International Youth Day with by ringing the opening bell. Thank you IYF for inviting us to this opportunity. We are grateful for your continued partnership in equipping our young leaders--like Melissa, a Georgetown University sophomore, GINYC summer intern, and Project REACH participant--with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to effect change in their communities. Together, we are building the capital of NYC's girls and young women and creating a more equitable future. Happy International Youth Day!

On this , Girls Inc. of New York City celebrates the incredible potential of young people around the world. We are proud to inspire girls to be strong, smart, and bold by delivering life-transforming programs that empower them to break through gender, economic, and social barriers. Together, we are paving the way for a more equitable future, where every girl can thrive and lead. 🌟

With your support, our college and career success program helps students as they navigate the academic, financial, and personal challenges of college and make made their entrance into the workplace. Project REACH, our award-winning, nationally recognized program has resulted in 99% of our students graduating from high school and 86% graduating college, far and away surpassing the national and NYC averages for girls of color from low-income communities.

Jennifer, a 2024 College Shower Student Honoree, shares what's next for her:

"My parents came to the US for a better life and opportunity. My father's first job was in construction and he often shared how much he enjoyed it. He also told me how hard and challenging it can be, and I love being challenged. His tenacity and wisdom inspire me to strive to be like him and to study civil engineering at Manhattan College. I will be the first in my family to attend college, and Girls Inc. of NYC’s College Shower class and financial literacy class helped me prepare for this life-changing experience.

"Girls Inc. of NYC has taught me to love myself. I found my place within a room of empowered young girls dreaming just like I do. Realizing that I could overcome difficulties and find community gives me confidence in my ability to face the academic and social challenges of college. Girls Inc. of NYC has prepared me to confront the big world we live in. I am proud to be strong, smart, and bold."

We invite you to support students like Jennifer in thriving during their first year of college here: https://give.girlsincnyc.org/give/593494/ #!/donation/checkout

In honor of Pride Month, our student Z., 11th grade, shares their story:

"I identify as genderqueer and non-binary (using she/they pronouns), as well as pansexual. I've been part of Girls Inc. of NYC (GINYC) for three years.

"Pride Month is the time when I am at my most visible as a genderqueer and pansexual person. My D.I.Y. ear cuffs, my cuffed jeans, and the plaid shirt around my waist become more of a statement the minute June starts, which is as exhilarating as it is terrifying. I'm more noticeable to people on the street, on trains, and in Central Park. Sometimes they're smiling, sometimes they're confused, sometimes they're avoiding eye contact, and sometimes they're some combination.

"I like to remind myself, though, at the end of the day, at the end of the month, and beyond even then, Pride Month was created for everyone in this community to celebrate ourselves, not for the people who only remember us after 11 months of celebrating heteronormativity and a gender binary.

"I’ve noticed that Girls Inc. of NYC is intentional in including all kinds of identities in its lessons and discussions. I’m used to seeing heteronormativity in everything, with the occasional rainbow ad for Pride Month. Girls Inc. of NYC, however, uses examples that include my experiences as a pansexual and genderqueer person. I’m grateful that Girls Inc. of NYC creates a safe community that nurtures individual growth, celebrates diversity, and challenges stereotypes."

Happy Pride Month! We're proud of our young people who share their authentic selves everyday!

Girls Inc. of NYC is proud to offer a welcoming and inclusive environment for cis- and transgender girls, non-binary youth, LGBTQ2IA+ individuals, those exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity, questioning youth, and any young people who feel that the Girls Inc. pro-girl environment is the best fit for them. Girls Inc. of NYC is a safe space where young people can feel comfortable and secure, expressing themselves freely without fear of harm.

Happy Juneteenth! As we celebrate this important milestone in U.S. history, we reaffirm our commitment to the unfinished work for racial equity and inclusion in our communities. Thank you to our students, staff, and supporters for your continued partnership in this work to dismantle barriers through education.

We are proud to share the accomplishments of Girls Inc. of NYC's Class of 2024! 🎓️🌟
🌟 96% of our students are attending college this fall.
🌟 They are attending top public universities (e.g., CUNY and SUNY schools) and private colleges (e.g., NYU, Princeton, Georgetown, Vanderbilt).
🌟 77% are first generation college students.

Please join us in congratulating the Class of 2024! We invite you to support them in thriving during the first year here: https://give.girlsincnyc.org/give/593494/ #!/donation/checkout

We had an incredible time at our end-of-year event with our middle school students in Astoria! Our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders received heartfelt summer goodbyes from their Girls Inc. of NYC facilitators, celebrated their achievements with special awards, and left with custom tote bags full of goodies. A special shoutout to our graduating 8th graders who proudly received their custom Girls Inc. of NYC hoodies! 🎓👚 The day was filled with music, delicious food, and lots of laughter. Our talented students also wowed us with a series of spectacular dance performances. 💃🕺 Here’s to a fantastic year and an even more amazing summer! 🌟

Thank you for making our 2024 Lifting Girls Up Gala and College Shower our largest and most successful gala yet, raising more support than ever for our programs in mental health, financial literacy, STEM, leadership, and college and career readiness! You can access a recording the program as well as photos here: https://www.girlsincnyc.org/gala2024-highlights

Congratulations to our honorees Academy Award Nominated Actress Annette Bening, Donna Vieira of Sallie Mae, Doris Meister of Wilmington Trust Company, and Priscilla Sims Brown of Amalgamated Bank. Thank you for sharing your words of wisdom with our College Shower student honorees and for modeling what strong, smart, and bold leadership looks like.

During the College Shower, we applauded 25 student honorees who received scholarships ranging from $1,500 to $5,000 and gifts from Lo & Sons, Queen Marie Candles, and Luminary. The students, 20 of whom are first generation, announced the colleges they will attend this fall, which included Princeton, NYU, Howard, Wesleyan, Northwestern, Syracuse, Williams, and Smith.

See more highlights here: https://www.girlsincnyc.org/gala2024-highlights

NYC Civic Corps, launched in 2009, recruits and places AmeriCorps members at select nonprofit organizations to serve full-time from September 2024 to June 2025. Applications for two unique positions at Girls Inc. of New York City are now open! NYC Civic Corps members at Girls Inc. of NYC will engage volunteers to help build college and career pathways for girls of color. Learn more about these opportunities on our website (https://www.girlsincnyc.org/careers), and apply on the NYC Civic Corps website here: https://www.nycservice.org/nyc_civic_corps.

As AAPI Heritage Month comes to an end, we are proud to celebrate Sally, our keynote speaker from last week's College Shower! The daughter of working class immigrants from the Philippines, Sally learned to be independent from a young age while taking care of her sister, who has a neurological disorder. Sally's oldest sister, the first in her family to attend college, was also a Girls Inc. of NYC College Shower honoree 12 years ago.

Planning to attend American University this fall, Sally says that Girls Inc. of NYC has provided her a space to develop her identity through continuing mentorship and programs in mental health, healthy sexuality, financial literacy, and college preparation. While participating in a Girls Inc. of NYC resume workshop, Sally met two professionals, who have since become her mentors and inspired her to pursue a major in finance, and in the longer term, a postgraduate degree such as an MBA or law degree.

You can read Sally's story through here: https://www.girlsincnyc.org/creating-my-unique-identity

If there is one video to watch about our work, let this one be it. Shown at our 25th Anniversary year Lifting Girls Gala, our Build Her Capital video captures the essence of what we do and why it's important. Featuring 1) Tiara, a young professional and GINYC participant from UAI middle school through college at Brown University, 2) Sanjida, a 2023 College Shower honoree and student at Hunter College in Project REACH, our college retention program, 3) Vivian, a Teen Leadership Circle leader and a 2024 College Shower honoree, attending Smith College this fall, and 4) full circle to Anshal, a middle school student at UAI, the same place where Tiara began her Girls Inc. of NYC journey about a decade ago.

For 25 years, Girls Inc. of New York City has invested deeply in the human capital of girls, young women, and gender expansive young people. From operating in 1 school 25 years ago in East Harlem, to now over 160 school partnerships serving more than 10,000 students a year, one thing remains true: If you Build Her Capital, She Will Build The Future.

Lear more about our 3-year growth campaign, Build Her Capital, Build the Future here: https://give.girlsincnyc.org/campaign/build-her-capital-build-the-future/c539133



Producer/Director: Emily Dombroff
Director of Photography: Peter Pavlakis
Editor: Derek Aspenberg

Build Her Capital. Build The Future. Premiered at Girls Inc. of NYC's 2024 Lifting Girls Up Gala and College ShowerFilm by Dombroff ProductionsCinematography by Emily Dombroff and Peter Pavlakis

What do the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, M.M. LaFleur, and LEGOLAND have in common? You can bid on these in our silent auction (https://live.classy.org/auction/gala2024/2377d2a4-7291-4713-bb01-ac73cc5ff171).

Our silent auction is open until Thursday, May 23, 9:15 p.m. Even if you can't attend the gala, you can still bid on family fun at LEGOLAND New York, dinner out at Central Park's Tavern on the Green, Kendyll Hillegas' original artwork featuring rock and roll legends, or a private stylist experience with your best friends at M.M. LaFleur. Don't miss out on the opportunity to bid on these exclusive items and more!

All proceeds from the silent auction and gala go toward our life-transforming programs in STEM, mental health, financial capabilities, healthy sexuality, and college and career readiness.

It's Mental Health Awareness Month! Our research-based, trauma-informed Mind Body Matters program teaches teen girls how to cope with the stressors in their daily lives and find inner peace through practices like meditation, movement, mindfulness, and journaling.

We distributed self-care boxes to 250 students throughout Queens, with support from the Amazin' Mets Foundation. Each box contained items to help recipients ground themselves through their five senses. To accompany the distribution of the self-care boxes, Girls Inc. of NYC hosted workshops on decreasing and managing stress, deepening the impact of these self care boxes equipping students with actionable plans for incorporating the items into self care routines.

Recently, Sallie Mae's Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Donna Vieira appeared on Shark Tank with Shark Tank Alum Christopher Gray to share an update on the future of his scholarship-matching app Scholly. They revealed that Sallie Mae had acquired Scholly–now Scholly by Sallie–and removed the subscription fee so every college-bound student can find information about private scholarships and grants.

Under Donna’s leadership, Sallie Mae has been building out its education solutions business, adding new products and tools to help students navigate the complex process of applying for and securing financial aid. We are proud to honor Donna Vieira at the 2024 Lifting Girls Up Gala and College Shower on May 23. Please join us in congratulating Donna Vieira and her fellow honorees, and wear metallic cocktail attire to commemorate our silver (25th) anniversary! Learn more here: https://www.girlsincnyc.org/gala2024

Save the date! 📅 Next week, on Thursday, May 9, Girls Inc. is launching the first-ever network-wide fundraiser, Girls Inc. Together! 🌟 Join Girls Inc. of NYC and other Girls Inc. affiliates for a virtual 24-hour Giving Day as we celebrate 160 years of girl leaders. Learn more at https://www.girlsinctogether.org/organizations/girls-inc-of-new-york-city

If you can't make it to our Lifting Girls Up Gala and College Shower, this is another way you can show your love for Girls Inc. of NYC!

Yesterday was National College Decision Day when students decided which colleges they will attend this fall! For the past year, through our college and career success program, Project REACH, our students have been preparing for this momentous day from perfecting their personal statements to applying for financial aid.

On March 23, during our 2024 Lifting Girls Up Gala and College Shower, 25 of our smartest, strongest, boldest students will walk up to the podium onstage and announce the colleges they will attend this fall. Several of these students will be the FIRST in their families to attend college.

Please join us in celebrating this unique opportunity to see our mission firsthand! Click the link in our bio to learn more. https://www.girlsincnyc.org/gala2024

Many Girls Inc. of NYC alumnae credit our financial literacy program, Her Future, with building a solid foundation in essential life skills. After participating in Her Future, students reported:

* Understanding strategies for saving money (78%, from 38%)
* Feeling confident in making career and life decisions about money (100%)
* Aspiring to run their own businesses (81%, from 72%)
* Helping family members with financial matters (67%, from 39%)

As a Teen Leadership Circle (TLC) peer leader, Gabi received training on our financial literacy curriculum. During her last two years of high school, she recruited and led Female Force, a group of 30 students that became an important space for fostering community after pandemic isolation. Gabi shared what she learned from her TLC peer leadership training, including foundational financial concepts, such as credit card applications and bank accounts, empowering herself and her peers to make financially savvy decisions as they entered college.

“We had fun role-playing a budgeting simulation,” Gabi said. “We all walked away excited to take control of our finances.

Happy Earth Day! Environmental justice is top of mind for students in Generation Giga Girls (G3), Girls Inc. of New York City's data analytics program that teaches teens to use data and community mapping to analyze environmental protection strategies in their neighborhoods. At this year's G3 Expo, participants came together to receive advocacy training from Jeri Powell, Founder of Take Office, so they can be effective green leaders. In the words of one participant, "I learned how to make my voice be heard by others."

Many thanks to our G3 sponsors, National Grid and Constellation, for their support of our Environmental Justice curriculum.

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April is Financial Literacy Month! Being savvy with our money means being intentional with where spend our money. The Gender Fair app rates how well companies are progressing toward gender equity by examining their leadership, employee policies, advertising practices, diversity reporting, and charitable giving.

Download the app today to help make informed consumer choices and support Girls Inc. of New York City. When you subscribe to the app and enter the code GINY24, will donate 50% of the cost toward our life-transforming programs-- including financial literacy and college and career readiness--for girls and gender-expansive youth across NYC. ⁠

Download the app here (https://www.genderfair.com/campaign/), and please remember to enter code GINY24 when you subscribe for the paid version.
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You're invited to Night at the Casino, hosted by Girls Inc. of NYC's Junior Board. Join us on Thursday, April 11th, at the Arlo Williamsburg for an evening filled with live entertainment, open bar, roulette and more! All proceeds benefit our programs. Purchase tickets, or make a donation, here:
https://give.girlsincnyc.org/event/2024-night-at-the-casino-with-ginyc's-junior-board/e560815

We are thrilled to announce that Vivian W., a Girls Inc. of NYC participant, has been selected as a 2024 Girls Inc. National Scholar! Vivian has been a part of our Teen Leadership Circles (TLC) program since her sophomore year. Last year, she was also a member of last year's Girls Inc. National Teen Advocacy Council.

"Vivian is a rock star peer leader," says Millicen Perez, GINYC's Associate VP of Strategic Partnerships & Special Events. "She embodies what it is to be strong, smart, and bold and is so deserving of this award!"

Congratulations, Vivian!