CITY OF ARLINGTON | Grants Management Annual Report 2024 19
Girls Inc : Empowering Strong , Smart , and Bold Leaders
The mission of Girls Inc . of Tarrant County is to inspire all girls to be strong , smart , and bold . The target area / population for the CDBG grant are at-risk girls ages 5-18 from low-income families in East Arlington and Central Arlington . The girls at Girls Inc . not only learn lifelong skills while participating in our Academic Achievers , Girl Power and Friendly PEERsuasion programs they also form a sisterhood with other girls .
One goal at Girls Inc . is for their girls to plan / prepare for the future . They helped the girls start thinking about their short and long-term goals . They provide them with a SMART ( specific , measurable , achievable , relevant , timely ) goal worksheet to help them break down each step of what they needed to accomplish their objectives .
Many girls shared college and career goals and expressed that the worksheet helped them better understand how they can get to where they want to be . Social-emotional learning is a large component of their curriculum . One thing Girls Inc . strives for is to have their participants develop self-awareness , as well as positive coping mechanisms , so that they can handle the stressors of life . In one lesson , they had the girls work on an activity where they wrote about the things that cause them to feel stressed and what their current coping mechanisms are .
When children / youth learn healthy ways to manage stress , they become adults with proper coping skills . Girls Inc . had many successful events this school year , including a growth mindset event where they had more than 30 attendees from Arlington schools . They focused on the importance of maintaining a positive attitude and growth mindset , and that although we may face challenges and setbacks in life we can grow from these obstacles .
The girls were provided with supplies to start their own herb garden and planted seeds in a jar to represent their own growth . Participants have the chance to learn , grow and become stronger , smarter , and bolder each day through incorporating the lessons from Girls , Inc . PEERsuasion curriculum and applying it in their everyday lives . Girls have learned so much about integrating their love of the Arts into their growing passions for future careers and success . All the girls participated in a Painting Event at the local office and were able to show off their artistic talents and personal perspectives . Girls Inc . prides itself on teaching girls how to become a positive person in their homes , schools , and community .