Girls Inc is a national organization celebrating 150 years of affiliation. The network of local Girls Inc. nonprofit organizations serves 136,000 girls annually at over 1,400 sites in 350 cities across the United States and Canada.

Since 1961, Girls Incorporated of Pinellas (formerly known as Girls Club) has made an impact on young women through our academic enrichment and support programs, life skills instruction, and activities focused on healthy living. As the “best place for girls ages 5-18”, our organization is licensed by the Pinellas County Licensing Board and we serve close to 400 girls each year in our after school program, Spring Break Camp, and Operation SMART Summer Camp. Our programs include curriculum that is research based and it is delivered by trained, professional mentors. It is designed to equip girls to achieve academically; lead healthy and physically active lives; manage money; navigate media messages; and discover an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math.

• We emphasize literacy, art, health, and wellness.
• We promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education.
• We address social issues like anti-bullying, violence prevention, and media awareness.
• We have tutoring available twice a week during our after school program.
• We provide hot meals and nutritious snacks in our Kid’s Café throughout the year.
• We are able to offer limited scholarships and tuition assistance based on family need.

The essential elements of the Girls Inc. Experience are:

• A pro-girl and girls-only environment that is physically, socially and emotionally safe and confirms that girls can succeed and deserve to be taken seriously for the persons they are now and the women they will become.
• Trusting, mentoring relationships with adult staff and volunteers trained in an approach that is grounded in a belief in girls’ rights and abilities.
• Holistic, compensatory, and intentional programming focused on girls’ needs and that provides exposure to a wide variety of experiences and options that girls might not have experienced otherwise.
• Relevant, field-tested, and research-based curricula that confront the serious needs of girls while building the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to enable girls to be competent, confident individuals and adult women.
• Girl-centered, motivating, deliberate, and interactive activities that develop and promote girls’ strengths.
• Sustained exposure to programming and connection with a girl over time to increase positive outcomes and reduce the potential for negative outcomes.

The Girls Inc. Experience offers girls an environment with a unique set of privileges, known as the Girls Inc Bill of Rights.

• Girls have the right to be themselves and to resist gender stereotypes.
• Girls have the right to express themselves with originality and enthusiasm.
• Girls have the right to take risks, to strive freely, and to take pride in success.
• Girls have the right to accept and appreciate their bodies.
• Girls have the right to have confidence in themselves and to be safe in the world.
• Girls have the right to prepare for interesting work and economic independence.

Girls Inc. delivers life-changing programs that inspire girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Our Theory of Change is that the Girls Inc. experience equips girls to navigate gender, economic and social barriers and grow into healthy, educated and independent adults. What do we mean by ‘Strong, Smart, and Bold?’

• Strong – Healthy
  Makes healthy choices
  Manages reproductive health
  Has healthy relationships
  Has sound body image.

• Smart – Educated
  Motivated to achieve
  Improved academic performance
  Graduates from high school and has post-secondary education
  Sets & achieves personal, educational and career goals.

• Bold – Independent
  Uses own voice & advocates for others
  Is resilient
  Has resistance skills
  Ability to regulate emotion
  Knowledge of life skills application.