ALL GIRLS FORWARD:

AWF funding provides in-school, after-school, and summer enrichment programming for girls in grades K-12 in northwest Atlanta. The program model aims to empower economically vulnerable girls with the necessary skills to succeed in school and develop professional skills for their future careers through year-round programming. The strategies and activities supported by AWF include tutoring, mentoring, and academic support in areas such as early learning and achieving 3^rd, 5^th, and 8^th-grade reading and math standards, as well as targeted activities for high school students.

AWF funding supports the expansion of the Cool Scholars program and the continued implementation of their comprehensive Girls Club components, including efforts to recruit more Cool Sister volunteer mentors and provide mental health support for girls. Their programmatic strategy focuses on three key areas: collegiate preparation, mental wellness, and varied Girls Club after-school modules to build awareness around body choice and pregnancy prevention.

AWF funding supports wellness and mental health services, field trips, program supplies, and food. Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta commissioned the expansion of their Mind and Body Initiative in 2020 to be more comprehensive in coordinating activities designed to increase resiliency (the ability to adapt in the face of adversity, tragedy, threats, or significant stress) and protective factors, while reducing stress and anxiety, particularly for those girls with high numbers of adverse childhood experiences.

Funding supports 145 girls during the 2024-25 school year. It provides the tools they need to navigate their changing interest in physical activity, academic perception, and self-image, as well as support their long-term holistic health and wellness. Each girl will join a small team and engage in lessons led by trained volunteer coaches throughout a 12-week season. Each lesson focuses on building social, emotional, and physical skills while encouraging healthy habits for life.

AWF funding provides the Girl Scouts Leadership Experience to 2,000 girls with expressed financial need. The GSLE impacts five critical social-emotional learning criteria for girls’ academic and life outcomes: a strong sense of self, positive values, healthy relationships, challenge-seeking, and community problem-solving. Through the GSLE, they supplement and reinforce what girls learn in school, positively impacting their academic engagement and success.

AWF funding supports the Wraparound Support for Refugee Girls Program, which includes supplemental nutrition and transportation. GVP makes once-monthly deliveries of fresh and nonperishable foods and household supplies to their students and household members. These foods supplement the free breakfast and lunch provided daily to each student and cover unmet needs in some households, thus helping to ensure that students can focus on and fully engage in their studies rather than worrying about food security. With adult family members who work atypical hours, safe and reliable transportation to and from school on the GVP bus— which accommodates not just the school day but also school-sponsored events and activities—is critical for GVP’s educational model and student success.

AWF funding supports the Creciendo Juntas (Girls Growing Together!) Program, a big sister, little sister mentorship program. This program, created specifically for girls, fosters social connections and strengthens access to education, the arts, and mental wellness. A component of the mentorship programs pairs an older “big sister” with a younger “little sister” to foster trust and personal growth. Their leadership team, staff, contractual GA-educators, and community supporters will help to empower young Latinas to thrive academically, emotionally, and culturally.

AWF funding enables Ser Familia to continue to employ a part-time counselor who can serve Latina girls. This counselor will use evidence-based tools to complete an assessment of low-income, vulnerable Latina girls of all ages to create an individual plan for each girl. Services include educational support, enrichment opportunities such as piano and art, mentoring, mental health, dating violence assessments, job readiness, and physical health services through community partnerships.

AWF funding supports adult staff time; teen/near-peer internship payments and leadership stipends for content creation, community facilitation, and participation in our journalism fellowship and leadership accelerator; snacks/meals and transportation for teens (MARTA fare and parking validations); and essential operating expenses like rent and utilities. This grant will enable VOX to further expand and enhance programs and published resources specifically catering to the needs of teen girls, empowering them to navigate mental health challenges, develop leadership skills, and use their voices confidently for their own growth and to impact thousands of their peers.

AWF funding supports Wellspring Living's Girls' Residential Program (GRP) for survivors of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) aged 12-17. This grant will empower participants through education, including STEAM programming, mentorship, career readiness, critical case management, mental health, and life skills services. As a licensed Child Caring Institution, Wellspring Living provides secure residential services to trafficked youth, including confidential living facilities, transportation, meals, direct care oversight, and daily necessities. These services ensure safety and stability, creating an environment where girls can focus on their recovery and development.