The Girls Inc. Experience
Our programs are developed in conjunction with the Girls Inc. National Resource Center – the largest and most comprehensive research center on girls in the country. These informal education programs encourage girls to take risks and master physical, intellectual and emotional challenges. Girls will have the opportunity to engage with math and science education, health and sexuality, drug abuse prevention, media literacy, economic literacy, adolescent health, violence prevention, communication, conflict resolution, and sports participation. At Girls Inc., we’re not after school care; we’re positive youth development!
What Happens during a Typical Day?
Girls arrive at the Girls Inc. facility and will be greeted by trained staff, who will separate the girls into age appropriate groups. All girls will be provided with a healthy snack, and have free time to decompress to then shift gears to begin academic support. Academic support is a time for homework, journaling, a time to play an educational game in the computer lab, read or do math puzzles, with supervision by our trained staff.
Girls then move with others in their grade level into Girls Inc. program time where they will learn, develop resiliency, get involved in their community, build friendships, strengthen their capabilities as critical thinkers, build confidence, and be advocates for themselves. Each week girls will have the opportunity to engage in different Girls Inc. programs that help them to develop STRONG - healthy living - SMART - academic - and BOLD - leadership and life - SKILLS.
Each day will close with Program Facilitators leading girls in project stations which include: Make & Take crafts, science experiments, physical activities, games, outdoor activities, and other creative projects that girls request!
When Does the Girls Inc. Experience Run?
When the school day ends, we begin! Program semesters will run during the Fall, Winter, and Spring, with limited full-day opportunities during teacher professional development days and school holidays. (Members will be advised of these special days in advance and pre-registration will be required.)
The Girls Inc. Experience is open from 3pm - 6:00pm Monday- Friday
3/3:30 - 4:00 pm Academic Enrichment and Homework Help (informal transition time, healthy snack)
4:00 - 5:00 pm Girls Inc. Experience Programs:
Monday: Mind + Body
The Girls Inc. Mind+Body Initiative supports and promotes the whole health of girls ages 6 to 18, using a philosophy which recognizes that many factors, including physical and mental wellness, contribute to girls’ health. Consequently, the Initiative focuses on four critical content areas:
Physical Activity
Body Image
Nutrition
Stress Management
Tuesday: Economic Literacy
Learning how to manage, save, and invest money, understand wants vs. needs, and even tackle topics such as taxes and global economics.
Wednesday: Operation SMART
Girls Inc. Operation SMART develops girls’ enthusiasm for and skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through hands-on activities, girls explore, ask questions, persist, and solve problems.
Thursday: Specialty Day
Friday: Stepping Stones
Steppingstones, a component of Girls Inc. Sporting Chance encourages fun movement and supports girls in building the large motor skills that are used in sports, giving girls confidence in their bodies, and the foundation for eventually participating in physical activities such as sports, dance, and gymnastics. Steppingstones shows girls that movement and physical activity can be fun, and that sports are for girls!
5:00 - 5:50 pm Project Time - Fun and creative "Make and Take Crafts" based on the topic for the day, On Thursdays, the GIE opens earlier and will feature special projects, field trips or special guests in addition to Academic Enrichment and Girls Inc. Programming.
You must have an active membership to enroll in the Girls Inc. Experience; your membership fee is good for a year. There is a per week fee for the Girls Inc. Experience, and monthly fees for dance and gymnastic programs. Monthly payment options are available, and sliding scale fees are available to families who qualify. Please refer to the Registration page for a full listing of fees and for information on how to apply for the sliding scale fees.
*NOTE: Girls Inc. is not a licensed child care facility. Girls Inc. provides academic enrichment and positive youth development programming. All participants must be registered in advance for each programming block; walk-ins are not allowed.
At this time we offer complimentary transportation from the following schools Israel Putnam, and Nathan Hale on a first come first serve basis.
How Do I Enroll?
Registration is currently open and will remain open until each age/grade level group is full. In order to ensure that each girl receives personal attention from our staff mentors, and is a space that is safe physically and emotionally, age group sizes will be limited to about 12. If needed, some exceptions for siblings or previous attendees will be granted, but no group will exceed 15.
If you would like to request sliding scale fees, please complete the application and provide proof of income (for example W2’s, 2 current paycheck stubs, a letter from an employer, unemployment benefits doc, etc. If applicable, please provide both guardians’ proof of income. If you have any questions regarding other documentation please reach out.)