Girls Inc of Greater SB & Girls Inc Carpinteria Working to Keep Our Girls & Teens Strong, Smart, and Bold
This is the motto of Girls Inc, founded in 1864 as a movement called the Girls Club of America in Waterbury, CT, and tasked itself to help young women migrating from rural areas to find a job after the Civil War. Fourteen charter clubs were joined into a national organization [1945] by Rachel Harris Johnson, and changed its name to Girls Inc in 1990. Its mission stays to this day, with Stephanie Hull as CEO and President.
In our town we have two local chapters led by Jennifer A. Faust CEO of Girls Inc of Greater Santa Barbara and Jamie Balch Collins Executive Director Girls Inc of Carpinteria. Faust has 25 years of experience as a women’s leadership advocate, policy expert and women’s leadership coach, and holds a BBA with honors from George Washington University and MS with Distinction from The London School of Economics and Political Science. Collins, formerly the VP of Operations for the United Boys and Girls Clubs of SBC, has been with Girls Inc Carp for three years. She is also a commissioner with the County of Santa Barbara Commission for Women and Girls and holds a BA in Sociology and Gender Studies from the University of the Pacific.
Faust and Collins recently reviewed two data-based reports on young girls, teens and women in the U.S. and California: The Mt St. Mary’s University LA’s annual report on the Status of Women and Girls in California 2023, and the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary Trends Report 2023. The first report shows California is home to 1.5 million women-owned businesses, the most in the U.S.; women still make 88 cents per dollar than all men in all occupations for the same work; and the poverty rate of women would drop by 40% if the wage gap didn’t exist. The CDC’s report focuses on sexual behavior, substance use, experiences of violence, mental health, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, social determinants of health, such as unstable housing, and protective factors, such as school connectedness and parental monitoring. Its data showed that, “…many of the same behaviors and experiences that were moving in the wrong direction before the pandemic continued to worsen, and young people are experiencing a level of trauma and distress that requires action.”
[ref: https://www.msmu.edu/newsroom/news-articles/2023/report-on-the-status-of-women-and-girls-2023/ and https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/yrbs_data_summary_and_trends.htm]
Here are their statements on what Girl’s Inc provides as a solution to both reports and ways to join:
Collins: As the Executive Director for Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, and a commissioner with the County of Santa Barbara Commission for Women and Girls, I have a commitment and passion to ensure that every child, especially every girl, is set up for success. When I read the CDC report I was deeply concerned about our next generation of leaders. The report reveals that teen girls face a crisis of violence and trauma, leading to record levels of hopelessness, sadness, and suicide risk. The situation is dire, and we must take immediate action to support these girls and protect their well-being. Through Girls Inc.’s mentoring connections, intentional programs, and sustained exposure- we have that opportunity. We equip girls with the skills and knowledge they need to navigate barriers, so they grow up healthy, educated, and independent.
The programs we offer at Girls Inc. focus on providing resources to overcome challenges. We are committed to increasing access to mental health and wellness support for students in our communities, and we are combatting the persistent stigma surrounding mental health. In this past year, through funding from the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara, we have been able to launch our mental health art therapies program. Every week girls are exposed to different creative arts that help girls express their feelings, work through emotions, and introduce them to new mediums. Our dedicated marriage & family therapist, who holds an emphasis in art, guides the girls through the creative process while paying close attention to the work- she then can reach out to girls who may need additional support or refer them out to partner agencies.
In Carpinteria we develop our programs to respond to the needs of our community, our staff are professionally trained to facilitate lessons with our girls that are age appropriate, hands-on, and engaging. Based off community assessments throughout the years our programs in Carpinteria, in partnership with our school district, ensure girls are on track to read by 3rd grade through our literacy program, as well we provide comprehensive healthy sexuality programming built on a foundation of accurate information, cultural sensitivity, and values of inclusiveness and respect. In addition, we focus on sports introduction outreach and through our five-year expanding learning Eureka! Program we ensure girls are set up to pursue post- secondary dreams and be leaders in our future.
At the recent report on the Status of Women and Girls in California, it was evident that education plays a vital role in solving gender equity and economic recovery. One of the stand-out programs of the Carpinteria affiliate is Eureka!, an expanded learning five-year program that emphasizes college readiness and builds girls’ confidence and skills through hands-on opportunities, with a focus on introducing girls to careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. The program is designed to help girls overcome barriers to their achievement by providing a continual support system along with opportunities to develop the skills, knowledge, and attitudes they need to thrive. Eureka! members have traveled to Washington DC to meet elected officials and lobby on issues important to them, participated in externships, in addition to other college and career preparation opportunities
Girls Inc. is a key player to ensure that girls will be ready to step into key leadership positions and take their seat at the table through living our mission of being strong, smart, and bold. Girls Inc. of Carpinteria currently serves more than 1100 youth in the Carpinteria Valley, from Pre-K through 12th grade.
Faust: Girls Inc. specializes in program curricula that we call the “Girls Inc. Experience” that address all of the issues in the CDC report. We actively partner with other community collaborators and the schools to bring added support our teen girls and youth. Our research shows us that Girls Inc. is making progress on some of the toughest issues girls face—but all of us working in this field still have room to improve, especially in our work with girls of color, LBGTQ+ girls, and low-income girls. All girls deserve equity of access to wellbeing and opportunity, and we have to see the whole girl, in her context and community. That’s what Girls Inc. has always done, and we believe that’s a key to the success we’ve achieved.
We concentrate on an approach that hinges on 3 elements that are critical to our successful outcomes: People: Trained staff and volunteers who build lasting, mentoring relationships. Our staff take the time to engage with families, encourage girls to pursue leadership positions, and serve as role models; Environment:Girls-only, pro-girl, physically and emotionally safe; where there is a sisterhood of support, high expectations, and mutual respect; and Evidence-based programming:Our evidence-based programming is delivered by trained professionals who focus on the development of the whole girl, supporting, mentoring, and guiding girls in an affirming, pro-girl environment. Girls learn to value their whole selves, discover and develop their inherent strengths, and receive the support they need to navigate the challenges they face.
As part of the Girls Inc. Experience, our youth at every age group participate in age- appropriate versions of the following classes:
Friendly PEERsuasion builds girls’ skills for resisting pressure to use harmful substances such as alcohol, tobacco, household chemicals, and other drugs.
Healthy Sexuality assists girls in understanding and embracing sexuality with a positive, empowered approach that is built on a foundation of accurate information, cultural sensitivity, and values of inclusiveness and respect.
Project BOLD strengthens girls’ abilities to lead safer lives by developing strategies for self-defense, seeking out caring adults to help with personal violence, and advocating on violence issues.
Leadership and Community Action builds leadership skills and creates lasting social change by partnering girls and women in community action projects chosen by girls.
Economic Literacy introduces girls to basic economic and financial concepts, including money management, investments, and global economics.
Media Literacy encourages girls to think critically about media messages and fosters their awareness of the power of the media and its effects on girls.
We partner with funders, peer community organizations and the Lompoc-district, Goleta- district, and Santa Barbara-district schools. Our teens received the “Youth Making Change Grant” from the Fund for Santa Barbara to host a Mental Health Summit on August 5, 2023 at our Teen Center. It will address mental health topics that affect girls/teens in our community. Topics they hope to cover are Body Neutrality, Social Media and the Impacts on Self-Esteem, Eating Disorders, Reducing Stigma Around Mental Health, Suicide Prevention, and Healthy relationships. We will partner with YouthWell, Pacific Pride, CALM, What is Love? and Goleta Valley Junior High School, La Colina Junior High School, Santa Barbara Junior High School, Dos Pueblos Innovate and Maple High School Lompoc.
For programming accountability, we regularly conduct survey research with the participants to measure our own impact around the Strong-Smart-Bold curriculum and share it across the network. All of the Girls Inc.’s do this annually in concert with our National office research team.
For participants in the Girls Inc. Experience programs, youth have to be girl-identifying and ages 4 ½ – 18. We also offer co-ed gymnastics so we serve all genders there. We have sliding scale fees that are income-based and subsidize the cost of participation for many of our families.
411: For more on joining and supporting Girls Inc visit their website and social
