BRIGHT SPOT: GIRLS INC. OF GREATER ATLANTA, Georgia
The Marietta City Schools district contacted Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta in July 2020, reaching out to find resources for teachers and parents and looking for a safe place for kids to go in the fall. What began as a request for information and physical space turned into an extensive all-day, everyday program for primary school girls. The program, called Girls Inc. University, has a capacity of 140, and serves youth, in person, from three different school districts, 7:30 am to 6 pm, Monday through Friday. “This is a different model for Girls Inc.,” says CEO Tiffany Collie-Bailey. Instead of Girls Inc.-led programming being offered after school for a few hours, the program is held throughout the entire day, adheres strictly to the schools’ schedules, and is based on both school- and Girls Inc.- curricula and content.
The program provides needed teaching support to participants, especially regarding technology. Kenya Turner, Program Manager, notes that among the youth in the program, there is a deficit in comfort and skill when interacting with computers. This is a definite barrier to learning in a remote environment. Because of its individualized supports and one-to-four staff to student ratio, Girls Inc. University helps girls gain those requisite computer skills so that they can then engage with their electronic-based classes and assignments. The program “really allows us to give our girls one-on-one support. And to really see what they understand and what they don’t understand. They can gain the comprehension skills that they need,” Collie-Bailey adds.
Building technological competency is reinforced by Girls Inc. programming. One of the girls’ projects, in collaboration with Fair Count, is to create stop-motion Public Service Announcements about the 2020 Census. The videos will be later released through social media. Ultimately, says Collie-Bailey, the individual attention the girls receive “is filling a gap” between the skills the girls need to attend online schooling and the skills that they have.
ONE ORGANIZATION, MULTIPLE PARTNERSHIPS
Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta is also leveraging its previous pre-pandemic relationships with schools in the Metro Atlanta area to offer Girls Inc. programming. In the 2019–2020 academic year, the organization had partnerships with 15 different schools. Of these, they are currently in partnerships with four, still wanting to maintain and grow their relationships with schools and students. Girls Inc. leads an in-school time STEM program in which participants create healthy choices and wellness messages using stop-motion animation. The program is offered once a week, during the schools’ independent study days.
The program is currently offered online, and Girls Inc. remains committed to creating a safe learning environment for girls facilitated by a caring adult. Part of the new approach of distanced teaching and learning is figuring “out how to give that same type of love and care” that is ingrained in their in-person model, explains Collie-Bailey. In the coming months, depending on guidance from the schools, the program can pivot to an in-person or to a hybrid model.
Girls Inc. University is one of many examples highlighted in the new Bright Spots Collection, funded by the SD Bechtel Jr. Foundation. The collection will be live in a few weeks, and complements and extends the work of the Readiness Projects by offering examples of the ideas and strategies promoted by social sector partnerships. In the meantime, we’ll feature Bright Spots in a special series on this blog. If you have one you want us to check out, leave a response below or email us at brightspots@collaborativecommunications.com.
