Find out more about the programs offered by Girls Inc. of Bristol. We offer many programs from the national club as well as several more unique to our chapter.

Girls Inc. Programs


Careers and Life Planning

She’s on the Money is a component, for girls ages 6 to 8, that compromises activities around economic and financial topics such as identifying and counting money, using banks, saving for the future, planning for a career, differentiating between wants and needs, donating and volunteering, comparison shopping, taxes and government services, and global economics. These activities can be integrated into other programs, and can be delivered in a variety of settings.

Futures and Options is a component, for girls ages 15 to 18, that covers economic and financial topics such as attitudes and values about money, career strategies, worker rights, taxes and other paycheck deductions, planning and budgeting, banking, using credit, shopping tips, renting vs. buying, avoiding predatory lenders and other financial traps, and investment options. These activities can be integrated into other programs, and can be delivered in a variety of settings.

Life Empowerment Action Planning (LEAP) is a program for 6 to 18 year old girls. LEAP is a journaling activity which is done twice a year with significant planning and involvement of adults. This formalized opportunity to reflect on and write about what is going on in a girls life, includes mentors, parents, the Girls Bill of Rights and it emphasizes the development of academic skills. This activity is best done with girls who can be involved for several years. LEAP is a center based program. LEAP requires knowledge of the Girls Bill of Rights, a journal, involvement of parents and a skilled facilitator familiar with group dynamics.

My Girlfriend Zelda is an anatomy and physiology introductory program for 6 to 8 year olds. The curriculum is designed for eight sessions using s specially designed doll, Zelda. Instructors need not be health professionals but should have a strong interest in human anatomy. Very few special space or equipment accommodations are required. Supply lists and easy follow session outlines are available.

Dollar, Sense, and Me is a component, for girls ages 9 to 11, that compromises activities around economic and financial concepts such as recognizing and counting money, exchanging goods and services, investing in the stock market, and volunteering and donating. The curriculum also covers entrepreneurship, career planning, budgeting, writing checks, taxes and government services, and labor and management. These activities can be integrated into other programs, and can be delivered in a variety of settings.

Equal Earners Savvy Spenders is a component, for girls ages 12 to14, that covers economic and financial topics such as wants and needs, career development, banking skills, loan options, credit cards, investment risk vs. return, consumer tips, media literacy, labor laws, taxes and government services, philanthropy, global economics, and fitting a career into a full well rounded life. These activities can be integrated into other programs, and can be delivered in a variety of settings.

Material Girls is for 12 to 15 year old girls and introduces girls to architecture and construction. This program is offered weekly of six weeks to a group of 10 to 12 girls. This program is also ideal for a daily summer program offered 4 to 5 hours per day for 1 week. The guide includes step by step instructions for either model. Indoor space needs to be large enough for the projects and provide flat work on surfaces. It is important to have outdoor space available as well. It is facilitated by a local architect or skilled professional and a Girls Inc. staff member trained in Girls Inc. philosophy and programming. There are activities which require tools and supervision. A tool and supply list is included in the curriculum guide.


Health & Sexuality

Health Bridge is not an age specific component, but rather a delivery model for linking girls of all ages to the community health-care services. It is a guide for assessing and then addressing girls’ needs. Its goal is to connect girls to holistic, personal contact with health-care providers for comprehensive health services including basic mental and physical health care, including reproductive health care.

Bone Zone is a special project designed to promote bone health for girls ages 9-12. There are 9 activities which can be used as a cohesive curriculum implemented from start to finish; or, you can incorporate some or all of the activities into a pre-existing sports program. Exercise equipment and art supplies required, fitness equipment may be bought or made, activities require space to move around and to do art projects.

Bridges: Participants focus on the skills and strategies of four sports: softball (throwing, catching, and striking); soccer (Kicking and agility); basketball (shooting and teamwork); and tennis (striking and individual competence). 60 hours of sports participation activities the first ten sessions in each unit can be reorganized in any order. A movement education and/or sports background is ideal; ‘can do attitude’, and ability to project a healthy image for girls. Most bridges activities can be done on a large open field, unused parking lot or playground.

I Too Have a Dream is an intergenerational poetry program for Girls ages 9 to 12 with adult women. The 14 week session held twice a week over 7 weeks 75 – 90 minutes. It can be held in many different settings and does not require special accommodations, but must be comfortable and quiet. The facilitator must be someone who appreciates poetry but need not be a poet. The facilitator will be required to do quite a bit of work outside of the sessions. The sessions culminate in a Poetry Reading.

Will Power Won’t Power is a 10-session component for girls ages 12 to 14. Girls learn why and how to postpone sex by recognizing, exploring, and practicing attitudes and skills for dealing with sexuality issues as they enter their most pressure-sensitive years. This program is frequently delivered in schools during the school day, and is best if sequential. However, many components can be integrated into longer or shorter sessions. Adolescent development and sex education experience and/or training strongly recommended.

Friendly PEERsuasion is a component that responds to the needs of girls ages 11-14 by approaching drug abuse prevention as a peer issue, using the positive influence of young people modeling healthy behavior. The program begins by helping girls deal with the influences of peers. Participants build communication skills, recognize stress, and respond to stress in healthy ways: three abilities that form the basis upon which decision making and resistance skills are built. A relationship with the schools, the opportunity to pair older girls with younger girls and trained facilitators are essential.

Taking Care of Business is a component for girls ages 15-18 that includes a series of 10 interactive, skill building sessions that focus on the motivation and skills needed to avoid early pregnancy.

Girls Inc. of Bristol Programs

Adventures in the Kitchen is an extension of our Take our Girls to Work program that has been carried on to include careers that can develop from normal domestic engineering. This program is designed to get girls thinking about careers doing things that they are already good at and the exploration of careers in the culinary arts.

Girls Idol was a locally developed program that inspired girls to step out of the box and sing. The American Idol show was so big and there were so many people that had stepped up that did not have a great deal of talent but was strong enough to be vulnerable in front of a national audience. This takes a strong, smart and bold person.

Scrubby Bear is a personal hygiene program that teaches the girls about what germs are where they live and how to properly keep your body clean in order to be germ free.

Whale Tales is a water safety program that teaches girls about the importance of following the rules when in and around water sports.

Bulge Busters is a health and fitness program that encourages girls to become active and fit through exercise and proper nutrition.

Signs Tobacco and You is a tobacco awareness program that informs and teaches girls about the harmful affects that smoking can have on their bodies and the environment they live in.

Teen Talk is a program that takes national issues and enables girls to express themselves in a control forum. They are able to speak freely and offer advice and support to one another.

Finding You is a program that allows girls to engage in a variety of arts and crafts as well as reading and drama activities that enables them to be creative and in touch with whom they are.

Life Skills Training is a program that seeks to influence major and psychological factors that promote the initiation and early use of substances. The curriculum involves lecture, discussion, coaching, and practice to enhance self esteem, feelings of self efficiency, ability to make decisions, and ability to resist peer media pressure.

Reconnecting Youth is a program based on peer group approach to building life skills. It has been proven effective in helping at risk youth to raise their GPA'S and manage their anger, while decreasing drug use, depression and suicide risk. The four major units of the curriculum are Self Esteem Enhancement, Decision Making, Personal Control and Interpersonal Communication.

Facts about Bullying is a program designed to inform children on how to avoid situations of being bullied by staying away from bullies, avoiding bad situations, making friends, projecting confidence and where to find help when needed.

Tech Girls is a program that introduces girls ages 9–18 to innovative curriculum such as publisher and web design in the Microsoft word software under the guidance of women mentors who provide an environment for girls to become interested in and empowered by technology. Individual and group projects help develop communication, critical thinking, time management, and presentation skills.

Adventures in Leadership is a unique program in which girls, ages 13-18, have the opportunity to instill a long-term sense of positive direction and prepare them to become the leaders of tomorrow. It is a chance to encourage leadership and build leadership skills by building the girls advocacy and decision-making skills and by encouraging them to strive to excel in there academics, to be Leaders in the community and in there own homes.

Arts Depot is a multicultural art program that provides opportunities and support to girls in culturally and linguistically diverse art backgrounds as well as offering a culturally diverse study of the arts.

Strong, Smart and Bold Women Bible Study is a program that is only open to girls who choose to be involved. Girls of all ages are invited to take part in stories and theories and engage in the ongoing debate of myth or truth, a resource where you can view the Bible in multiple languages and versions.

Book Club is a program for girls ages 8-18 that inspires girls to travel to new worlds through books. It is a 10 week program were read and then come together to discuss different opinions on the novels they read.

What’s up at Girls Inc.? is a locally developed program designed by teen girls to create and edit a Girls Inc. News-Letter.

Let’s Make a Movie is a locally developed program designed by teen girls to show off their acting skills when they put together and film a skit centered around a typical day at Girls Inc.

Hope for Tennessee is a program designed to educate children on HIV/Aids awareness.

Dance Craze is a locally developed program designed for girls of all ages to work together as a team using their creative skills to choreograph and perform a dance routine.


Leadership and Community Action

Discovery is a component that enables girls to join in partnership with women leaders in their community to develop and practice leadership and advocacy skills and construct community action projects. Together, girls and women identify issues of ongoing concern to the community and formulate responses using persuasive communication and organizing for action. Conducted in weekly sessions, requires 13 weeks of time from mentors/leaders. Often college students can be valuable as mentors.

Sporting Chance

Steppingstones: This component gets girls running, jumping, leaping, twisting, bending and balancing as they utilize a variety of sports and movement related equipment, including jump ropes, balls, scooters, bats, bowling pins, nets, hoops and scoops. The 24 sessions (60 minutes each) are divided into two levels conducted through two sequential six week cycles if held twice per week. The ideal leader/girl ratio is 1:12 with the help of one or two peer coaches with movement education and / or sports background and ‘can do’ attitude. A large open space is important.

Adventure Girls a component for girls ages 12-14 is designed to sustain girls’ interest in sports by opening their eyes to a wide range of non-traditional activities and adventure sports that contradict stereotypes and challenge girls to go out of their comfort zones.
There are Three themed modules (each with three 1.5-hour sessions and a half-day mini expedition), and a fourth module that includes a planning session, a full day expedition and a graduation/celebration. It may be offered as a four week intensive series. The ideal girl to staff ratio is 12:1. Leaders need to be enthusiastic promoters of adventure sports for the girls and certified in CPR and first-aid. Indoor and outdoor space required; equipment rental may be required, contract organizations will supply needed equipment in most cases.

Culture and Heritage

Girls Make the Message is a community action media project where girls ages 15 to 18 craft and communicate their own messages as digital video public service announcements. The program is organized into 12 steps some of which may take more than one session to implement. It is best scheduled as an intensive program such as summer, winter or spring break camp. Facilitators are required to complete the GMTM training and are encouraged to seek local support and assistance from media-makers in their community. The approximate costs for digital equipment needed, ranges from $2,600 to $6,000. It is encouraged that sites seek to borrow or get donated equipment.

Project Bold

Action For Safety: This component (for girls ages 9 to 11) builds negotiation, assertiveness, and self defense as well as facilitating open and honest discussions about violence – including teasing and bullying, sexual harassment, dating violence, and physical and sexual abuse – to encourage and support girls who are being hurt and to lessen their fear and sense of isolation.