Girls Inc. of Chattanooga will celebrate 55 years of providing quality research and outcome-based programming on Monday, said officials. Girls Inc. of Chattanooga has also completed the Quality Assurance Review Process by the national Girls Inc. organization and exceeded the minimum requirement of 84 percent — meeting 104 of the 104 standards.
What started out as Girls Club in 1961, a center for girls to learn homemaking and other domestic skills, has grown into the current Girls Inc. affiliate which has inspired more than 27,000 Hamilton County girls ages 6-18 to become "healthy, educated and independent - - strong, smart and bold." For 55 years Girls Inc. has responded to the needs of girls and their communities by providing girls with tools and support to succeed, including trained professionals who mentor and guide them in a girls-only environment, peers who share their drive and aspirations, and research-based programming. Since it began tracking in 2007, 100 percent of the girls who complete the high school afterschool programs go on to college.
In its 55th year, Girls Inc. is dedicated to eliminating barriers affecting girls today including media and economic literacy, teen pregnancy, health and wellness, peer pressure and personal safety, college, careers and workplace readiness. Today, Girls Inc. continues that legacy by providing girls with experiences and solutions to the issues girls face.
As Girls Inc. of Chattanooga looks to the next 50 years and beyond, its goal is to make sure that every girl in Hamilton Country has access to its programs and support services. A full list of programs and events can be found at www.girlsincofchatt.org/events.