I cannot say enough about Girls inc OC. my daughter was always afraid to take risks and put so many limits on herself. Anticipating failure. After a few days at Girls Inc she started blossoming. After 7 weeks, I am amazed by her added confidence. The counselors, volunteers and program is wonderful.
As the Community Service Chair for Cal State Fullerton's Human Services Student Association, I have had the opportunity to work with Girls, Inc. on a few occasions: at their youth center, at the annual Girls Conference, and at Garden Grove's annual fun run at the Strawberry festival. Working with Girls, Inc. is not only an honor and a privilege, it is a pleasure! Inspiring ALL girls to be strong, smart, and bold
My experience with Girls Inc. started when I hired an intern from their Eureka Externship program and I was so impressed with her skill set and professionalism, I had to find out more about the organization. Since that time, I've volunteered, participated in the Y.E.S.S. Luncheon, and am now on the leadership board of Women For Girls. I can't say enough about how this organization and the things they do to develop amazing young ladies.
Being a previous Board member and volunteering with the young girls is truly inspiring. This is a wonderful organization that brings joy and education to all the girls. The staff is exceptional. Bravo to Girls Inc.
I have seen many of the programs for young girls in business for years and am always amazed by the creativity and ingenuity Girls, Inc. Inspires. Also I was a speaker at a summer program they had and the girls asked such real and sincere questions about their fears, dreams, goals (as 7-8th graders) that it's obvious the programs foster a culture where advancing WELL beyond high school and even college is the norm! Bravo!!!
When I began volunteering at Girls Inc, possibly seven years ago, I helped with homework, especially math and spelling. I taught some fun art classes, painting on shaving cream was quite popular, and one year we made a large wreath from paper hands for the fire station across the park. I began teaching knitting five or six years ago, and now Knit Club is my main focus. There is anecdotal evidence that knitting improves math and reading skills, but I think the girls just like the fun of it and the pride they have in creating useful things. Over the years, girls have made slippers, scarves, purses, all sorts of things. I have two friends who come help with Knit Club (it's a club, not a class, because the girls may come and go as they wish), and we all enjoy the experience. It has been fun over the years to watch the girls grow, and I look forward to beginning my eighth year when the weather cools off!
Girls Inc of Orange County drives real impact in our community that has long reaching benefits for girls and their families. Having seen firsthand the quality of their programs,the skill and passion of their staff has kept me involved and committed. I look forward to inviting people to learn about them and find ways to help. I'm even more passionate now than when I first got involved 6 years ago. Their expansion and success will benefit so many.
I've been a volunteer at Girls Inc. for the past couple of years and sit on the leadership team for Women for Girls (who supports Girls Inc). Each time I visit the Girls Inc. Center I am impressed with the girls and the work they do. Teaching girls to be Strong, Smart, and Bold is not easy work and the staff at GI do it with a grace and energy level that never ceases to amaze me.
A lot of my volunteer efforts have been around the college bound programming and when I heard a girl speaker say "Before Girls Inc. I didn't know poor girls could go to college. I thought rich people went to college and poor people didn't" I knew this was an organization that was doing great work and one that I could not walk away from.
As a member of the Board of Directors off and on, but mostly on, for 18 years, I witnessed the power of the Girls Inc. programs and staff literally change the lives of girls. Not only were the lives of the girls enriched, but everyone they touched benefited, siblings, parents, friends, community. High school graduation rates soared to include almost all of our girls and College Bound girls went from zero to fifty or more per year. All made possible by the incredible, professional staff and the hard work of the girls.
After reading an article about Girls Inc. Of Orange County I decided to become a volunteer. My first involvement, about fifteen years ago, was as a tutor/mentor at a local high school. It was extremely rewarding and the results were stunning.
I then served as a Girls Inc. board Member for about 7 years and then went back to working directly with the girls in the College Bound Program and the Literacy Program, allowing me to to follow the growth and developments of the girls from elementary school to the end of high school.
So much of the girls success is due directly to the strength of the programs they experience at Girls Inc.
I am consistently impressed with this organization and the mission. The programs they provide girls from kindergarten through high school are amazingly well done and responsible. They are responsible with the funds they receive and run lean while delivering programs that elevate the game of every girl they touch. I've listened to 9 year-olds talk about how they've learned to set up a business and 16 year olds give a presentation that is on par with some great adult speakers. This organization truly does help all girls become STRONG, SMART, and BOLD! Both the staff and the board members are high functioning and accountable leaders - all committed to the success of the organization and the girls it serves.
My experience volunteering and interning with Girls Inc. was amazing. The people are great and genuinely care for the girls. I've seen the girls from the program go on to do great things. This organization is incredible. If you have a passion for female empowerment, especially with the youth, Girls Inc. is THE place to be.
This beautiful place is a canvas for young girls. I loved every day I had the fortune of just being in the presence of such inspiring staff and young girls. I had heard about the center from a good friend who had volunteered a few years ago. I was looking to get integrated with an organization with a cause I was extremely passionate about. When my friend told me that she looked forward to every day at the center, I knew I had to be involved here. I have had a growing passion for working with female youth, something that has blossomed into a genuine direction for how I lead my life and my work. This center was a beautiful opportunity that I stumbled upon and I am so grateful for the enthusiasm and warmth that I encountered at this center. I would walk around and witness the variety of opportunities that the girls were involved in. I'm talking about innovative activities that involved science and math, art projects that allowed a flow of creativity, and best of all, activities that brought girls together. The staff pour their hearts into their projects, this is something that I appreciated. I ended up being so inspired by the staff that I asked to lead the writing classes on a certain day. I stumbled a few times, realizing that some activities just weren't playing off the impressive level of potential these girls hold. That's when I learned that good teachers observe and listen, because the students held the most amazing ideas. One experience I will never forget was when I sat and collaborated with a few girls from the class. They had a great idea of writing news stories and getting the chance to play the roles of news reporters in front of the class. Well, the idea soared! The girls loved it, I spent time designing an outline for the class so that we'd be able to maximize their potential and creativity. I was so amazed by these girls, I'm telling you from the bottom of my heart... they are the reason I looked forward to coming every day. I learned so much about female strength from their resilience and unwavering efforts-- whether it was writing a story or finishing a building project. I also loved the unique opportunities around the center-- cooking snacks in the kitchen from scratch, planting sunflower seeds in the garden, etc. This place is a canvas for these girls, because looking at a empty white canvas can elicit excitement. These girls walked in with their intentions and brushes in their hands and made every day meaningful, making the most of every activity and building beautiful bonds with the staff. I personally saw the place as a canvas as well, I had no idea that I'd be able to help create something beautiful in that class but it happened and coming into the center was one of the best decisions I made. I hope to continue building a relationship with this center. I hope that if you are reading this that you have gathered an understanding of how wonderful this center is. Because female youth are a population I believe deserve greater attention and involvement. Most of all, because the word "opportunity" is one of the most meaningful words to a young girl. Please consider this organization, and take the opportunity to experience Girls Inc for yourself :)
Working with Girls Inc. was an absolutely wonderful experience. The staff is amazing and has incredible passion for their work, and the Girls Inc girls are not only fun and intelligent, but downright inspiring.
I worked with Girls Inc OC at their Eureka! camp last summer, and it was the most meaningful work experience I've had. Girls Inc curriculum is data-driven and is constantly reshaping to the needs of the community it serves. Working with Girls Inc I not only got to help young girls feel valued and empowered, but the Girls Inc staff made me feel this way as well!
I worked with Girls Inc. through a club I started at UC Irvine called WISDM. We aimed to encourage girls and women to pursue further education in STEM and Girls Inc. was an incredible organization to work with towards this goal. Jessica Ross went above and beyond as a volunteer specialist to help coordinate events with me. We were able to perform science experiments with the girls and give the high school group a tour of our radiation oncology lab at UCI. I really love what this nonprofit stands for and they go the extra mile to provide wonderful learning opportunities to the girls!
I was an intern for Girl's Inc and really enjoyed the experience. I found that every activity that was planned seemed to have a very positive impact on the girl's self esteem, curiosity to learn, and team building skills.
Volunteering with Girls Inc is one of the best things I've done. This organization is so dedicated to helping girls in as many ways as possible, and getting to directly interact with the girls is a great learning experience in patience and kindness. The staff are all amazingly dedicated, and I consider all of them to be excellent role models to the girls they are helping.
I really enjoyed my time volunteering for Girls Inc. OC because I had direct access to the girls and saw how my participation was having an impact on their lives. Girls Inc. OC does so much to help girls become strong, smart and bold and I am glad to be a part of it!
Girls Incorporated of Orange County serves over 4,600 girls ages 4 1/2 to 18 annually throughout Orange County, including their center in Costa Mesa. The staff is well educated, kind, funny and always pushing themselves to be better; It appears they don't expect anything less from the girls they serve. They encourage the girls in the program to do better in school, succeed in life and have fun doing it by providing educational and enrichment programs like STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Great organization; great cause:To inspire all girls to be Strong, Smart, and Bold!