What is Girls Incorporated of Pinellas?

Girls Incorporated of Pinellas is a non-profit organization that operates a licensed before- and after-school youth development program for approximately 200 girls and a full time summer day camp for 250 girls from 5-17 at our spacious campus at 7700 61st St in Pinellas Park. Girls Inc curriculum programs can be used within the school system and in community-based programs.

Since 1961, Girls Incorporated of Pinellas has been providing girls in our community with a safe, healthy, and fun environment where they can come together in the critical out-of-school hours to learn, share and grow. Girls Inc is an affiliate member of the national Girls Incorporated®.

Why is Girls Inc needed?

Imagine our community where all of our girls are safe, healthy, thriving, and ready to realize their full potential as productive and contributing citizens…

Much has changed over the years, but growing up to be a healthy female continues to be a daunting task. The mission of Girls Inc to “inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold” assists girls triumph over challenging and complex issues they face, including economic disparity, racism, negative body image, abuse, depression, and increasing violence. How to create healthy, smart, and engaged girls is not a mystery and the costs of ignoring these issues by denying healthy development to some or all girls is enormous.

For hundreds of girls facing social and economic challenges, Girls Inc provides the safe space, the encouragement and the programs they need in order to envision a brighter future and to see within themselves a person defined by more than their external circumstances. For these girls, being a Girls Inc girl can be one of the most important opportunities they will ever receive.

What kind of programs does Girls Inc offer for girls?

Girls Inc programs focus on the strengths and needs, interests and opinions of girls as they are today and goes beyond dropping in, hanging out, pick-up sports, one-day arts projects and recreation.

Girls Inc programs enhance self-esteem and teach girls to appreciate and respect themselves rather than relying on others for validation. They also support and encourage girls in developing a plan for the future, and to practice the skills that will help them realize their goals. Girls Inc. programs help girls how to make good decisions in a safe environment, and assists girls in understanding that they can impact their own lives in healthy ways.

Girls Inc programs help girls find their voices and to be expressive and powerful in positive and productive ways, and provides girls with a sense of control in their lives.

Why does Girls Inc serve girls only?

Girls Inc believes that the needs of girls are well served in a girls-only environment. Girls grow up in an inequitable society that puts them in boxes by age, gender, race, culture, national origin, home language, sexuality, ability and disability, immigrant status, body size and shape, family composition and income and more—factors that often lead to discrimination and under-expectation.

The strategy of Girls Inc programming is to provide gender-specific and age appropriate curricula specifically designed for the ways girls learn. Programs are delivered in a safe, affirming girls-only environment that fosters empowerment.

The all-girl option allows girls to plunge into activities without worrying about whether they “belong” or not — or whether they’re more or less skilled than boys. Girls Inc celebrates a female perspective, counters mass media influences, and provides positive role models.

Gender-specific programming lets girls focus on their real interests, at their own pace, free from social distractions and comparisons. Girls Inc is not fixing girls; to the contrary, Girls Inc is providing the opportunities girls deserve but are often denied or pushed out of in other contexts.

Girls Inc girls flourish and develop into the confident, compassionate, community-minded and empowered young women which we expect them to be, and which our community urgently needs them to be.

Girls Inc. is partially funded by the United Way of Tampa Bay, the City of Pinellas Park, Coordinated Child Care, Gasparilla Distance Classic Assn, Pinellas Community Foundation, Allegany Franciscan Ministries, Publix Supermarket Charities, public and private contributions and tuition.

Pinellas County Lic # C920281

What is the intent of the Girls Inc programs?

The intent of the program at Girls Inc. is to prepare girls to be productive citizens by building their capacity for responsible and confident adulthood, healthy choices and personal fulfillment.

Girls Inc curriculum programming assists girls in becoming economically literate, in exploring non-traditional career options, in retaining their early interest in science and math, in developing critical thinking, and developing healthy life skills. Programs also address developing leadership skills, preventing adolescent pregnancy, violence prevention, developing physical fitness, preventing substance abuse, and exploring arts, culture and heritage.