‘Making sure girls grow up socially, academically and emotionally strong is our business’

Girls throughout history have always had to work harder, smarter and bolder to be acknowledged.

In the U.S. and Canada, a group called Girls Inc. has been advocating for them for 150 years, and now Miami has a local affiliation thanks to the work of attorney Virginia Akar and her team.

“Far too many girls in Miami face significant social barriers that, without the right tools and support, threaten their ability to achieve success in school, life, and work,” Akar said. “We are ecstatic to join the Girls Inc. network, which will allow us to strengthen our capacity and deepen our impact in the Miami community.”

Akar, the founder and executive director of the Miami chapter, is also the human rights advocate who started Strong Girls Inc. in 2017 to help girls in Miami improve their academic, career, and life outcomes.

After-school, summer programs

Girls Inc. of Greater Miami provides after-school programming to 180 girls in six Title 1 schools or programs in Miami-Dade. It is on a mission to reach girls in all 317 Title 1 schools.

Programs are at Pine Lake Elementary near Richmond Heights in Southwest Miami-Dade; Santa Clara Elementary in Allapattah; the Overtown Youth Center; Beacon College Prep, a charter school in Opa-locka; and KIPP Liberty Academy and the SEED School, both in Liberty City in Miami.

“We have summer camp programs in collaboration with First Serve Tennis and Overtown Youth Center, with plans to expand programs in the next five years to add at least five new sites. We intentionally prioritize serving schools and communities that are under-resourced,” Akar said.

The year-long program is in elementary, middle and high schools. All use a three-pillar approach that includes healthy living, academic enrichment and life skills instruction.

“Through our programs, girls learn to identify their strengths and to advocate for the issues that matter to them,” Akar said.

“Making sure girls grow up socially, academically and emotionally strong is our business. We aren’t a mental-health program, but we know that simply going in with enrichment activities and pep talks isn’t going to cut it. So we make sure that as our facilitators are leading activities like art, fitness, STEM or journaling, they are also equipped to provide positive mental health support and guidance when the situation demands it.”

Making a difference in the girls

For girls in Miami, the program is making all the difference in their lives.

“I am learning how to be mindful and how to build positive relationships with others,” said fifth grader Gabriela Pozo.

“I’ve learned how to work in groups and get along with different people,” said fifth grader Bella Olivera.

“Girls Inc. lets me be more social with others, and I’m able to express how I feel even if I feel like I’m wrong,” said Tai’Lynn, a fifth grader.

Parents are seeing their daughters’ growth too.

“Girls Inc. gives them the ability to express themselves and vocalize their opinions toward each other,” said Lagina Brown, the mother of two girls in Girls Inc.

“They are now considerate of someone else’s feelings and show empathy toward situations that may not be as good as theirs. It makes them confident in the activities they do outside of the program and keeps them well-rounded in all areas. I’m so proud to have them in the program.”

Founder’s journey

Akar said her journey has been “a certain restlessness in me my whole life that didn’t settle down until I landed here.”

She started her career as a journalist in 1990, pivoted to law and began working as a prosecutor, then shifted to stay-at-home mother of three.

“Then in 2015, I returned to academia thinking I’d teach. Instead, I found my way to the work that has always mattered to me — getting intentional about creating opportunities for girls to become the best version of themselves, instead of hoping they somehow stumble on those opportunities.

“It’s been about seven years since I started this work and I’ve never felt more focused, driven or energized.”

Girls Inc. has the foundational missions of Strong (healthy), Smart (educated) and Bold (independent). Programs meet for about six hours each week.

Trained facilitators inspire girls to advocate for themselves, develop healthy habits and move past gender stereotypes to explore STEM careers. They teach “concrete coping strategies that help girls and their families better understand emotions that drive action in order to avoid negative thinking and behavior.”

Risk of girls dropping out of school

According to Girls Inc. of Greater Miami, more than half of girls enrolled in Miami-Dade public schools are economically disadvantaged, and 72% of the young women in Miami who are not enrolled in school and do not have a high-school degree are unemployed.

“A pro-girl, safe, and affirming environment is also critical as the number of girls in Florida who express feeling unsafe at school or going to or leaving school has nearly doubled over the last 10 years,” Akar said.

Being a national Girls Inc. affiliate means the Miami group has the support of a powerful network of experienced leaders to lean on and learn from. And it has access to resources and programs that research confirms works.

The U.S. and Canada organization works with schools and in communities in 350 cities, providing more than 134,000 girls each year with mentoring relationships, safe spaces, and evidence-based programming to help them succeed.

Girls becoming ‘change agents’

“Girls are innately powerful,” said Stephanie J. Hull, president and CEO of Girls Inc. “When provided the right opportunities and supports, girls become change agents for themselves and others. We look forward to partnering locally to develop the talent and potential of girls in Miami and help strengthen this diverse and vibrant community.”

Recent data from the American Institutes for Research found that girls who participated in Girls Inc. programming were more likely to engage in activities and express beliefs that lead to physical and mental well-being, academic achievement and the development of leadership skills.

They were also more likely to be engaged in and attend school, less likely to be suspended, and become better prepared for life after high school.

The work is so important to Marlena Candelario Romero, program coordinator at Girls Inc. of Greater Miami.

“I know from my own family history that investing in girls as they grow up helps to break cycles of generational struggle and trauma. It’s about providing a space for girls to access the potential they already have inside of them by helping them navigate the challenges to achieving that potential. When you take care of women and girls, everyone benefits.”

Akar said they invest time and resources in staff because they are the most important assets: “They are the role models the girls will turn to.”

Mindfulness, self-awareness

“We carefully select and train our volunteer Barry University interns as well. We provide 40 hours of initial training to all staff plus continuous professional development throughout the year. All staff are trained to develop their own interpersonal and life skills as well as mental health supports.

“With staff fully trained and supported, they are ready to lead programs that guide girls to develop those same skills — self-awareness, mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, responding thoughtfully to emotions instead of reacting impulsively.”

Akar said the unique approach lies in “how we embed the development of those skills through a variety of fun activities every day — activities like art, music, dance, STEM, journaling.

“When you’re in the after-school space, you can’t just make it a continuation of school, you’ll lose them. Instead, this is the time and space where girls have a voice and a choice of how they will spend their time. We listen carefully to what the girls want, then we formulate activities to keep them engaged and learning. It’s always different, always fun, always inclusive of their voices.”

Anyone can get involved.

“Collaboration with the community is at the core of what we do,” Akar said. “Our girls benefit most when they have access to people, places and ideas that go beyond the four walls of a classroom. Real access to inspiring mentors willing to share their time, their talent and their voices is part of our model.

“Through our 150 Women Strong mentoring program, Miami women commit to one workshop a year at any of our sites. These workshops are as meaningful for the volunteers as they are for our girls, so we encourage women to get involved and share something they love — a hobby, a story or an activity.”

And as Akar gets the word out by meeting with schools and organizations that are already serving girls, she seeks to collaborate and partner with them because no one entity can do it all.

“We do what we do really well — create safe, inspiring spaces with great role models so girls grow up strong, smart and bold.”

The wise words of little fourth grader Adah Oliveira probably say it best.

“The program has helped me become more confident.”

How to Help

Girls Inc. of Greater Miami provides free programs to help girls develop skills in Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Responsible Decision Making and Relationship Skills.

To donate and volunteer call 305-505-8881 or write to info@girlsincmiami.org More at https://girlsincmiami.org/