Girls Inc. of Metro Denver

Last year, the CDC reported that girls are facing unprecedented levels of mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, and loneliness, which impact their education and self-worth. At Girls Inc. of Metro Denver, mental and behavioral health is integrated into our programming for girls ages 6 to 22. Since the release of the CDC report, we have critically evaluated our programs. After reflecting, discussing, and listening to our girls and staff, we knew we had to do more. We are excited to announce that we have received funding from The Colorado Trust through the Community Resilience Initiatives (CRI) Diverse Approaches to Behavioral Health. This transformative gift will enable us to: 🌱 Improve and expand our Whole Girl Mental and Behavioral Health Programming. ✍ Enhance training and professional development for our program staff. 💞 Integrate mental and behavioral health services across all programs and age groups. 🧠 Hire a full-time mental health provider. Girls Inc. of Metro Denver remains dedicated to addressing critical issues facing girls and their ability to achieve a successful future while centering girls' voices in the development and design of its programming. Our commitment to inclusive, equity-focused, and trauma-informed approaches has made us trusted partners, mentors, and service providers in our community. We are deeply grateful to The Colorado Trust for investing in our mission and ensuring all girls have equal opportunities to lead healthy, strong, and productive lives. When our girls thrive, our community thrives. We are thrilled to announce that we are now accepting applications for a Mental Health Counselor. Check out the role description: https://bit.ly/3Y5b9Ef If you or someone you know is interested, please apply at girlsincdenver.org.

Field Trip Friday! This week was full of sunshine, perseverance, and rocky mountain fun! 😉 Our participants had an incredible experienced learning how Anna Costello figured out how to Ship Sunshine 🌞 directly to people's door. They learned the ins and outs of starting a business from scratch and how to be BOLD to pursue something even if you don't always know how it will turn out. Next, they visited Bodies By Perseverance 💪 built by Jennifer M Samuel, the first Filipino former Denver Broncos Football Club Cheerleader and former NFL player, Courtney Samuel. Jennifer, also an entrepreneurship professor at the University of Colorado Denver, shared insights on how identifying STRONG personal values can help guide our participants business's value proposition. The week wrapped up with a hands-on workshop ✍ from the Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute. They led our participants through creating a SMART marketing action plan, identifying their customer persona, and more, allowing them to implement lessons learned from their experiences this week. One participant summed it up perfectly: "This has been amazing. If it's this great now, I can't imagine how much better it will get for future participants." What a great first week of our Inaugural Bold Business Boot camp! #BoldBusiness

🎉 Exciting News! 🎉 This week, we launched our inaugural Bold Business Bootcamp, a 10-day immersive program for the next generation of female innovators. Kayla Garcia, President & CEO, shared: "We are incredibly excited to launch Bold Business in partnership with both small and large businesses dedicated to the growth of entrepreneurs. This program provides a unique opportunity for young women to develop essential entrepreneurial skills and build meaningful connections within Denver's business community. We believe that by equipping girls with these tools, we are not only building future business leaders but also promoting financial independence and resilience." The inaugural Bold Business Bootcamp businesses include: ⭐ Barefoot PR ⭐ CBS News Colorado ⭐ Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce ⭐ Dope Mom Life ⭐ Downtown Denver Partnership ⭐ Jen Ross Productions ⭐ JD Finish Line ⭐ Perseverance ⭐ Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute ⭐ Ship Sunshine Yesterday, they got a behind-the-scenes look at Dianne Myles' being interviewed for her business Dope Mom Life and loved her candidness about overcoming struggles and persisting through to be the person she is now. Today, they explored Skyline Park with Downtown Denver Partnership and had an inspiring conversation with Kate B., Olivia Omega and Meghan Villard, who shared great entrepreneurial advice. Olivia said, "Understand how you are different. Learn to talk about what makes you different.--Figure out who you are at your core and brand yourself around your values." We are so excited to continue sharing their journey throughout the next two weeks as they learn directly from female entrepreneurs and Denver's businesses. Special thanks to Comcast, Kenneth King Foundation, U.S. Bank, and Verizon for making this pilot program possible. Join us in supporting the future of #femaleentrepreneurship in #Denver! Read the full Bold Business Press Release to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gsvB-HhX

We're back on for Field Trip Friday! 😄 What better place to learn about geology and fossils than Table Mountain, Dinosaur Ridge and Red Rocks? Oxy provided our girls with an immersive experience around Morrison, exploring rock formations and dinosaur fossils while hearing directly from Oxy's geologists -Callie Brehm, Olivia Turner, and Erin Ramaker. The women at Oxy even created an engaging workbook for the girls to follow along and take home. A big thank you to Allie Davidson, Lindsey Istre, Kimberly Mendoza-Cooke, and the entire Oxy team for organizing this incredible trip. We are so grateful that Oxy continues to be a year-round STEM and Eureka! Partner, providing our girls with opportunities like these and many more to explore different fields and careers in STEM. Thank you, Oxy, for inspiring our girls to be strong, smart, and bold!

Our Leadership Out Loud (LOL) girls took on Washington, DC! 🌟 Thanks to our official summer travel partner, United Airlines, our girls explored the rich history of DC and connected with various civic leaders. Here's a recap of their trip: ⚖ A day on Capitol Hill: They met with Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper and various other advocacy professionals, including Hannah Geisman (Legislative Correspondent to Senator John Hickenlooper), Mackenzie Fallt, MA (Senior Assistant to Representative Jason Crow), and Donni Turner (Aide to Senator Michael Bennett). ⚾ Washington Nationals Baseball Game: They have the opportunity to experience a live game. 🏛 National Monuments: No trip to DC is complete without visiting it's iconic landmarks. 🎓 Howard University Tour: A full circle moment led by Girls Inc. alum Ganete Alemseged. Our girls not only explored college opportunities but were inspired by someone who has walked in their shoes. United makes it possible for our girls to take flight to new destinations to explore careers, colleges, and service learning. A special thank you to Justin Petrochko and all those who made this trip come to life. We have one more big trip this summer. Any guesses on where our girls are headed next? ✈️ #LeadershipOutLoud

Are you looking for a new podcast episode? Check out Girls Education International where our Senior Director of Strategy & Impact, Melina Bixler, dives into how Girls Inc. of Metro Denver intentionally creates a pro-girl space. Tune in to learn more and find out how you can support and advocate for pro-girl spaces in your community. #progirlspace

Congratulations to our Eureka STEM program participants for another successful Eureka-thon event! Girls were tasked with applying the STEM concepts they've learned to build communities that incorporate renewable energy and to address issues laid out in the United Nation Sustainable Development goals. They then presented their solutions to attendees which included families, staff, and Girls Inc. corporate partners. As part of the event, girls selected and moderated panelists for a community conversation to discuss the challenges facing women in STEM, career hacks and advice, the importance of supporting girls in STEM, and much more. Shout out to our panelists from Oxy, Ping Identity, and our President & CEO, Kayla Garcia! A special thank you to CBS News Colorado for providing every STEMinist with a lab coat and PNC for helping to set up. We are grateful for your partnership and support! To learn more about Eureka or how to become a corporate partner, visit girlsincdenver.org.

Field Trip Friday!   What a fun-filled week it’s been as our girls continue to take over the Denver-metro area.   Current foodies and future food scientists! Our Rookies delved into the world of cheese on our annual field trip, a fan favorite. We are immensely grateful to Leprino Foods for inviting our girls back each year and exposing them to the diverse careers available in STEM and beyond within Leprino Foods. Our Seniors had a Lunch & Learn with the women at Capstone Partners. They not only discussed their careers in investment banking but also offered valuable advice on choosing a college, deciding between career paths, and managing imposter syndrome in a field where women are underrepresented.   Lastly, our Vets toured Xcel Energy's Cherokee Power Plant. They learned about energy generation and renewable energy, gaining insights into an industry critical to their futures.   These hands-on experiences are invaluable, allowing our girls to explore extensive career options and get to know the community they live in. Are you interested in hosting our girls? Let us know! We’re always looking for more enriching experiences.

Happy Juneteenth! ✊🏾 A special day to celebrate freedom and the journey towards equality. Our team joined the Juneteenth festivities this past weekend, walking with community in the parade and festival in Denver’s historic Five Points neighborhood on Welton Street. Despite gentrification, this area remains vibrant with Black history and community, home to many Black-owned businesses you can support locally and throughout Denver. At Girls Inc. of Metro Denver, we are dedicated to advocating for racial justice and building an equitable world for our girls and community. We believe that girls and their communities have the right to live free from systemic inequities and institutionalized oppressions. Today, we not only celebrate freedom but also honor Black joy and the resilience of the Black community. 🖤💚💛❤️ Ways to honor Juneteenth: 🌟Learn about historical neighborhoods in Denver such as Five Points, and Black history in the U.S. 🌟 Black-owned businesses, shopbipoc.com is a great resource! 🌟 Support Black creators: Read books by Black authors and watch films by Black creators. 🌟Get involved with organizations that support racial justice.

Field Trip Friday! Our girls had an exciting Friday starting with our rising seniors attending the Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce Leadership Lab Summit. They heard from a diverse group of women that shared presentations on how to support women in the workplace. The Rookies visited the Gates Corporation Customer Solution Center, where they toured the engineering labs and met inspiring women mechanical engineers. They got hands-on experience by building Lego cars, adhering to specific requirements, tracking their product costs, and making improvements to achieve maximum distance. 🚗 Meanwhile, our Vets explored the Strontia Springs Dam and learned about Dam safety from women civil engineers. They witnessed “spilling”, a rare event that occurs when the reservoir is too full—the last occurrence was in 2018! A unique learning opportunity for our girls to see. Thank you to all our partners who’s support helps our girls explore a multitude of careers and meet passionate individuals who inspire them. Stay tuned for next Friday! Any guesses on where their next adventure will be?