Your $100 donation will provide one middle or high school girl with access to life skills and support, leadership training, STEAM academic enrichment and creative expression classes and workshops! You will also receive a special invitation to and be recognized at the Girl Central's Showcase held annually in May/June, where you will see firsthand what your donation has helped to achieve! Plus, your name will appear on the YWCA's Annual Report. Click HERE to make a donation right away. Your $100 donation will give a middle or high school girl the opportunity to: Attend workshops in life skills, leadership, STEAM and creative expression that will help them to get ahead in school – personally, academically, and socially. Help to plan and participate in an all-day Girl Power Leadership Conference where 100 middle school girls come together to get educated about college, develop public speaking skills, learn about boy/girl communications and relationships, and practice defending themselves. Meet women leaders in our community and find out more about their career journey and how they can plan their own. Strengthen the bond they have with their moms through “Girls Night Out” where moms and daughters participate in fun, educational and important activities that give them invaluable time together. And more!

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Research shows that girls experience an increased amount of social and personal stress during puberty, which tends to begin in middle-school. Before the onset of puberty, there is no difference in depression rates between boys and girls; but by age fifteen, teenagers’ statistics indicate that girls are twice as likely to become depressed and ten times more likely to develop an eating disorder than their male peers. While self-esteem for both girls and boys is strong when they are young children, there is a significant drop in girls' self-esteem around the age of twelve. In addition, by middle-school, 30 to 40% of American girls say they feel too fat, and 20 to 40% are dieting—many by the age of ten.

Girl Central is an individualized program for girls in grades 5 to 12 - providing them with the skills and tools to grow into strong, confident, and well-adjusted teenagers.  Girl Central’s core components – Life Skills & Support, STEAM Education, Creative Expression, and The Girl Central TV Show (a culmination of Girl Central lessons now seen on 14 local stations with a 14 million viewership)  – help girls build self-esteem and confidence, heighten their own cultural awareness, facilitate community connections, strengthen communication skills, nurture career development, and practice healthy lifestyles.  As girls gain skills, their self-confidence increases as does their motivation to succeed in personal, social, and academic arenas.

Middle and high school girls who participate in Girl Central say that the program makes them feel:

• “Important”
• “Proud, confident and happy”
• “Like all of my problems go away”
• “I can accomplish anything”
• “Better about who I am”
• “Safe to speak, and to have fun”

Your support will make a true difference in the life of a middle or high school girl. Join us TODAY!