Women's Foundation of Genesee Valley, Inc.

The Girls’ Initiative is three-pronged, and was created in 1997 to be part of a network of community organizations, whose goals are to provide female role models for girls in our region and to break the overbearing cycle of poverty for girls. Positive role models for children are critical to their motivation and development. Providing girls opportunities to learn about, and choose, strong role models to emulate can be remarkably influential during a young girl’s formative years.

Girls’ Grant-Making Committee: The goal of this program is to educate girls about community issues and philanthropy. Board members and community volunteers mentor a group of about 35 teenage girls (ages 14-18 years) that meet in the summer to review grant proposals from programs serving girls and decide, together, where $10,000 in grant awards will have the greatest impact.

Literacy Program: This program is designed to extend and deepen learning opportunities for girls across the Women’s Foundation’s program offerings. In 2019, the program was implemented in 28 different schools, serving over 650 girls. The program utilizes a selected book title and engages teachers and mentors to work with girls in small groups to help improve their reading skills, and to foster social emotional learning, skills identified by the Institute of Education Sciences and the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, as producing “statistically significant effects” upon developing children, resulting in increased self-awareness, reduced bullying, better decision-making, and reduced rates of conflict.

Voices of Experience features accomplished women role models from diverse backgrounds sharing how they overcame challenges to achieve their goals. The program focuses on "life education” needs for girls age 12 to 18 and to model successful lifestyles and decision-making skills through a panel presentation. Since 1997 more than 5,000 girls and women have attended this event. Participation in Voices has grown from 186 to almost 400 and some of the most impressive Voices are shared by the girls themselves shared in their evaluations.