Experiential Engagement with Mentorship

Provides comprehensive health and wellness programming including yoga, dance, meditation, drumming, sports, nutrition education, on-site nursing, CSA access, rooftop gardening, a smoothie bar, and meals. The Center for Wellbeing & Happiness also hosts educational classes for families and new parents and averages 350 adult visits per month.

Provides STEM-focused programming in dedicated facilities including Lamarr-Lovelace Labs, a 64-seat East Village Planetarium for dome-based astrophysics and earth/space science education, and a robotics Maker Shop. Girls engage in hands-on engineering, earth and sky science, and interact with STEM role models to build confidence in male-dominated fields.

Runs a weekly food pantry through the Center for Wellbeing & Happiness that serves over 2,000 neighbors monthly, expanding access to food and wellness resources for the broader Lower East Side community.

Runs two key facilities: the Center for Community, New York City’s first and only Girls Club facility on Avenue D, and the Center for Wellbeing & Happiness, opened in 2022, which provides healing-centered wellness services to youth, families, and adults of all ages and genders on the Lower East Side. The combined 35,000 square foot space includes specialized areas such as a robotics Maker Shop, STEM lab, art school, digital media center, sound studio, design studio, rooftop farm, culinary education center, and planetarium.

Offers instruction and production opportunities in digital photography, video production, audio engineering, sound design, graphic design, web design, filmmaking, and editing through the Digital Media Lab and screening room. Programs include Page to the Stage for poetry development, Frequency Gardens for audio storytelling, and film festivals for public audiences. Also teaches sewing, quilting, natural dyeing, and screenprinting.

Offers year-round programming for girls and gender-expansive youth ages 8 to 23, including middle and high school students, with free after-school, weekend, and summer activities in STEM, arts, digital media, music, wellness, leadership, and college and career exploration. Programming prioritizes local community residents and includes application or registration processes for age-specific cohorts.

Provides members with employment experience, entrepreneurial training, mentorship, resource access, and college and career preparation services to build social capital and support post-secondary success.

Provides free access to a professional and leadership network for Girls Inc. alumnae and high school seniors aged 18 and over, including career advice, job opportunities, panel discussions, job fairs, and Fireside Chats with inspiring leaders. Launched in 2022, the Girls Inc. Alumnae Association serves former participants across the U.S. and Canada.

Conducts annual administration of the Strong, Smart, and Bold Outcomes Survey (SSBOS) for girls ages 9–18 to assess over 30 indicators of positive development, including academic performance, leadership, and physical activity, and uses results to inform program improvements.

Awards approximately $10,000 in college scholarships annually to support girls in pursuing higher education.

Provides guidance and career insights to girls in grades 8–12 through the Eureka! speaker series and monthly sessions featuring accomplished women, helping participants build skills and confidence for a self-reliant future.

Runs a free five-year college readiness program for girls that includes STEM education, personal development, sports, mentorship, and career exploration. The program includes internship placements in local businesses during summers three and four, and support in the fifth summer for participants to independently secure internships, jobs, or summer programs.

Provides free after-school programming at multiple centers in the Greater Capital Region (Albany, Schenectady, and Troy) for girls in grades K–12, operating Monday through Friday (or Thursday in Troy) from 2:30–5:30 PM, September through June with breaks in December and January. Programming includes leadership, career planning, sports, life skills, culture, and health, serving an average of 150 girls annually in Albany alone.

Operates a free 4-week summer camp and other summer programming for girls in grades 4–8, featuring weekly field trips, STEM-focused activities (e.g., baking with chemistry, CSI, rocket building), swimming, pottery, and special events. One program is hosted at the CNSE campus and focuses on nanoscale science, personal development, and workforce skills for girls entering 8th grade, serving an average of 55 girls annually.

Offers Ignite!, a hands-on STEM program for girls entering grades 6–8, sponsored by the Carl E. Touhey Foundation. The program is part of broader STEM initiatives in the Greater Capital Region aimed at increasing girls' engagement in science, technology, engineering, and math.

Participated in a quasi-experimental research study from 2017 to 2019 with the American Institutes for Research to evaluate the impact of Girls Inc. programs on academic and behavioral outcomes, contributing data and program insights to support evidence-based assessment.

Manages all aspects of the FIRST Tech Challenge in Nassau and Suffolk counties as the official Affiliate Partner, organizing qualifying tournaments, scrimmages, and the Long Island Championship for approximately 40 teams of students in grades 7–12. Events include head-to-head robot competitions and alliance formats.

Establishes and administers scholarships such as the Fred Breithut Scholarship for students pursuing degrees in engineering, science, or technology at Farmingdale State College.