clubGEN After-school Program for Girls https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/proposals-2015/clubgen-after-school-program-for-girls https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/@@site-logo/sitelogo-75x75.png

clubGEN After-school Program for Girls

Additional Information
Used for	clubGEN is a weekly after-school program for girls in grades 3 - 8. Girls come to clubGEN to feel supported by their mentors and peers, to learn new skills, and most of all, to have fun! Some of the themes covered in club are healthy relationships, body image, self-esteem, and communication.
Benefits	Strong girls make strong women, and as women thrive so does society. Evaluation results have revealed statistically significant improvement for girls in four long-term outcomes: a decrease in self-harming behavior, a decrease in rates of alcohol use, an increase in attachment to school, and an increase in self-efficacy.
Proposal Description	Beyond formal schooling, young people need constructive opportunities for growth and development in structured, well-supervised settings. Such environments allow youth to hone both general life competencies and academic and employment skills. Research is clear: developing and engaging youth by building up non-cognitive skills (life skills) in addition to academic abilities can help young people to become assets in the making. Helping youth to build these skills and competencies can engage them in lives with positive, upward trajectories. GEN’s response is to implement programs whose goals are to: decrease rates of juvenile delinquency, risky behaviors, and eating disorders, and increase critical thinking skills, academic performance, peer support, and self-sufficiency for adolescent girls. GEN increases the social and academic success of girls by: • Equipping them with the skills they need to navigate the dangers and pressures of adolescence.  Provide accurate information about the issues they face  Develop independent and critical-thinking abilities  Build resistance skills to bullying, sexual pressure, and substance abuse  Train for effective communication • Forging healthy, supportive bonds so they know they are never alone.  Girl-only space to talk, ask, listen, and be heard  Relationships that transcend age, race, socio-economic status, and social status barriers • Surrounding them with relatable role models who encourage, inspire, & guide.  Adult staff and volunteers offer special attention and support  Women leaders demonstrate pathways to success for girls  Girls access experts on issues they face clubGEN is a weekly after-school program for 3rd-8th grade girls. The curriculum-guided discussions and activities support brain maturity as youth are engaged in thinking about their ideas, decisions, goals, and behaviors. The supports and opportunities provided through clubs are significant, and the development of supportive relationships with club leaders is a crucial part of the model, as are relationships with other peers in the program. Youth examine and practice decision-making skills and have opportunities for meaningful involvement. In school year 2015-16, clubGEN will serve about 650 girls at approximately 23 elementary and middle schools in the Austin, Del Valle, Hays, Manor, Pflugerville, and Round Rock school districts. More than 70% of club participants are low-income (i.e., they qualify to participate in the free or reduced-cost school lunch program), and approximately half of all girls are Hispanic, about 15% are African-American, 20% are Caucasian, and the balance other/not reported. Girls are recruited via a variety of methods: self-referral, referrals by counselors, teachers, and parents, and promotion through in-school media and external media. A sample semester of curriculum is: Week 1: Intro to clubGEN Week 2: Teambuilding Week 3: Identity & Stereotypes Week 4: Confidence & Communication Week 5: Healthy Relationships & Friendships Week 6: Healthy Relationships continued Week 7: Puberty/Body Changes Week 8: Body Image Week 9: Body Image continued Week 10: Wellness, Nutrition & Phys. Fitness Week 11: Stress Mgmt. & Family Relationships Week 12: Goal Setting Week 13: Career Exploration Week 14: End of Semester Celebration clubGEN serves as a framework for cultivating girls' success. It empowers girls to value their decisions and promotes sharp critical-thinking skills in an atmosphere of mixed messages, gender stereotypes, and pressure to "fit-in." Girls within the context of the clubGEN support system needn't doubt their goals or their desire to succeed in school and life. They also engage in a camaraderie that helps them face the challenges of achieving together. A renewed Dougherty Foundation grant will continue to help create a support system that promotes good decision making and the consequent academic and professional success that accompanies the experience of smart, strong, and confident young women. We hope that the Foundation will be able to continue its support and thank you for your consideration of this request.