Our History
Through direct service and advocacy, Girls Inc. DC inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.
We Inspire Washington, DC Girls
Girls Inc. girls show significant advantage over their peers in 20 impact areas.
Girls Inc. of the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area (“Girls Inc. DC”) is a local Girls Inc. affiliate that inspires all girls in DC region to be strong, smart, and bold through direct service and advocacy opportunities.
In its first decade, Girls Inc. DC partnered with Howard University, becoming the first Girls Inc. affiliate in the United States to be located on a college campus.
Incorporated in 2004, Girls Inc. DC began serving middle school girls in 2006, with an emphasis on DC Wards 1, 5, 7 and 8.
Since its inception, Girls Inc. DC has served more than 1,300 girls, with 616 of the girls accessing at least 35 hours of programming in all three core outcome areas—healthy living, academic enrichment and support, and life skills instruction.
Girls Inc. DC partners in the community with K-12 schools, community-based organizations, and universities, and with industry and philanthropy, to reach and serve as many girls as possible.
Our Mission
Girls Inc. inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.
Our Vision
Powerful girls in an equitable society.
Our Outcomes
Respect the dignity of each human being.
Recognize and support the strength in every girl.
Appreciate, embrace, and advance diversity.
Drive for results anchored in accountability.
Operate collaboratively.
The Girls Inc. Experience
All-girl, pro-girl environment
Girls Inc. DC prioritizes girls-only spaces that offer physical and emotional safety. The Girls Inc. DC environment fosters a sisterhood of support, high expectations, and mutual respect. Girls Inc. DC partners, such as school liaisons, are integral to trusted communication and support.
Qualified adult staff & mentors
Adults at Girls Inc. DC play an important role in the lives of girls as trusted, caring mentors trained in an approach that is grounded in the belief in girls’ rights and abilities. Staff engage with families, encourage girls to pursue leadership positions, and serve as role models.
Research-based programs
A two-year national study conducted by The American Institutes for Research demonstrates that the Girls Inc. Experience delivers proven outcomes for girls in the areas of healthy living, academic enrichment and support, and life skills. Executive Summary here.
Girls Inc. was founded in 1864 to serve girls and young women who were experiencing upheaval in the aftermath of the Civil War.
Across the decades, we adapted to meet the specific environmental challenges facing girls and young women, always working in partnership with schools and communities, and guided by our founders’ fundamental belief in the inherent potential of each girl. Woven into those early girls’ clubs are the same core values of Girls Inc. today: the importance of creating a safe gathering place for girls to learn and to share in a sisterhood and a strong premise that each girl can develop her own capacities, self- confidence, and grow up healthy, educated, and independent.
For 160 years, Girls Inc. has been evolving with girls.
We not only support girls, we also equip them and give them the opportunity to envision, and then create, a more equitable future.
Girls Inc. is the leading expert on girls.
Working with and on behalf of girls for 160 years has given us unparalleled knowledge and expertise. The Girls Inc. Experience changes the trajectory of girls’ lives and prepares them for lifelong success.
Girls Inc. has served millions of girls across the United States and Canada.
Our participants are equipped with the skills to lead and create positive change in their communities.
Girls’ Bill of Rights
We recognize and support the strength in every girl. Respect the dignity of each human being and demonstrate genuine care and concern for the well-being of others. Understand and appreciate diversity, embrace inclusiveness, and advance equity. Drive for results anchored in integrity and accountability. Collaborate for impact.