Program Philosophy

We believe that all girls are capable of achieving their full potential if the social, cultural and legal barriers to their success are recognized and addressed.

Social barriers impede girls in the following ways:

* Girls are strong, but the settings in which they spend much of their lives fail to prepare them for independence.
* Girls are resourceful, but few institutions provide adequate opportunities for girls to develop the skills that allow them full participation in the larger society.
* Girls are bold, but society rewards them for passive behavior and dependence in personal relationships.
* Girls are proud, but society teaches them to undervalue the contributions of women, past and present.
* Girls are capable, but society channels girls and women into stereotypical fields and limits girls' interaction with female leaders in nontraditional areas.

Cultural and legal barriers to girls' achievement include the following:

* Girls are competent, but past and continuing discrimination on the basis of gender limits their potential.
* Girls are gifted, but discrimination based on racial, cultural, and economic or other distinctions increases the obstacles to individual achievement.
* Girls are sisters, discrimination against girls on any basis adversely affects all girls.

We believe that addressing these and other barriers requires effort and resources from all who have an impact on girls' lives. As the nation's leading voice for girls, Girls Incorporated is dedicated to understanding and eliminating the barriers confronting girls.

Furthermore, we believe that while such barriers remain, girls require programs and activities that challenge and encourage them to achieve their full potential:

* Girls deserve environments in which they are taken seriously for who they are, what they do and how they think and feel.
* Girls deserve environments that are inclusive, fostering diversity based on race, social class, ability/disability, culture and other differences.
* Girls deserve opportunities for active involvement with peers in acquiring new information, practicing new skills and advocating for change.
* Girls deserve relationships with adults who understand their needs and strengths, challenge them to take risks and maintain high expectations for their achievement.

Therefore, we commit our collective resources through Girls Incorporated to implementing a balanced program of informal education that empowers girls to live and succeed in an inequitable world.

Our Approach to Programming

Understanding "Intentional" Programming

Girls Incorporated programming clearly focuses on girls' needs with the intent of making a difference in girls' lives.

Through intentional programming, affiliates establish clear purposes for programming efforts or decisions, whether involving environment, staff, process, or content.

Girls Incorporated programming recognizes that girls receive messages about their self-worth and capacity in a variety of ways.

Affiliates ensure that those messages positively reinforce the purpose of Girls Incorporated programming.

Girls Incorporated programming affirms that the purpose and philosophy of Girls Incorporated programming is everyone in the organization's responsibility.

Everyone in the organization monitors their particular environment, behavior, interaction with girls and program activities for the messages they convey.

Understanding "Compensatory" Programming

Girls Incorporated programming compensates for the gender discrimination girls encounter in society, enabling them to overcome barriers to reaching their full potential.

Girls Incorporated takes a broad-based perspective in discussing compensatory programming, equity, discrimination, and diversity.

The critical responsibility in compensatory programming is to look at the inequitable world in which girls are growing up and the messages and rewards girls receive.

Compensatory programming provides girls with experiences and opportunities they are unlikely to receive in school or other settings.

Compensatory programming takes into account the various barriers to girls' achievement and enables girls to overcome the barriers.

Commitment to compensatory programming means putting girls first and keeping girls' needs paramount.