Girls Inc of Greater Indianapolis

Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis offers comprehensive programming in healthy living, academic enrichment and support, and life skills instruction, ultimately supporting over 2,700 participants each year. Participants aged 5 to 24 have the chance to experience a linear enrichment and personal development pathway. The combination of long-lasting mentoring relationships, a pro-girl environment, and research-based programming equips girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers. Our programs are delivered through center-based, school-based, and community-based partnerships, ensuring flexibility and accessibility for the communities we serve. We prioritize reaching girls with limited access to community support systems. In forming our partnerships, we focus on ZIP codes and school districts with lower high school graduation rates, higher free and reduced lunch eligibility, and lower state testing scores.

In our school-based programs, we partner with over 24 schools to offer:

• Bold Bash (K–5): A pep-rally style introduction to peer conflict resolution, friendship skills, and confidence building.
• EmpowerHer (Grades 2–5): Anti-bullying, STEM exposure, and self-acceptance.
• EmpowerHub (Grades 6–8): Confidence building, academic mindsets, STEM, and self-wellness.
• InspireHer (Grades 9–12): Mentorship, study skills, confidence building, and post-secondary planning.

Our camp and center-based experiences deepen impact through immersive opportunities:

• Summer Camp (Ages 5–12): Four weeks of Strong, Smart, and Bold activities, including field trips, workshops, and community-based activations.
• Eureka! (Grades 8–12): STEM and college/career readiness through a summer experience, plus monthly workshops and field trips throughout the school year.
• Leadership Academy (Ages 14–18): Two weeks of essential leadership and career exposure skills.
• Young Women in Leadership (Grades 9–12): Leadership and self-advocacy skill development, plus post-secondary planning through school-year workshops.
• Alumnae Program (Ages 18-24): Ongoing access to internships, mentorship, and skill-building workshops.
• Career Lab: Our newest program, serving young women disconnected from school and work through career development, financial literacy, and ongoing mentorship.

Our funding needs are divided across our program opportunities. Each of our programs is staffed by highly-trained program facilitators who deliver our research-based curriculum at a 1:15 staff-to-participant ratio, ensuring every girl receives meaningful mentorship. We also use a comprehensive surveying cycle with quantitative and qualitative data to understand our participant’s needs each year, and shape our curricula, hands-on experiences, and field trips around that insight. As a result, our programming shifts each year, by design, to ensure Girls Inc. experiences continue to meet participants where they are.