Our History
Girls Inc. is the longest running girls’ leadership organization.
Our Mission
Girls Inc. inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.
Our Vision
Powerful girls in an equitable society.
Our Values
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.
the beginnings of a national movement
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, Girls Inc. has 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.
Through local, independent affiliates, Girls Inc. has reached millions of girls across the United States and Canada.
Girls Inc. of NYC is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, operating separately from the Girls Inc. national office.
Girls INc. of NYC began with one school
For more than 25 years, Girls Inc. of New York City has been a leading expert on girls.
Girls Inc. of New York City was launched in 1998 through a partnership with Central Park East High School in East Harlem, providing much-needed healthy sexuality programming. Since then, we have delivered life-transforming programs to thousands of girls and young women throughout the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan.
Over the years, Girls Inc. of NYC has expanded to more than 150 schools, reaching more than 10,000 girls and young women per year.
We have launched innovative signature programs that respond to the needs of NYC girls and young women, including digitized programs in mental health, data analytics, and financial literacy.
Girls Inc. of NYC became the first affiliate in the nation to provide a college completion program.
Our first full Project REACH cohort graduated college in 2023!
In 2023, we hosted our first, in-person citywide conference, bringing together 1,000 girls.
The conference focused on advocacy, while our 2024 conference demonstrated ways to manage mental health.
Through education and advocacy, we prepare girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers to advance a more equitable world.
Our participants are equipped with the skills to lead and create positive change in their communities.
Girls’ Bill of Rights
We will always support girls and ensure that their rights are recognized and respected.