Global Girls prepares today’s girls for tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities by promoting individual growth and development via exposure, education, enlightenment and engagement.

• Exposure—field trips, camp outings, travel abroad, workshops and conferences;
• Education—session work on health & nutrition, violence prevention, social/emotional skill development, careers, technology;
• Enlightenment—awareness of the world at large and our connection to it, awareness of their individual talents and skills and how to grow and develop those skills;
• Engagement—activism on girl issues, socially conscious youth –driven theatre that investigates and stages performance pieces based on girls issues and concerns.

Global Girls Inc. was founded in 2000 and has established itself as a results-based organization on the southeast side of Chicago providing annual services, programs, special events and activities for hundreds of girls ages 8-18. We use the performing arts to engage young women in activities that build strong communication, leadership and life skills: essential social/emotional skills that can transform lives, influence families and empower communities. The result is youth-driven, socially conscious theatre that gives voice to the girls’ issue and concerns.

In the Young Women on the Move program, a core group of 20-25 girls meet weekly to review and discuss chapters in our Global Girls’ activity book, investigate and discuss their issues and learn basic performance skills (singing, dancing and acting). The girls are trained in leadership skills as they work on activities and projects revolving around our monthly themes including healthy lifestyles, healthy relationships, healthy families and healthy communities. Our staff also trains the girls in peer teaching/tutoring, peer mediation and peer mentoring. As the girls mature and grow in the program we refer them to employment/volunteer, community service and public speaking opportunities.

One of the more recent outgrowths of our Young Women on the Move program is our main performance group, The Company. Any girl who participates in our community or school based programs can audition for The Company. As the public face of Global Girls, the group creates performance pieces and presents them in the community and at special events. With funding from a wide variety of city and state agencies, foundations, companies and individuals, we are expanding our programs to include more girls from communities across the city and suburbs.

Our performances and appearances include:

• Webinar for Women and Girls and HIV with the US Department of Health
• Northwestern University Law School, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. program
• Eight Forty-Eight 9/23/2008 www.chicagopublicradio.org/Program_848.aspx?episode=29053
• Illinois Women of African Descent Coalition Health Conference
• Illinois tour of 12 cities from Kankakee to Cairo with our HIV information play and workshops
• ABC Channel 7 news with Tracy Butler
• The Chicago AIDS Foundation
• Opening for Sheryl Lee Ralph in Indianapolis, Indiana
• The Mayor’s Office of Special Events
• Sigma Gamma Rho's annual Youth Symposium
• The Illinois Department of Health HIV conference in Springfield
• Prairie Center for the Performing Arts in Schaumburg, Illinois
• African American Social Workers Association convention
• Cable television

Our community-based programs are held at Grand Crossing Park, where we are Arts Partners in Residence through the Chicago Park District. In addition to the Young Women on the Move program, we also host the Ambassador program, the Take the Stage theatre program and an exercise program for older teens and adults. We currently have eight to twelve week programs in seven elementary schools and another performance program in one high school.

Global Girls develop a global perspective by participating in social change projects, youth-led research projects and by traveling to different communities, cities and countries and then returning to share their experiences with peers. In 2005 and 2007, we traveled to Ghana in West Africa furthering our goal of exposing girls to different cultures and perspectives. So far, six girls and three staff have made the trip. We developed a video journal and discussion based on the trip which we take to interested groups.

Starting in 2007, we began touring our HIV edutainment (educational entertainment) production called "From Gross to Hope" exploring the way girls talk about sex. Using dance, poetry and improvisation. The piece highlights the urgent need for straight talk and opportunities for girls and parents to talk in a safe space about feelings, biology and personal power.  We have performed the piece over 50 times and are still getting requests.

Our latest performance piece is “I Choose” and is a main component of our teen pregnancy prevention campaign. “Project 21-20, Not before 24" is a ten-year initiative aimed at cutting in half the teen pregnancy rate in Illinois by advocating for comprehensive sex education, challenging the culture of low expectations for girls, promoting facilitated conversations about sex between adults and youth and encouraging girls to become change agents in their homes and communities.

How Can You Get Involved?

You can become a Global Girls team member and contribute to the Global Girl way by:

• volunteering
• leading a Global Girls program in your school or community
• joining "100 Women " mentoring our girls here in Chicago and supporting our Global Girls initiatives throughout Illinois
• visiting Mombasa with us in September 20-30, 2009, and/or
• joining our Board of Directors or working on a board committee.

Come and see our girls for yourself at one of our Young Women on the Move sessions

at Grand Crossing Park, 7655 S. Ingleside Ave.

(entrance one-half block east of Ellis on the east side of the building)

Call 773 488-7557 for more information.