Most dictionaries would define “girl” as “a female child, from birth to adulthood.” To fully understand who she is, we need a deeper definition. GIRL: Growth, Initiative, Resilience and Love.

It was my first day facilitating a program – lesson one of Redefining Beauty for 9-11 year-olds. I don’t know how apparent it was, but I was a little nervous. It wasn’t until the girls began sharing their journal entries that I realized why I was nervous.

In today’s global society, the pressures to always be “better, faster, smarter, and thinner” have turned into pressures to be the “best, fastest, smartest, and thinnest.” Getting caught up in what others think about oneself has spawned a detrimental thought-process, specifically inducing girls into believing that they are not good enough.

One of the greatest gifts I have received from serving my AmeriCorps term at Girls Inc. is strong facilitation skills. I look forward to continue serving youth here in Indianapolis. I will definitely utilize the principles and techniques I learned while teaching our girls to be strong, smart, and bold into my next endeavors for years to come.

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been at Girls Inc. for a year, but what an eventful year it has been! I broke my arm in the first couple of weeks, got stranded abroad after getting my passport stolen, and just finished the grueling law school application process. Oh, and then there was my AmeriCorps VISTA project!

One particular group of 9-10 year-old girls were fun and reminded me of myself at that age. Despite only a little diving experience, most of them were extremely talented and it became obvious that they would have a real shot at placing at the Championship meet. And then there was Sophie. Sophie had all the heart and none of the guts. Find out how Sophie overcame her fear!

When I was asked to write a blog post on what I think it means to be a champion, I was taken by surprise. Sure I work for the NCAA, but I was never an athlete – I don’t have an athletic bone in my body. The mantle at the house I grew up in is not filled with trophies and ribbons that boast “I win” or “I won”, however, iChampion.

Volunteers with PricewaterhouseCoopers spent a lunch hour with fourth-grade girls at James A. Garfield Elementary School leading a Lunch Bunch program. Watch the video to discover what girls and volunteers learned during their time together!

My favorite part about Lunch Bunch is the diversity of our volunteer pool: a retired school teacher sitting next to an IUPUI student. Both women came to Girls Inc. because they know that there’s still a lot that we have to do for the women’s equality movement.

Christen Peterson, Public Ally II, and Jen Van Dame, VISTA, enable Girls Inc. to reach thousands of girls through news, more efficient processes, project management, advocacy initiatives, and increased, positive public awareness. Read more about these wonderful women!