By: Maria-Paula
In partnership with Chesterfield County Public Schools, Girls For A Change will, this summer, launch its Girl Ambassador Program at Meadowbrook High School in Chesterfield County. The summer series launches Monday, July 24, and continues through Friday, Aug. 4, with the opportunity to continue through the fall and spring Semesters, will culminate in a paid internship in the summer of 2024.
Following the Supreme Courts announcement on ending Affirmative Action last week, such initiatives are seen as solutions to stand in the gaps for Black girls and other girls of color by ensuring they have every opportunity in readiness for college and the 21st century careers.
Girls For A Change focus is to prepare Black girls for the world and the world for Black girls. With focus on the development of Black girls as leaders and change makers across the Greater Richmond Metro area, the programs teach participants to understand the world they live in, advocate for their rights, and exercise agency over their lives through a continuum approach and creative platforms.
With programs co-designed with the Black girls for the Black girls, the four-year, tiered approach to workforce development, Girl Ambassador Program, through its certified instructors, paced learning and development, work with girls based on their individual software and hardware proficiencies. The use of life experiences to teach hybrid skills and prepare them for better-paying jobs and leadership roles is also part of the empowerment program as the girls are introduced to thought leaders and subject matter experts on job readiness, leadership, networking, as well as financial literacy for a head start to professional and entrepreneurial career pathways.
Kileya Johnson, a two-year Girl Ambassador Participant and Meadowbrook High School student applauded the program as culturally responsive and focused on skill building, opportunity access, community building and emotional restoration for her certifications in jobs and a support system for adding value to her and her life.
“The Girl Ambassador program has impacted my life in ways I could’ve never imagined. I’ve been a part of the program for two years now and I have learned a new set of information with every class and experience I’ve been a part of. And it’s not just information about my future career, it’s also me learning how to be unapologetically me in everything that I do.
According to the Education Recovery Scorecard, Richmond Public School students suffered drastic learning loss with an average of 1.96 years of math instruction and 1.45 years of reading instruction due to the Covid 19 pandemic. The students most affected by this learning loss were Black adding to the pipeline problems faced in many fields by people of color.
A study of women in the workplace also revealed that women are still dramatically underrepresented in leadership whereas only 1 in 4 C-suite executives is a woman, and only 1 in 20 is a woman of color.
The Girl Ambassador Program was created to support girls in developing digital, professional, and soft skills as they get ready for a continuation of their education and/or the job market. Throughout the program, they have the opportunities to gain stackable credentials that align with specific job roles and are transferable to other careers and develop targeted skill sets. They can also gain work-based learning credits, badges and certifications that help them achieve an advanced diploma or pursue specific interests.
The summer series at Meadowbrook High School is an intro into the program, which picks up in the Fall. Students then work through the Fall and Spring semesters in partnership with SEED school and other professional instructors to get them ready for summer internships the following year.
“My favorite thing about the Girl Ambassador program is being able to advance my skill set, learn skills related to technology, advance my career options, and expand my network opportunities. I’ve learned how to design my own logo, code, use Microsoft apps to organize the business and had speaking opportunities,” said Iyanna Hardin, a Girl Ambassador alumnae and student at Full Sail University.
Parents and girls interested in joining the Girls For A Change program can participate in their upcoming Recruitment event at Starbucks, Hull and Chippenham, (6548 Hull St Rd N North, Richmond, VA 23225) on Monday, July 10 and Tuesday, July 11 from 4 pm to 7 pm.
Participants will also have the opportunity to engage in job shadowing, career fairs, as they expand their network.
For more information on the program, visit girlsforachange.org
