Girls Inc. of Greater Miami empowers young voices through education, confidence-building programs
Eighth grader Anna Pena never imagined she would be standing in front of a crowd, delivering a speech with confidence, but thanks to Girls Inc. of Greater Miami, a nonprofit committed to inspiring girls to be strong, smart and bold, Pena and her peers are finding their voices and using them to lead.
Girls Inc. of Greater Miami's initiatives focus on building skills in science, math and technology while guiding girls through the everyday challenges they face.
New opportunities to shine
Pena is experiencing her first year in the program. She told CBS News Miami about the impact the program has had on her.
"I was still kind of shy, but now it has made me more confident," said Pena.
Pena, along with her peers, just joined the brand-new Girls Inc. speech and debate team, which launched in January. For the first time, they showcased their skills at the Girls Inc. Fuel Her Fire luncheon fundraiser. Founder and CEO of Girls Inc., Virginia Akar, told CBS Miami how the program has evolved over the years.
"This is everything culminating in one moment. Everything we started six years ago with one program with 30 girls, today is now 300 girls and eight different programs. So, today is a display of that. Today, for the first time, girls that participate in our Bold Voice Speech and Debate Club, a program that we just rolled out, are here to speak in public for the first time," said Akar.
A space to grow and express themselves
Eighth grader Isabella Lozano shared how Girls Inc. of Greater Miami has given her a platform to express herself through writing.
"I love that I am able to write, because I love to write, but with so many things going on in school, I don't really have that type of time. So, being able to do this extracurricular is amazing for me because it gives me the opportunity to write and the topics they give us are something I am very interested in and something that I feel very strongly about," said Lozano.
"Seeing these girls — some of them have been with us since third grade — seeing them evolve into the young women that they are today, powerful in their own selves, confident in who they will become, is really everything. It's a culmination of my why," said Akar.
Big dreams, bold goals
Akar's early work as a Miami-Dade County prosecutor in the juvenile division laid the foundation for her advocacy on behalf of young girls. She said she has witnessed how providing intentional opportunities for young girls can be truly transformative and her goals for the future of Girls Inc. of Greater Miami are expansive.
"We currently partner with five Miami-Dade public schools. The big dream is to partner with every single school in the county. There are 177,000 low-income girls attending Miami-Dade County public schools. We want to reach every single one," said Akar.
The girls said they are truly grateful to be part of this empowering program.
"I feel so excited and I'm just really grateful. I feel really, really happy about all of this," said Lozano.
Akar emphasizes that giving girls access to role models, opportunities and educational training can dramatically change the trajectory of their futures. The Girls Inc. after-school programs are offered to the girls at zero cost to their families.
For more information, visit Girls Inc. of Greater Miami.
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