Rhode Island Through Virgin Islands

State-by-State Programs

Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
The Rhode Island Office of the Governor and the Rhode Island Department of Human Services sponsor Girl Power! Day, a day designed to bring attention to the issues and challenges facing girls; promote healthy, positive lifestyles; and honor girls' achievements in academics, the arts, and athletics. The Day features workshops, exhibits, and performances. It exposes girls to a variety of fun and healthy options that will help them develop the skills necessary to become independent, successful, and productive adults.

South Carolina
Gaffney, South Carolina
The South Carolina Department of Social Services' Division of Youth Programs coordinates Teen Companion, a program to prevent teen pregnancies, reduce school dropout rates, and increase self-sufficiency. Teen Companion provides academic tutoring, health education, and other related services aimed at pregnancy prevention. Hands-on participation in community projects and recreational activities are integral components of the program. Girls who participate in Teen Companion receive Girl Power! address book/resource guides and are encouraged to stay in contact with the friends they make through the program.

South Dakota
Rapid City, South Dakota
The Rapid City Girl Neighborhood Power! Program offers afterschool tutoring classes for girls ages 5 to 17. More than 250 girls attend the classes annually and all attendees receive Girl Power! bookmarks. The group also co-sponsors an annual economic literacy event with Girls Incorporated®, which teaches girls financial skills such as how to budget money and start a savings account. Participants receive Girl Power! posters.

Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
The University of Tennessee offers a mentoring program for sixth-grade girls focusing on alcohol and drug prevention. The program teaches girls the skills they need to resist peer pressure to use alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs and to engage in other risky behaviors. Each girl who participates in the program receives a selection of Girl Power! products.

Texas
Lubbock, Texas
The Lubbock Regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse conducts a 10-week Girl Power! prevention group for 8 to 10 girls between the ages of 9 and 17. The girls meet weekly to participate in academic, athletic, and art activities that help them develop skills and self-confidence. The participants perform community service and listen to women guest speakers who share their personal success stories. At the end of the 10-week session, the girls' families are invited to a party to celebrate the girls' achievements.

Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
The Girl Scouts of Utah and the University of Utah co-sponsor a sports event for 200 12- to 18-year-old girls. The girls participate in basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, and football clinics run by university women athletes and alumni. Each participant receives a Girl Power! diary, a Girl Power! sports poster, and tickets to a University of Utah women's basketball game.

Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Vermont's Regional Alcohol and Drug Awareness Resource (RADAR) Network site in Burlington supplies Girl Power! materials and other educational tools to 10 RADAR Network field offices across the state. Those products are then disseminated to local program organizers, most of whom are school teachers, guidance counselors, and staff from outpatient substance abuse treatment facilities. The main RADAR Network's office staff also conducts their own outreach efforts, taking Girl Power! products to health-related fairs and conferences.

Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board's Girl Power! program focuses on developing girls' strengths and assets. Girls meet after school once a week to learn skills to resist alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs; participate in community service projects such as cleaning neighborhood parks and working with senior citizens; and enjoy healthy alternative activities such as bowling and skating. Girls who participate receive Girl Power! pins, stickers, posters, and other materials. A 16-week curriculum and brochures in English and Spanish have been developed and are available to assist other agencies in replicating the program in their communities.

Washington
Seattle, Washington
The Young Women's Support Project is a program serving more than 300 12- to 18-year-old girls involved in the juvenile justice system. Through individual and small group experiences, program staff help the girls develop the tools and skills they need to avoid becoming repeat offenders. The girls are provided with Girl Power! address book/resource guides and are encouraged to write down the names and addresses of the supportive people in their lives and to use the Web sites found in the back of the book.

Washington, DC
"Developing Our Young Girls for Tomorrow" is an annual guidance conference at Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School. The conference gives girls in grades 4, 5, and 6 information and resources to help them increase their self-esteem and strengthen their decision-making skills. Each girl who attends receives a selection of Girl Power! materials.

West Virginia
Pineville, West Virginia
Pineville Middle School uses its Natural Helpers program to celebrate Red Ribbon Week, a national drug prevention effort. Natural Helpers are fifth- through eighth-grade student counselors who have been nominated by their peers and trained by the school district. During Red Ribbon Week, these students hand out Girl Power! materials and Red Ribbon products to their fellow classmates while explaining the significance of Red Ribbon Week. The students sign pledges not to use illicit drugs, and they tie red ribbons to a chain rope in front of the school.

Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Choices Initiative/Briarpatch, a community-based organization, works with Girl Neighborhood Power! to provide leadership training and education in a variety of formats. The year-round program includes JABONGGIT (Just A Bunch of OrdiNary Guys and Girls In Theater), a teen drama troupe that performs for schools, youth groups, and other teens and adults. They perform plays that facilitate discussions and encourage the audience to think about how problems can be prevented or handled effectively. Choices Initiative/Briarpatch also offers a support group for girls that addresses issues such as resisting peer pressure to use alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs.

Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
The Wyoming Chemical Abuse Research and Education ("Wyocare") Program at the University of Wyoming provides substance abuse and violence prevention information, educational programs, and research support to the communities and citizens of the state of Wyoming. One of the organization's key goals is to reduce the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs throughout the state. As part of its many efforts, Wyocare distributes Girl Power! materials to 9- to 13-year-old girls at meetings, workshops, and other prevention events.

Puerto Rico
Yauco, Puerto Rico
PROCEF, Inc. coordinates an afterschool Girl Power! club for 12- to 14-year-old girls at two junior high schools. During club meetings, special activities help the girls develop positive relationships with their parents and other family members. Girls write letters to older relatives and those who are geographically distant. They also play prevention-based games with their mothers and fathers. Club members receive Girl Power! products and have the opportunity to attend a weekend retreat.

Virgin Islands
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
The Division of Mental Health, Alcohol, and Drug Dependency distributes Girl Power! products as part of its community outreach efforts. The agency works with local government and nonprofit groups to organize prevention activities, such as Red Ribbon Week, for some of the Island's housing communities.