Our mission at Girls Inc. of Greater Philadelphia & Southern New Jersey wasn’t created in a vacuum. Inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold is rooted in how we interact with the world around us. Some moments we experience as children may seem small to the world around us, but they were impactful and formative to who we are today. The adults that share in these moments when we’re children become our mentors that help shape our worldview as they journey along with us. For India Nixon-Lyon, our Director of Operations, one of those mentors was her sixth grade teacher.

“I made a bad judgement call and passed a note back to a friend during class,” she says. “The note was actually a poem I had written. My teacher intercepted the note, read it at her desk and asked me to stay behind. I was mortified that she had read it and was also worried I’d be in trouble!”

But what India didn’t expect was how her teacher responded. “When we spoke, she re-iterated that I shouldn’t pass notes in class and then asked me if she could enter my poem into a contest, she received information for. I was floored and said yes—mainly glad I didn’t get into trouble. My poem ended up winning the contest and being published in a book with other young poets!”

India’s teacher seeing her childhood potential has stuck with her to this day. “Her belief in me and her different way of thinking stayed with me into adulthood,” she says. It was one of the moments that led to her being part of the Girls Inc. family today. “Looking back, this was one of those moments that shaped my desire to improve the lives of young people. I wrote that poem because I was struggling in several ways, and I felt like in that moment she really saw me.

“As an adult, I’d like all young people to also feel seen.”

At Girls Inc., it’s moments like these that directly inform our mission and the work we do. Our mentorship model values the inherent strength in every participant, acknowledging that everyone who walks into our programs is already smart, strong, and bold in their own way. It is our job to create spaces for them to explore and discover themselves that make them feel safe, seen, and welcomed.

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No matter how big or small, your contribution directly fuels the relationships that change everything for a girl learning to believe in herself.

Invest in the power of the Girls Inc. Experience this Giving Tuesday! The combination of trained mentors, pro-girl spaces, and research-informed programming is proven to help girls pursue their goals with confidence. Are you ready to be a part of the movement? Give today to support the new generation of leader.

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