Mission: Cool Girls is dedicated to the self-empowerment of girls. We inspire girls to change their world.
Cool Girls was founded by Dawn Smith in 1989 in response to the desperate plight of young girls living in the a housing community East Lake Meadows was known as one of Atlanta’s most violent public housing projects.With the support of Epiphany Episcopal Church and the Urban Training Organization, Smith and a handful of dedicated volunteers set out to create a secure, supportive environment for the girls of East Lake.
Cool Girls’ community partners, mentors, and volunteer networks support girls in all aspects of their development – breaking the cycles of poverty, low self-esteem, and teen pregnancy. The adults provided academic support through tutoring, broadened the girls’ world-view through field trips, and formed a girls-only club where the girls could engage in positive, self-empowering activities that nurtured their development.
“We realize we can make a difference.” – Faith | Cool Girl participant
Throughout the years, Cool Girls program development has been responsive and relevant to the needs of the girls we serve. Cool Girls develops bonds with our girls, and their parents, giving support as early as eight years old until womanhood. Over the 23 year history, over 4,000 girls have come through the doors . Today, Cool Girls serves over 400 girls through our partnerships with 9 Title 1 schools in DeKalb and Fulton Counties.
“I loved everything [Cool Tech]. Especially today, I did a lot of things that I have never done before. I am so excited about coming again.” – Cool Tech Participant
OUR PROGRAMS INCLUDE:
- Cool Girls Club is a weekly after school program that provides academic support and life skills development for girls in 2nd to 8th grades.
- Our “Phenomenal Girl” curriculum focuses on life skills development. Through the collaborative efforts of volunteers, staff and school personnel, girls are educated collectively about sexual health, hygiene, healthy relationships and bullying, conflict resolution, self-esteem and cultural awareness.
- Cool Scholars is a weekly after school program that focuses on academic achievement and teaches test preparation skills. It helps girls acquire literacy skills, develop test taking strategies and encourages participants to strive for academic excellence. Girls who participate in Cool Scholars have shown that they maintain higher grade point averages and significantly higher achievement in math, than non-Cool Girls.
- Cool Sisters is the one-to-one mentoring program matches female community volunteers with a Cool Girl to act as a role model, provide friendship and personal support This special relationship reinforces the lessons and mission of the rest of our programs, and keeps girls involved after they age out of Girls Club and begin their transition to high school.
- Cool Tech is a technology education program that helps bridge the digital divide, and exposes girls to computer programming, video game production, computer animation and web design. The school year offerings were extended this year with an overnight summer camp on Georgia Tech’s campus for 25 girls, for them to gain exposure to technology higher education, and career opportunities.
- Cool Fitness is a structured, early intervention fitness and nutrition program that fosters physical activity and health lifestyles. Offered is a comprehensive fitness program designed to prevent childhood obesity, increase nutrition and health knowledge, and bolster body confidence. Cool Fitness is focused this year on swimming and water safety, and included lessons offered through GoGirlGo! on health, wellness and healthy eating habits.
- Cool Field Trips are monthly off-site outings designed to broaden girls’ horizons in arts, culture and athletics. By exposing girls to what is possible, they get new ideas about what is possible in their own lives. These experiences, such as the ballet, the High Museum and Atlanta Dream basketball games, are often what Cool Girls point out as the highlights of their year.
- A Beautiful Me! A year-end age appropriate workshop that educates over 200 Cool Girls, parents and volunteers about health and wellness and raises awareness about prevention of pregnancy, abuse, and exploitation.
- Cool LEAD (Ladies Empowered and Determined) serves as our leadership program for high school girls. This is a leadership program is an extension of our Cool Girls Club for 9th -12th grade girls to plan service projects, receive SAT and college prep, job shadowing experience and prepare for college.
- Cool Futures was established to encourage high school Cool Girls to provide new programming ideas and input on how to continue making a relevant impact in the lives of the girls we serve.
Here at BCG, we support your cause! This is a wonderful organizations that promotes a development within our young girls! For more information on you can get involved and #Giveback to Cool Girls, please call 404.420.4362 or email info@thecoolgirls.org for information!
