Circle of care supports Worcester girls
Girls today face real and profound challenges to their well-being and success, including sexual harassment and violence, inequitable access to education, mental health issues, harmful stereotypes and media messages. For girls who represent historically marginalized communities, these risks are even higher.
The pandemic only exacerbated these problems, taking a harsh toll on U.S. teen girls’ mental health, with almost 60% reporting feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness. The crisis has been compounded by a shortage of school staff and mental health professionals.
While federal pandemic money exists to hire more, they are difficult to come by as many therapists are already overburdened with long wait lists. And the federal money is about to dry up. This is why high-quality after-school programs with comprehensive socialemotional components have never been more vital for girls.
Girls Inc. Worcester is playing a vital role in supporting girls across our communities offering a girls-only space designed to provide them physical and emotional safety, increase their self-esteem and positive decision making, create social support networks and allow them to discover their strengths and their voices.
We currently have 130 K-12 girls in our after-school drop-in program up to five days a week, where they can do their homework or engage in clubs like basketball, culinary arts or science club. The most important element is that they are there making friends. Postpandemic, it’s been a top priority to help the girls move back into a space of wellbeing where they can learn how to be part of a group again, be social and engage in learning.
For example, our first- and secondgraders never experienced in-person kindergarten, so they’re still learning socialization skills they would have learned in those earlier years. They may not have difficulties learning but may lack capacity for long-term attention, which makes it hard to engage in learning.
Many of our girls are learning how to express emotion and how to share with others any issues they’re having. Sometimes
sharing means melting down, which is understandable. But we make sure they know they have people who care and are supporting them.
We have a number of social-emotional professionals who teach the girls about wellness and mental health, but also provide a space for them on days they don’t want to engage. It’s difficult to provide this sort of environment inside a school, so we’ve forged partnerships with Worcester Public Schools and local charter public schools where, when the girls are dropped off or we walk to pick them up, the school nurse or the principal will let us know who is having a tough day. This collaborative support allows us to provide the proper level of care for the girl — or girls — on that particular day.
We call this continuous circle of care and education our 360 Circle. The girls are in school for six hours, they come to Girls Inc. for three to four hours after school, then go home for the night. As part of the circle, we build relationships with families, so, just as their school lets us know how the girls’ day was, we can let their parents or guardians know how they fared during the after-school hours. We can let them know if they had any issues that day that may need further attention or if they need additional homework help.
Girls Inc. isn’t an academic institution, though we do provide homework help and opportunities to engage in continued learning. While we consider the organization to be a learning space, it’s more dedicated to building up selfesteem, inspiring empowerment and instilling leadership skills. For instance, we provide programs around STEM and sometimes STEAM, but they’re more about allowing the girls to explore possible career opportunities and skill sets to help them figure out their interests, whether they include college or workforce opportunities.
Social-emotional after-school programs like Girls Inc. can help girls navigate challenges they face in the present moment but also help them explore and celebrate their strengths, find their voices, who they are today and who they will become tomorrow. It is critical that we continue to invest in girls’ futures. In doing so, we will not only improve the lives of girls but the communities in which they reside as a whole. It’s in everyone’s best interest when we encourage girls to embrace the power of being a girl and to grow up strong, smart and bold.
Tiffany Lillie is chief executive officer of Girls Inc. of Worcester.