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Dear Friend of Girls Inc. PNW,
Welcome to the fall season! It is back-to-school time and schools in Oregon and Washington have returned to in-classroom learning. We at Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest are celebrating and relieved to have successfully weathered the challenges of delivering youth programming during a novel pandemic.
But we’re not done yet…
As the news changes daily and the pandemic remains an ever-evolving presence, we continue to rise to the occasion of bringing our mission of inspiring girls to be strong, smart, and bold to as many youth as we can!
After a year of virtual schooling where inequities were heightened by differences in access to learning, our youth are recovering from learning loss and physical disconnection from their school communities. The social, emotional, and skills building that we offer are needed more than ever.
This newsletter highlights our incredible work, and some exciting updates about our fundraising efforts as we celebrate International Day of the Girl throughout the month of October. Please read on to learn about ways you can get involved with our Day of the Girl campaign next month.
Also note our great new staff and fantastic new website!
Your support and belief in our youth and mission are always so appreciated. Thank you for standing in our corner.
Gratefully, 
Cyreena Boston Ashby Chief Executive Officer 
GIRLS GROUPS
Girls Groups wrapped up an exciting virtual summer, serving more than 80 youth through our summer STEAM camp and activity kits. Youth logged on across the region and participated in a variety of activities ranging from owl pellet dissection to “Ocean” salt water water coloring.
In response to the ongoing pandemic, Girls Groups are busy planning for a fully virtual fall 2021 term across the region. With youth back in school we are working individually with school districts and community partners to continue to tailor our services and programming to specific community needs while also maintaining the health and safety of staff and participants.
Programming will continue to emphasize community building, socio-emotional learning with the goal of meeting youth where they are at as they re-enter school. Even in the virtual format, Girls Groups will continue to serve as a space for youth to engage with staff and mentors, connect with each other via team building exercises, reflection prompts, and our virtual curriculum and activities. We are also excited to continue offering a variety of regional workshops with new and returning partners (Microsoft, Yoga with the Unicorn and Girls Who Code, and more!).
EUREKA!
This past summer, Eureka! ran four weeks of virtual summer camp for our First-, Second-, and Fourth-Year Eurekans and finished off all the learning with a celebratory in-person gathering in local parks. Eureka! also supported Third- and Fifth-Year Eurekans and partners to engage in meaningful internships in conservation, human-centered design, graphic design and more. As we move into the fall, we are planning our year of events, monthly learning sessions, graduation for the class of 2022, and meaningful youth engagement strategy.
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
Throughout the year, Leadership Council members work on individual/small group advocacy projects which focus on a topic that they are passionate about, as a means of leading and facilitating meaningful change in their communities. At the end of the summer, 2020-2021 Leadership Council members presented their projects. Some topics included: Anti-Asian violence, mental health resources in schools, text banking, and community advocacy.
Planning and preparation for the 2021-2022 Leadership Council session is well underway! We are excited to welcome this class of new and returning leaders, and to be expanding our curriculum, community partners, and opportunities for Leadership Council members. In the 2021-2022 session, we will continue to explore community advocacy, leadership projects, group building, social action, and more!
Program applications are available now and open to any interested 6th-12th grade youth located in Portland or the surrounding areas. Applications are due October 1st, 2021. Please contact leadershipcouncil@girlsincpnw.org with any questions or for more information!
DAY OF THE GIRL
In 2011, the United Nations established October 11th as International Day of the Girl to raise awareness about the unique challenges facing girls and women worldwide.
This year in recognition of our current COVID-19 state, we will observe the important and empowering day with a month-long digital communications campaign, and a peer-to-peer fundraising challenge!
Our 2021 campaign celebrates the #GirlsIncDifference. We’ll explore how the Girls Inc. Experience (people + programming + environment) is unique in organizations serving girls and non-binary youth, and therefore, creates the #GirlsIncDifference.
Join us, and thousands of others across the globe, as we work towards our shared vision of achieving an equitable society. Give a gift, join a team, or become a peer-to-peer team captain today.
We are grateful for PepsiCO who will match all gifts 1-to-1 up to $10,000 total. Thanks to the support of Comcast, Hapo Community Credit Union and Swire Coca Cola USA, $6,000 in gifts given on October 11, 2021 will be matched 1-to-1. Give to help us meet these challenges!
TOAST TO STEM EDUCATION WITH ET FILLE
Et Fille, which means “and daughter”, was co-founded by a software engineer dad and biotechnology daughter who shared a passion for winemaking. They believe that STEM education has the power to create a better community for all of our children.
Our longtime partner, Et Fille, wanted a beautiful silver lining to emerge from 2020, so they dedicated this wine – the sum total of their 2020 Pinot Noir – to raising awareness and funds for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
A portion of the STEM & root Willamette Valley Pinot Noir proceeds will support our Eureka! program, a STEM-based approach to engaging and empowering 8th-12th grade youth to become an important part of the future workforce!
Complimentary next-day delivery in the Greater Portland Area of 3+ bottles purchase. Purchases of 6+ bottles includes an invite to a virtual tasting.
THANK YOU FOUNDATION FUNDERS
Thanks to the support of our many funders and donors, our programs can continue to serve strong, smart, and bold youth across the Pacific Northwest. This summer, we were honored to receive grants from Lam Research, Pacificorp, NW Natural, American Family Insurance, U.S. Bank, Ash Grove, Community Foundation for SW Washington, and Clark Foundation. We are so very grateful for your support!
WE ASKED THEM WHAT MAKES THEM STRONG, SMART AND BOLD
Kathleen Porcello (she/they) – Grants Program Manager
I am strong because I know myself and my worth. I have overcome significant challenges, studied interdisciplinary social sciences to better understand myself, others, and society, and have come to appreciate my core values and unique strengths.
I am smart because I am constantly learning. I love applying new knowledge and insights from podcasts, webinars, books, blogs, newsletters, and my in-person and online communities.
I am bold because I am an activist. I am a queer intersectional feminist, active in voting rights and philanthropy groups, and hopeful that this generation will help drive — and enjoy — lasting systemic changes.
WE ASKED WHY THEY JOINED GIRLS INC. PNW
Amy Bero – Senior Program Manager, Amazon
I chose Girls Inc. PNW simply because the mission statement of inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold aligns with my passion. My personal journey to find my strength, voice, and confidence all came through fellow women. Hearing other women’s stories not only helped me understand the collective struggle we have as women to feel “enough” and worthy, but also the power that comes when women support other women. Those feelings of unworthiness start at a young age and are difficult to overcome, which is why I am thrilled to be a part of an organization that is focused on empowering girls from an early age while creating a community of support that young girls so deeply need.
If you’re interested in giving back but would rather give something tangible instead of funds, you’re in luck. We have an AmazonSmile Wish List!
Our wish list will be updated quarterly in accordance with each term’s program curricula. Simply browse the Girls Inc. PNW Wish List, add items to your cart, check out, and select our office as the shipping location – it’s that easy.
Furthermore, when you shop using AmazonSmile and select Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest as your designated charity, Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase price to us. So, not only will you be purchasing and donating specific items we need, Amazon will also be giving a percentage of your money back to Girls Inc. PNW! Thank you in advance for shopping in support of our mission.
Alaska Airlines Foundation awards LIFT Grants to nonprofits as they transition from the COVID-19 pandemic, NBC Right Now (Seattle) Forty Under 40 2021: Nicole Frisch, incoming Federal Reserve VP, Portland Business Journal Back to school: PNW nonprofit targets learning loss, KOIN AM Extra Thirsty Thursday: Wine for STEM, KOIN AM Extra Episode 96: Sara Fenton – Empowering Young Girls, The Illuminate Podcast
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