Girls For A Change (GFC) is a national organization that empowers thousands of teen girls to create and lead social change. GFC provides girls with professional female role models, leadership training and the inspiration to work together in teams to solve persistent societal problems in their communities. Explore our web site to learn more about how you can join our movement and how girls are transforming our world--and reinventing girl culture--through GFC!

We want YOU! (To coach a GFC team this Fall) Click here if you want to be a coach in Silicon Valley.

The Ladies of the Xi Gamma Chapter of Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc. warmly invite you to our9th Annual Winter ONEderland

If you're seeking the heat, come experience a hot DC event that brings together a diverse group of young professionals from all over the country. Winter ONEderland is back for its NINTH round in 2011 and promises to be bigger than ever. Come out for a night of dancing, networking, and of course celebrating diversity! 

*The Vibe:
DJ CUZZIN B of True School Corp. will be sure to get your backs up off the wall, spinning the best Hip Hop, Top 40, Reggae, and International. 

*The Goodwill:
100% of Winter ONEderland's profits are donated to Girls for A Change (GFC). GFC is a national organization that empowers thousands of teen girls to create and lead social change. You can find more information here: http://www.girlsforachange.org.

Cover = $10 before midnight 

*The Venue:
Tabaq Bistro is one the D.C.ity's most glamorous venues, conveniently located in the heart of the U Street Corridor. Coupled with the warm and welcoming atmosphere that only Winter ONEderland can provide, this event, held in the RED ROOM at Tabaq, will be only for the grown and sexy (21+). 

*The Vitals:
.Saturday, January 22nd
.10:30pm-2am
.Tabaq Bistro - RED ROOM
1336 U St, NW, Washington, DC 20009

**Tabaq Bistro is located near the U Street/African American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo metro stop on the Green/Yellow line. Garage parking is also available nearby.**

Below is a recent email to GFC CEO Whitney Smith from Irene Kagoya, Leadership & Ethics Instructor at
Akilah Institute for Women in Rwanda.

Dear Whitney,

I trust you are well and determined as ever to continue empowering young girls. We are continuously inspired by your works I must say. I am proud to share with you updates of the social change projects at Akilah this year.

 On the 19^th of November, 2010, the first group of six students set off to Gahanga Centre Kigali to implement their social change project on malnutrition, and other projects followed. 

Each of the social change projects developed by the students was of value to each community. At the end they were asked by the community leaders to make frequent visits to the community and continue educating them on how they can deal with the different problems they face.

It was incredible to see my students develop these social change projects, meet community leaders to organize for the different meetings, and then see them in action. For some of the community members they had never heard of kitchens gardens, others did not know that there was a female condom, while still others were surprised at the fact that children have a right to rest as the students talked about children’s rights.

As a teacher watching my students plan, organize and effect a community project was inspiring. They owned these projects and, however challenging each group was up to the task. One of the groups that had their project on teaching customer care through media has continuously gone back to Contact FM where they are featured on a 10:00am O’clock show speaking about different issues of customer care every Tuesday. Through the social change projects students were able to practice their public speaking skills, build networks with community leaders, and for the first time the majority of my students realized how strong they are and believed in their ability to bring positive change in their communities.

There were a number of challenges, for instance, each community asked students to go back and yet we had limited resources. It was also difficult to assess the impact of the projects on the community as well as students with only onetime visits. I hope we are able to secure more support for these projects the coming year and make it more meaningful for the students as well as the communities.

At the end of each project students were asked to write about their experience, and it was interesting to hear the students’ voices on how much the projects had impacted on them. Unfortunately I cannot share it all but  below is what Alice Umurerwa had to say and attached are two pictures of the students in action.

My experience at Gahanga

When I was at Gahanga it was amazing because the people I taught were very interested in what I was teaching them so I felt that I am an important person in my society. I knew that everything is possible if you do it with your heart. I was very happy that time when the citizens were very curious to know about malnutrition that made me feel encouraged and plan to return again in order to help them develop their life in a good way.

Before I was fearing to speak in public and we planned to go in the community then I asked myself how can I teach at Gahanga, I found that inside me I have power to influence others in a good way so what am supposed to do is to use that power in order to make change in my community. Alice Umurerwa

Girls For A Change trained over 800 girls across the US to create change in their communities around women’s health. These Love Your Body, Change Your World trainings focused on breaking down myths and stereotypes about women’s health and have given girls the skills and tools they need to enact change. Trainings were held in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Milwaukee, the SF Bay Area, Dallas, and Baltimore. Thanks to all of our trainers, partners, participants, staff, and donors for making this movement possible!

See the video from the training in Milwaukee:

Thanks to Calumet Photographic  in San Francisco for donating photography equipment for our final training on October 23rd! Stay tuned for the amazing shots volunteer Caroline Schiff captured of the girls in ACTION!

To learn more about the campaign and GFC's partnership with U by Kotex, click here.

GFC Alumna, Please fill out our 2010 survey to receive a $5 Starbucks Gift Card! Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to hearing from you!

Click Here to take the GFC Alumnae Survey!

At GFC, we’re committed to saving costs and saving trees – to that end, our annual giving program is green – using email as the primary means to stay in touch with our donors.  But we need your help. By responding to our annual appeal with a gift, you make possible the programs that serve over 1,600 girls annually.

Really want to make a difference? Make your recurring gift today and spread the news, widen the circle of support for Girls For A Change, by posting this on your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or other social media; email your friends and colleagues and encourage them to be the change!

Help us reach 500 donors… sign up to be a part of Girls For A Change today! Click here to make your secure donation and join us!

 Inspiring Partner $10,000 and above provides GFC programming to two or more teams per year.  
-Includes benefits below, plus two tickets to our signature event in California.
-Includes invitation to all three events in our annual Powerful Change Series in the Bay Area.

Empowering Partner $5,000 to $9,999 provides GFC programming to an entire team of girls per year.  
- Includes benefits below, plus invitation to two events in our new Powerful Change Series in the Bay Area.

Circle of Change $1,000 to $4,999 provides GFC programming to one girl or more over an entire year.
- Includes benefits below, plus invitation to one event in our new Powerful Change Series in the Bay Area.

Friends For A Change $1 to $999 provides support to train volunteers, provides grants to Girl Action Teams and materials to make GFC programming possible.
- Quarterly newsletter
 - Invitation to join the Girl Action Network, a resource of girls and women involved in Social Change around the world.

Corporate sponsorship packages are available, contact our Development Team for more information.

Keep Girls For A Change programming alive and well. Join our campaign today by clicking here.

Girls For A Change is proud to partner with U by Kotex, a bold new feminine care product line, to advance the empowerment of women and girls. The alignment of the girls’ and women’s empowerment mission between Girls For A Change (GFC) and U by Kotex is exceptionally synergistic. Girls and women across the nation will see the messages associated with this campaign, which are truly grounded in “girl power.”

This cause-related campaign is the culmination of an eye-opening survey conducted online in August 2009 by Harris Interactive^® on behalf of U by Kotex among more than 1,600 North American women aged 14-35,  which revealed that 7 in 10 women believe it’s time for society to change how it talks about vaginal health, yet less than half (45%) feel empowered to make a difference.  U by Kotex and Girls For A Change want to change this by empowering young women to take control of their health and bodies, lead social change, and speak out against societal pressures and censorship. 

Empowering girls to believe in themselves and see themselves as social change agents starts with helping them to overcome the negative messages about girls that swirl around them constantly. If a girl does not feel comfortable in her own skin, it is almost certain she will suffer in all areas of her life. We see this campaign as a gutsy and bold move to share the message that girls should not feel shame in being a girl. When a girl feels empowered she is unstoppable and capable of amazing things!

For every person who joins the movement by signing the Declaration of Real Talk and/or recording an empowering statement at www.UbyKotex.com, the U by Kotex brand will make a $1 donation^[1] to Girls For A Change.

U by Kotex, in sharing a common mission with Girls For A Change, is taking the lead in encouraging young women to spark a new conversation that is long overdue. A pivotal part of the campaign launched in September 2010 when Girls For A Change trained over a 1000 girls across the US to create change in their communities around women’s health. These Love Your Body, Change Your World trainings focused on breaking down myths and stereotypes about women’s health and have given girls the skills and tools they need to enact change. Trainings were held in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Milwaukee, the SF Bay Area, Dallas, and Baltimore. Thanks to all of our trainers, partners, and donors for making this movement possible!

Read more about the partnership in the New York Times.

Visit this page about GFC's Love Your Body, Change Your World Tour in partnership with U by Kotex.

Stay tuned for more details.

IMAGINE if girls are told they can change the world.
IMAGINE they are told this by powerful women.
IMAGINE that you are one of those women.

Each year, GFC Girl Action Teams in our sites around the world complete social change projects. Every team of girls is partnered with adult women volunteers, called Girl Action Team Coaches. Coaches guide girls through the process of creating change in their communities. We are looking for women to partner with middle school and high school girls in the fall and spring!

Being a GFC Coach means working with a team of girls for 4 months, supporting girls in designing and implementing a social change project and, most importantly, telling girls they're important and powerful and that they can change their world. GFC offers training, staff support and a coach manual to support you during the year.

Sign up today! Be a change agent in your community--and in the lives of girls. Find us in your city to learn more about volunteering. If GFC is not in your community yet, click here to learn more about how to get started.

At Girls For A Change (GFC), we care as much about girls’ online safety as you do. That’s why we make all of our web sites COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) compliant and work with you to ensure a fun, healthy, and safe online experience for girls.

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