Causes: Children & Youth, Education, Recreation & Sports, Sports, Youth Development

Mission: At Girls in the Game every girl finds her voice, discovers her strength and leads with confidence through fun and active sports, health and leadership programs. We empower all girls to be gamechangers. Every year, Girls in the Game empowers more than 3,600 girls to make healthier choices and develop the confidence and leadership skills they need to succeed on and off the field. In our 25 years, we've served over 50,000 girls ages 7 to 18.From yoga and lacrosse to soccer and dance, Girls in the Game exposes girls to a wide and energizing mix of sports and fitness activities year-round. Girls are encouraged to get in the game, any game they like, so they can learn teamwork and determination, and to make choices that lead to a happier, healthier life. All sports and fitness programming includes hands-on workshops on nutrition, health and leadership. Unlike traditional youth programs, Girls in the Game addresses the needs of the whole girl, combines a multisport framework with health education and leadership development, engages girls and teens ages 7-18 year-round through age-appropriate programs, and uses a comprehensive program that's girl-focused and proven by external evaluation to increase physical activity, confidence, and leadership skills

Results: In annual evaluation, girls report increases in the following after involvement in Girls in the Game programs:enjoyment of and participation in physical activitygrit, or the ability to sustain interest in and effort toward long term goalsleadership skillsfuture-oriented thinking

Target demographics: girls ages 7 to 18 gain access to sports and leadership opportunities that instill healthy habits and increase social emotional learning and leadership skills

Direct beneficiaries per year: 4,000

Geographic areas served: City of Chicago, Bloomington (IL), Baltimore (MD), North Texas (Dallas and Denton)

Programs: After School, Days of Play, Game Days, Teen Club, Teen Squad, and Sports and Leadership Summer Camp. Girls in the Game provides a range of site-based and citywide sports opportunities year-round for girls ages 7 to 18.Site-based programs such as After School and Teen Club meet once weekly during the school year for up to three 10-week-long seasons. Teen Squad is a citywide program that meets throughout the calendar year. Sports and Leadership Summer Camp runs for five weeks in the summer; we provide free bus transportation to and from camp by using neighborhood schools around the city as accessible bus stops. In order to maximize our reach and engagement, we also offer 2-3-hour one-time events called Game Days and events on days of non-school attendance (Days of Play and Spring Break Clinic).