BIO Girls, Inc.

A BIO Girls season is 12 sessions, 24 hours of programming, facilitated by trained volunteers. Program includes structured curriculum/lessons, small group mentoring, physical activity and a community service project. Curriculum (participant journals & volunteer guides) and hands-on activities are developed in-house and revised annually. Curriculum tracks focus on four key areas related to mental health/self-esteem: healthy relationships, mental wellness, kindness and leadership.

BIO Girls is 100% volunteer facilitated in the communities we serve. This is a core pillar because research indicates girls with a non-parent mentor in their lives have higher self-esteem than those who do not. This pillar brings together women of all walks of life to serve as role models for the next generation of girls in their community. Small group mentoring has a 1:4 mentor to participant ratio.

In addition, each BIO Girls program conducts a community service project showing the importance of service and giving back to their community. BIO Girls has partnered with numerous agencies in the communities we serve to deliver this service work; including the Great Plains Food Bank & local food pantries, Kids Fighting Hunger, Landon’s Light, Hope Blooms, Hopeful Heart Project, numerous local park districts, long term care facilities, hospitals, parishes, and many other non-profits.

BIO Girls uses non-competitive, physical activity, which is proven to increase self-esteem in youth, as a tool to reinforce lessons on accountability, goal setting & dealing with adversity. This physical activity teaches girls the benefits of an active lifestyle, both for physical and mental health. The focus of this activity is movement and progress. It is never competitive. Volunteers work to ensure girls of all abilities can participate, removing barriers for those with physical challenges. BIO Girls offers running, cross training, and yoga programs; and is currently piloting self-defense & tumbling programs. In 2022, BIO Girls will pilot a creative arts-based program.

BIO Girls has both a scholarship and professional referral program to reach girls that need it the most. In 2021, BIO Girls implemented a Pay as you Can Model, where families simply choose the amount they can pay during the registration process. This includes $0 for a full scholarship with no additional forms or process burden on families. This resulted in a record number of full scholarships across all BIO Girls locations in 2021. 168 girls received $35,000+ in scholarships, 61% of those recipients on free/reduced lunch. BIO Girls is proud to innovate the process of financial assistance & remove as many barriers as possible to reach girls.