Junior Women of Initiative
The Junior Women of Initiative program is a unique mentoring partnership between Boys & Girls Club of Collier County and the Women’s Foundation of Collier County. The purpose of the Junior Women of Initiative program is to help middle school girls build their self-esteem, confidence and personal awareness while building vital life skills necessary for future success.
Supported by a grant from the Women’s Foundation of Collier County, the program objectives include:
– To provide mentoring and life skill development for 15-20 middle school girls each school year, engaging successful women in the community as mentors through the Women’s Foundation of Collier County.
– To provide structured life skills sessions dealing with topics relevant to middle school girls as well as ensuring unstructured one-to-one time with mentors.
– To encourage supportive relationships among the middle school girls in the program, to build an encouraging peer network of support beyond Junior Women of Initiative sessions.
– To encourage Club membership retention among participants.
Each fall, middle school girls are nominated for the Junior Women of Initiative program based on their class participation, attendance, need for a mentor, and/or the need for guidance. Sessions start in November and continue through May.
Mentors are recruited from the Women’s Foundation of Collier County and throughout the local community. They include women from many different walks of life: bankers, lawyers, teachers, doctors, retired professionals, business owners, consultants, philanthropists – even an Army Captain. The selected mentors are strong and successful women who serve as excellent role models for our girls.
About The Women’s Foundation of Collier County
The Women’s Foundation of Collier County, a fund at the Community Foundation of Collier County, was established by women community leaders to develop a sustainable way to meet the economic, educational, physical, emotional, social, and artistic needs of at-risk women and girls in Collier County. More than $500,000 has been granted by WFCC since inception. Learn more at wfcollier.org or call 239-649-5000.