32 | GRAVITAS MAGAZINE GravitasMag.com
COMMUNITY
F
For thousands of school-aged girls today,
Girls Inc. of Sarasota is giving them the
tools they need to become successful future
leaders of tomorrow. rough a variety
of hands-on activities and real-world
experiences, girls in grades K-8 can now
fulfill their biggest dreams and inspirations.
Girls Incorporated is the only after school program in
Sarasota County offering the Dream Harbor Community,
a micro-society curriculum designed to teach students how
to build a business and elect government leaders. e girls
apply for "jobs" each year, choosing to work as a business
owner, local leaders, peacekeeper or news reporter. Young
entrepreneurs produce goods and services for others, while
elected officials establish laws and peacekeepers help maintain
order in the community. All of the "citizens" earn wages,
invest in products, deposit and borrow money from the
"micro" banks, and pay taxes, tuition and rent. Teachers help
learn basic economic and financial management, government
laws, and how to live, work and play together. e success
of this innovative program has encouraged other Girls Inc.
chapters around Florida to implement similar curriculums.
Girls Inc. Sarasota offers multi-use classrooms, a full-service
kitchen, literacy center, computer lab, an art room, as well
as sports facilities, including a gym, indoor swimming
pool, tennis courts and playground. More than 150 girls
from 20-plus county public schools attend each weekday
afternoon, many on scholarships. After receiving a nutritious
home cooked hot meal in the cafeteria, each girl is assigned
a different daily enrichment program, including the Dream
Harbor Community project. In addition to the grade
school level programs, several partnerships with local high
schools allow Girls Inc. educators to work with students
on their college application process, while partnerships on
the collegiate level with the State College of Florida and
We empower
girls to become
the future leaders of
tomorrow.
Angie Stringer,
Executive Director, Girls Inc. Sarasota
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