Our History
Girls Inc. is the longest-running girls’ leadership organization.
Girls Inc. of Chattanooga was established in 1961 as the Chattanooga Girls Club by local leaders committed to providing a safe and inspiring environment for girls.
Together with donors, the collective commitment of Girls Inc. supporters has prepared hundreds of Chattanooga girls to grow into inspirational leaders in their own right here at home and across the country.
In partnership with schools and at Girls Inc. centers, we focus on the development of the whole girl. She learns to value herself, take risks, and discover and develop her inherent strengths. The combination of long-lasting mentoring relationships, a pro-girl environment, and research-based programming equips girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers, and grow up healthy, educated, and independent. Informed by girls and their families, we also advocate for legislation and policies to increase opportunities and rights for all girls.
Fast Facts
- Girls Inc. of Chattanooga serves 28 schools in Hamilton and Marion County during the school year, as well as seasonal camps.
- We were voted 2022 Hamilton County Schools Partner of the Year.
- We were awarded the 2024 Affiliate of the Year by Girls Inc. National.
Girls Inc. National was founded in 1864 to serve girls and young women who were experiencing upheaval in the aftermath of the Civil War.
Across the decades, we adapted to meet the specific environmental challenges facing girls and young women, always working in partnership with schools and communities, and guided by our founders’ fundamental belief in the inherent potential of each girl. Woven into those early girls’ clubs are the same core values of Girls Inc. today: the importance of creating a safe gathering place for girls to learn and to share in a sisterhood and a strong premise that each girl can develop her own capacities, self- confidence, and grow up healthy, educated, and independent.
Fast Facts about National
- Girls Inc. is a national nonprofit, headquartered in New York City, Washington D.C., and Indianapolis, IN.
- Girls Inc. serves girls ages 5 to 18 at more than 1,500 sites in 350 cities across the United States and Canada.
- Girls Inc. has 7 affiliates in Tennessee and 77 nationally.
For 160 years, Girls Inc. has been evolving with girls.
We not only support girls, we also equip them and give them the opportunity to envision, and then create, a more equitable future.
Girls Inc. is the leading expert on girls.
Working with and on behalf of girls for 160 years has given us unparalleled knowledge and expertise. The Girls Inc. Experience changes the trajectory of girls’ lives and prepares them for lifelong success.
Today, Girls Inc. of Chattanooga serves hundreds of girls and their families annually.
Girls Inc. of Chattanooga is an independently incorporated not-for-profit organization governed by a local voluntary rotating Board of Directors. All funds raised support our local operations and services for Chattanooga girls and their families.
Girls’ Bill of Rights
We will always support girls and ensure that their rights are recognized and respected.