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So many pre-teen girls grow up without giving success a chance. They look at the images of polished, professional women on TV and in the community - but never mentally see themselves in the picture. The reason why? Many young girls are never given the chance to consistently be around positive, professional women. The "Girl's Gift Program" breaks that cycle - giving young girls a chance to meet the heroines of our community. We help girls feel confident about who they are and what they can achieve. We want girls to be able to look into the mirror of success and see their own faces smiling back!
A Girl's Gift Inc. supporter_agirlsgift.org 317.863.1330(o) 317.663.0748(f)
Program Description
The "Girls Gift Program" runs each Winter/Spring as a 5 month, Sunday-only, series of seminars for Girls in 5th through 8th grades. The Girls will meet one Sunday per month from February to June. They will also take part in the week long Girl’s Gift Entrepreneurial Institute and Business Plan competition in June. The 2012 program culminates in June with an awards ceremony that honors their talents, achievements, newfound goals, and completion of the program.
Each monthly seminar targets one of our specific purpose areas:
A Girl’s Gift of Entrepreneurship – We want our Girls to know they are capable of fostering an idea and growing that idea into a lucrative business. But if Girls never meet women who’ve done it, how can they learn to do it themselves? Each month, we will introduce them to a local female entrepreneur whose heart, hard work and determination has led her to becoming a successful business owner. This set of seminars will also begin to teach Girls the basic steps of a business plan.
A Girl’s Gift of Education - This set of workshops encompasses the education purpose of A Girl’s Gift Inc. They cover teaching Girls effective study habits, exposing Girls to science, math and technology-related fields, financial literacy, self-defense and ways to combat bullying.
A Girl’s Gift of Mentorship - This set of workshops encompasses the mentorship purpose of A Girl’s Gift Inc. We match each Girl with a positive female role model from our community. That role model's job is to shepherd their protégé – teaching her what it takes to have a successful career. These workshops also cover: Healthy relationships and self-esteem building.
A Girl’s Gift of Community Service - Girls will participate in at least two community service projects - along with their mentors. We want our Girls to learn the importance of giving back.
A Girl’s Gift of Goal Setting – Each Girl’s Gift participant will receive her own Dream Book. There are three purposes for the Dream Book: (1) Examine talents and passion already present or identify the ones our participants desire to learn or cultivate; (2) Create positive, self-awareness, and (3) Design a Dream Book that houses internal hopes, dreams and plans. We will talk openly about Dream Books in each session.
2012_AGG.Program_Application-1.doc
2011_AGG-2.Program_Structure.doc
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Leadership
Meet our Executive Directors
Ericka Gibson, Founder and Co-Executive Director of A Girl's Gift Inc., serves as a domestic relations mediator in the State of Indiana. She mediates all areas of domestic relations, including child custody, divorce, property settlement, child support and parenting time. Ericka serves as both a court appointed and private mediator. Ericka received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish, studying at North Central College in Naperville Illinois and The University of Barcelona in Spain. She received her law degree from Southern Illinois University's School of Law and has been an attorney for over 10 years.
With seven sisters, Ericka has always enjoyed working with girls. Her love for girls extended to the Chicago-based children's hair salon, "My First Salon" and "My First Pageant," a pageant for young girls--both founded by Ericka. She and her husband Dwight enjoy raising their three lovely daughters, whose many precious gifts were the inspiration for "A Girl's Gift Inc."
Ericka Gibson,
Co-Executive Director
DeShong Perry-Smitherman has worked as a television newscast producer for 10 years. Her experience as a multimedia journalist has taken her to work in Chicago, New York, St. Louis, Phoenix, Indianapolis and Africa. She began her career as a researcher for "The Oprah Winfrey Show," and then continued to climb up the journalism ladder at NBC affiliates and the Arizona Republic newspaper. DeShong has also spent time in the classroon as a communications instructor at Phoenix College. Currently, she produces and manages central Indiana's number one 5:30p.m. newscast at WTHR (NBC-Indianapolis). DeShong holds a bachelors' degree in Journalism from Roosevelt University, and a master's degree in Journalism from the University of Illinois (Champaign/Urbana). DeShong has earned two Emmy awards, an Edward R. Murrow Regional award, and a National Association of Black Journalists "Salute to Excellence" award - for the work she has accomplished as a professional journalist. Deshong, her husband Keith, and two daughters reside in Indianapolis, Indiana.
DeShong Perry-Smitherman,
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2012mentorformfinal-1.doc
2. Become a Session Facilitator!
2012facilitatorformfinal-1.doc
Name: Deanna Dewberry
Career: Noon and 5:00 Anchor, WishTV
Education: B.S., Journalism, University of Texas (Austin)
Position: Chair of the Board
Name: Jennifer Thorington-Springer
Career: Assistant Professor of English, IUPUI
Education: B.A., English, Westfield State College, Minor in Womens Studies; MA, 20th Century American Literature (with a Certificate in Womens Studies), Miami University (MU) in Oxford; PhD, Cognate in Women's Studies; Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
Position: Vice-Chair of the Board
Name: Tamakia Breland
Qualifications: Vice-President of Finance, Live Nation
Education: B.A. Finance, (Wayne State University)
Position: Treasurer
Name: Sarah Payton
Career: Development
Education: B.A., Public Relations/Journalism,
Butler University
Position: Dream Book Program Director
Contact Us
To learn more about our program, please submit this form and include a day and evening phone number with your message. We will contact you within 24 hours.
If you are interested in supporting our program as a mentor to girls, as a seminar presenter, via an individual or corporate sponsorship, etc., please contact us at supporter_agirlsgift.org. Thank you for your interest in improving the quality of life for girls!
A Girl's Gift Inc.
120 E. Market Street, Suite 1215
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317.863.1330 - Office
317.663.0748 - Fax
supporter_agirlsgift.org
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