The YWCA Girls Center provides inner-city girls from Lawrence ages 5 to 14 the direction to experience success and build the confidence, skills and perseverance that allow them to make healthy, safe choices in adolescence and later in life, as well.

Led by our experienced staff, Girls Center programs combine learning, exploration and celebration – all to help girls build the academic, physical and social skills that lead to success. Girls may enroll in a variety of age-appropriate after-school, summer and evening programs year round.

After School and Summer Opportunities include:

• Girls-only activities including swimming and other sports, summer field trips and opportunities to meet female community leaders;
• Prevention programs to help girls avoid dangerous or unhealthy behaviors, develop healthy relationships and gain leadership skills;
• Introduction to technology and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programming;
• Face-to-Face and Camp Her, our one-week and two-week respectively girls-only summer camp experience at Camp Y-Wood. Face-to-Face combines traditional camp activities such as swimming and kayaking with an exploration of issues of importance to adolescent girls, such as how to navigate social media, avoid peer pressure and make the best kind of choices.

Family Fun
Girls Center participants are often joined by their families to celebrate accomplishments, explore new skills or enjoy a little family fun at the YWCA. Mother/Daughter nights are an uplifting way for moms to strengthen connections and open the lines of communication with their teen-age daughters. And the whole family is invited to the annual awards ceremony, where girls are recognized for accomplishing the goals they’ve set during the year.

For more information, contact Mandy Chaput or call her at 978.687.0331 x1012.