WEST CHESTER, PA (May 30, 2019) – The Chester County Fund for Women and Girls is now accepting applications for TWO programs open to interested high school girls during the 2019-2020 school year. Applications are available online at http://ccwomenandgirls.org/girls-programming/ and will be accepted until Monday, June 17^th. Read more about our program offerings and access the corresponding applications below:

1. Girls Advisory Board (GAB)
A nationally recognized girls’ grantmaking program, GAB provides local high school girls entering 10th or 11th grade with an opportunity to learn firsthand about the deep and varied needs in their communities and equip themselves with the skills needed to address them. Over the past 16 years, GAB has awarded over $240,000 to agencies that target the needs of women and girls through innovative services to tackle issues like poverty, illiteracy, violence, homelessness, mental illness, teen pregnancy and substance abuse. As a member of GAB, each participant will:

• • Learn about the importance of philanthropy and giving back to your local community
  • Make new friends from different schools and communities in Chester County
  • Discuss pressing social issues with peers
  • Meet non-profits doing ‘boots on the ground’ work for women and girls
  • Collaborate with peers to fund $20,000 to local organizations through strategic grantmaking
  • Participate in community service activities
  • Get to know influential women in our community

If selected, the program is free to all participants – accepted girls are also able to participate in GAB for up to two years.

2. GirlGov Chester County
GirlGov Chester County is a civic engagement program that provides local high school girls entering 10th, 11th or 12th grade with an opportunity to learn firsthand about civics, government, advocacy, policy and leadership. As a member of GirlGov Chester County, each participant will:

• • Work with peers to develop and lead their own advocacy campaigns
  • Make new friends from different schools and communities in Chester County
  • Meet local and state elected officials
  • Get to know influential women in our community
  • Take a culminating advocacy trip to Harrisburg to meet with legislators about issues that matter to them

Due to a growing interest among high school girls in our programs to be involved in advocacy and policy work, CCFWG has partnered with the Women and Girls Foundation in Pittsburgh to start a new chapter of its popular GirlGov program right here in Chester County. We are excited to bring this offering to local high school girls this year. If selected, program participants will be asked to contribute $100 – if they are able to do so – toward the Harrisburg trip in June 2020. Financial support will be available for those who need it. 

Applications for both GAB and GirlGov Chester County programs will be accepted via the CCFWG website at http://ccwomenandgirls.org/girls-programming/ until Monday, June 17^th. The selection process takes place in late June-early July, and applicants will be notified about final decisions in August. Both programs begin in September 2019. Please contact Maeve Kelly at mkelly@ccfwg.org with any questions about the application process.