Synovus has long been a supporter of Girls Inc. chapters across our footprint. At the heart of Girls Inc. lies a mission of three pillars: Strong, smart and bold. For strength, Girls Inc. takes a comprehensive approach that focuses on physical, mental and emotional strength by offering programs that cover sports, social-emotional learning and mental health support. The smart aspect involves STEM and STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, arts and math), as well as literacy and comprehension. The bold component encourages girls to advocate for themselves and their communities, including equipping them with financial literacy and life skills.
Girls Inc. works with corporations like Synovus to bring practical financial education to its participants, like the Professional Readiness Experience Program (PREP), which offers entrepreneurship education, job readiness skills, and mental health support as well as hands-on experiences, like job shadows and panel discussions to empower girls as they develop skills to better navigate male-dominated industries. These programs have proven to have a lasting impact on participants, to the extent that many alumni return to volunteer and contribute to uplifting other young women.
Team member Kimberly Harper’s work on the Girls of Greater Atlanta board led us to a conversation with Greater Atlanta Girls Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tiffany M. Collie-Bailey. Tiffany shares that Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta is dedicated to empowering young girls throughout the city, Cobb County and surrounding communities by giving them the tools and resources to advocate for themselves and recognize their value.
Tiffany shared that the Greater Atlanta Girls Inc.’s origin is rooted in a tragic incident involving a young girl who was unable to get a space in an afterschool program specifically for girls. In the face of this tragedy, the community rallied and established the Girls Club of Cobb County, which later combined with Girls Inc. of Atlanta. For the last 48 years, Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta has focused on instilling qualities like strength, intelligence and boldness in young women. To date, they've served more than 130,000 girls equipping them to overcome personal and life barriers and grow despite what they’re facing. Today, Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta spans 13 counties and provides various programs throughout the school year and beyond. Her pride at their progress is palpable.
Tiffany stresses that 92% of the girls are of color and two-thirds of their families live in poverty according to federal guidelines so the importance of corporate partners like Synovus bringing financial literacy programming to Girls Inc. members can't be overstated.
“If you come from an insecure financial place, talking about money with your kids is very taboo. It’s secretive. You don’t understand how finances work. And that means that as your kids go into adulthood, they may make poor financial decisions. So, facilitating those conversations and having a partner that you trust to do that is really a beautiful thing.”
And while the organization has an impressive history, it remains just as committed today to bridging gaps, providing opportunities and leaving a lasting impact. In Tiffany’s opinion, stories of organizations like Girls Inc. and the accomplishments of women need to be shared so girls everywhere know there is space for them in this world as the leaders they know they can become.
When prompted for words of encouragement for girls, young ladies and women, Tiffany quickly reinforced that it’s important to remind each young woman in the world that she is worthy, just as she is.
“You are enough. Everything that you are is enough. You don’t have to go looking for outside praise. And because you are enough, you can be anything and do anything that you want to do.”