History
Founded in 1997, GirlVentures (formerly Bay Area Girls Center) was started by Bay Area educators Elizabeth McLeod and Megan Armstrong who met while earning their Masters of Education degrees from Harvard.
As classroom teachers, Megan and Elizabeth discovered what many studies had documented — adolescent girls were experiencing disturbing losses of self-esteem and confidence which in many instances lead to depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, early pregnancy, school failure, and other self-destructive behaviors. These same studies also documented that a loss in confidence among middle-school girls creates tentative learners, leading to a real loss in competence. Ultimately, girls caught in this vicious cycle are likely to close many doors to professional career goals, economic prosperity, and healthy psychological development.
To address the mounting needs of adolescent girls, GirlVentures was created to help girls recognize and celebrate their strengths and to assist them as they navigate the sometimes difficult transition from childhood to adolescence.
During our first year of programming we served 25 girls. Since then more than 3,800 girls have participated in our programs.