Who is That Girl is SMART?
Mission Statement:
That Girl is SMART believes that every girl has the right to be S.M.A.R.T. TGIS's mission is to empower girls with step-by-step guidelines to promote positive development, even when seeking to prevent problem behaviors. TGIS programs help girls six to eighteen navigate adolescence in healthful practices and empower them for their future by fostering their positive development to overcome roadblocks and reach their full potential in five areas – education, self-identity, wellness (mental and physical), community, and leadership.
We are empowering all girls to be S.M.A.R.T.
Successful.Magnificent. Authentic.Resourceful.Talent
That Girl is S.M.A.R.T. (TGIS) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. SMART is an acronym for successful, magnificent, authentic, resourceful, and talented. TGIS, is a mentoring program that serves girls ages 6-18 throughout the state of Texas and beyond. TGIS’s primary goal is to provide strategies that assist girls to overcome roadblocks and reach their full potential in five areas – education, self-identity, wellness (mental and physical), community, and leadership. TGIS has designed a program to empower our SMART girls with the tools they need to live a balanced life. They will learn to manage their time, understand the importance of education, and examine healthy and unhealthy relationships while learning to love themselves.
Since its inception in 2016, That Girl Is SMART has provided various resources for women and girls from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and all walks of life. TGIS hosts events focused on some of the most pressing needs of young girls and teens to provide a roadmap for these young ladies to reach their dreams.
Thousands of girls have been impacted by TGIS programs and continue to excel. From addressing emotional issues such as self-esteem, bullying, and abandonment, to college and career planning and exposure to entrepreneurship and STEM opportunities, TGIS provides solutions and breaks down barriers that make the impossible possible. Starting from age six and progressing through high school graduation, many TGIS participants have matriculated to some of the best universities in the country, including Southern Methodist University, University of North Texas, Oral Roberts University, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and Prairie View A&M University.
Uniquely Developed Programs
We teach them how to use their innate instincts to shift into their authentic selves. Girls over the age of six attend our bi-monthly That Girl is SMART Life Experiences.
Through this program, we have identified and outlined five key areas of development for young girls:
- Self-esteem
- Relational with self and others
- Education
- Wellness (Physical and Mental)
- Leadership and Community
TGIS recognizes in Texas and nationally that a higher percentage of African American girls are disproportionality found in systems: such as juvenile justice, special education, child welfare (CPS), health care, and criminal justice. More African Americans in these systems than their percentage of the general population would indicate, and their outcomes are unfortunate.
According to the Texas Department of Family Services, a higher percentage of African American children:
- Are removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.
- Do not return home to their families.
- Grow up in foster care without being adopted or finding another permanent home.
We also address their real-life issues of the girls who have been violated sexually, emotionally, mentally, relationally, and physically, and show them how success is obtainable with the proper help. Our organization's core is centered on the positive development of girls between the ages of 6- 18 who are at-risk youth or need assistance to meet and address their emotional, core issues, and educational needs to create systemic change.
Many testimonies of the girls who have attended have attempted suicide because of depression, self-identity bullying, peer pressure, and home environment. We believe we can save kids from ever getting to the point of making that poor decision by:
- Providing a tailored, safe environment – on-site and virtually- for each girl to address their specific need because we recognize the warning signs.
- Establishing communication to help them activate their call for help.
- Understanding that a teen suicide attempt is a call for help is essential in preventing a completed attempt later.
- Provide each girl if need contact information for a specialized professional who deals with mental health.
#THATGIRLISSMART
