Smart Girls

    The ultimate goal of the Smart Girls program addresses health and social issues that are specific to young women. Smart Girls is designed to prepare girls, ages 10-15, to make positive decisions at this critical stage in their physical, cognitive, emotional and social development.

    For young girls adolescence is a time of rapid growth in physiological changes. They are being thrusted into puberty and adulthood. Whether girls make this change in a positive way often depends on their self-esteem, ability to develop and practice life skills, attitudes and behaviors about health care, nutrition and fitness, and opportunities to contribute to their communities and the influence of female mentors/role models in their lives.

    The Boys and Girls Club of the Wisconsin Rapids Area want to provide the girls of our community a positive beginning to their adolescence years. Smart Girls is the program that can do this.

Smart Girls Goals

To help young women:

• develop and enhance the skills necessary for a healthy lifestyle;
• develop an understanding and appreciation of their bodies and the physical, emotional and social changes they are experiencing;    
• develop positive lifelong nutritional habits, based on an understanding of the nutritional needs specific to females;
• develop an understanding of the need for healthy exercise habits, including a broad range of physical and leisure time activities;
• develop communication skills through the involvement of adult female role model/mentors (specifically mothers, grandmothers and other family members) to enhance important female relationships.