A Leadership, Empowerment, and Service Learning
Program for Jewish Young Women

Generously supported by the Jewish Women's Foundation, Girls Give Back engages teen girls in fun, positive leadership and team-building activities and gives girls the opportunity to explore the community through hands-on service learning and advocacy projects. Girls Give Back promotes Jewish values and the importance of Tikkun Olam while developing social-mindedness, critical thinking, healthy self-esteem, and empathy in high school girls.

Watch the Gala Tribute Video
honoring Barbary Bry and Girls Give Back>>

“GGB changed my life. Through this program, I became more of a leader and more confident. I am so grateful for my experience and I can't wait for the next program!”
Girls Give Back Participant

Learn More About...
Program Overview
Program Structure
Summer Sessions Recap

Program Overview

Girls Give Back empowers the next generation of female leaders to create meaningful change in the world around them. Teens develop concrete leadership skills, such as public speaking, group facilitation, project planning, negotiating and managing conflict, and understanding social justice issues.

Program Structure
Girls Give Back offers programming in the summer and throughout the school year. After intensive leadership development, the teens put the skills they’ve strengthened into action by engaging in direct service and planning service projects that give back to the community in a positive way. Girls Give Back offers two week-long summer workshops, each on a different topic. During the school year, teens attend a day-long retreat and participate in monthly leadership meetings and ongoing projects.

Girls Give Back Summer Workshops:

• Crafting Social Change: June 24–28
  Explore the ways in which girls and women are portrayed in the media. Learn how you can use the arts to achieve social change by creating a community art piece.
• Homelessness and Poverty: August 5–9
  Learn about the issues of homelessness, hunger, and poverty in San Diego. Volunteer at a different hands-on site each day and plan a project to give back to those in need.

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Summer Sessions Recap

Crafting Social Change Workshop
Twelve Jewish teens from all over San Diego County participated in the Crafting Social Change workshop from June 25-29 at the San Diego Writer’s Ink, where they learned how to give back to the community through the arts. Each participant selected a social justice issue of their choice and created a mixed media piece to educate the community on their issue. The exhibit is currently on display at Queen Bee’s in North Park before heading to San Diego International Airport in the fall.

Click here to see the photos!

Making Money, Making Change Workshop
Young Jewish women from around San Diego learned how to become entrepreneurs while giving back to community during a week-long workshop held July 30-August 1. Using their newfound business development, marketing, finance, and sales skills, they created the social venture, "Saved by Sweets," which raised more than $950 for Project SARAH.

Click here to read a personal account of Making Money, Making Change by participant Dagmar Bjork.

“I greatly enjoyed spending time with the girls and sharing with them. It was wonderful to hear the young ladies speak with such optimism and passion. They are definitely going places!”
Community Partner, Foundation for Women

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In a society where 60% of girls say that they experience stereotypes that limit their right to be themselves and 63% say that they are under a lot of pressure to please others (Harris Interactive, Inc. 2000), opportunities for discussion, leadership and empowerment are imperative.