girlsBEST Grantees 2006

American Indian Family Center, St. Paul – $25,000
Serves 20 girls from various tribal affiliations. Focuses on
creating a supportive environment to increase girls’ readiness to achieve economic well-being.

El Colegio Charter School, Minneapolis – $20,000
Program: Cambio!
Serves a multi-cultural group of girls, with special emphasis on the Latino community. Girls learn the basics of running a business through operation of the school store.

Family Pathway’s, Wyoming – $25,000
Program: Dream Girls
A multi-age program with 47 participants, providing a supportive environment to increase girls’ economic readiness by focusing on future planning, leadership skills, community involvement, and academic success.

Warren Alvardo Oslo High School, Warren – $20,000
Program: GIRLS
Builds leadership and entrepreneurial skills for girls through operation and management of the school store and by planning monthly activities, including
self-defense, political advocacy, and discussion of media’s role in perpetuating negative images of women.

Mujeres Unidas, Moorhead – $26,000
Programs: Mas Que Suenos (grades 8-12),
Quinceanera Club (grades 4-7) Programs provide a culturally supportive environment for increasing the economic readiness of Latina girls by increasing their academic success.

Center for Arts Criticism, St. Paul – $30,000
Program: Sisters in Leadership
Serves girls in Cass, Kego and S lakes on the Leech Lake Reservation and Nett Lake on the Bois Forte Nation Reservation. Focuses on building artistic skills around digital photography, leadership skills, supportive cultural environments, and on stimulating girls’ entrepreneurial growth.

Stomping Grounds, Staples – $28,000
Program: Stomping Grounds
Girl-run coffee shop in Staples, Minn. Girls meet monthly to learn how to manage and operate the coffee shop, and to develop programming with local business women.

Asian Media Access, Minneapolis – $50,000
Program: What About Us?
Girl-led public awareness campaign focused on celebrating the value of girls in the Hmong communities of Brooklyn Center and Minneapolis. Girls develop radio shows, videos and plays to build awareness of sexual violence in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, and emphasize the value women.

Higher Self, Red Wing – $25,000
Program: I Am, Go Girls!
The I Am (high school) and Go Girls! (middle school) programs focus on helping girls build self-esteem and confidence by challenging negative images and stereotypes of girls and women in the media. Participants develop advocacy, community involvement, community organizing and presentation skills.

St. Cloud State University Women's Center, St. Cloud – $20,000
Program: Today's Women
Today’s Women is committed to increasing high school graduation and college enrollment among girls of color in St. Cloud public schools. This is accomplished by women-of-color professors at the University mentoring women-ofcolor university students, who in turn mentor girls of color in the St. Cloud public schools.

Women's Initiative for Self-Empowerment, Twin Cities – $30,000
Program: Girls Getting Ahead Leadership
Girls Getting Ahead Leadership prepares immigrant and refugee girls in the Twin Cities for college. Girls attend a variety of workshops on financial aid, college entrance tests, and other relevant topics.