Girls Light Our Way · Est. 2014
Empowering Girls to Rise.
We light the path forward — equipping young women with leadership, education, and life skills to break cycles of poverty and reshape their futures.
2014
FOUNDED
500+
GIRLS SERVED
7+
PROGRAMS
100%
TO PROGRAMMING
OUR MISSION
A force of light for every girl.
GLOW empowers girls and young women through programs rooted in literacy, leadership, and life skills — building the confidence and capability to break cycles of poverty.
OUR MISSION
When she rises, we all rise.
A world where every girl — regardless of zip code — has the knowledge, care, and opportunity to become a force for change in her community.
OUR PROGRAMS
Pathways built for her future
Every light matters."When a girl is given knowledge, care, and opportunity, she becomes a force for change.
— Dr. Dawn Harris Jeffries, Founder
Health
Involves physical, nutritional, and mental health. The girls learn the relationship between these three health matters and the role they play on their grades, long-term health, and day-to-day living.
Literacies of Power
We believe our girls need to master several forms of literacy to help them navigate life in our society. A few examples are financial, health, digital, media, civic, and functional literacy.
Self-Efficacy
The girls participate in activities designed to stretch their imagination and improve their self-confidence. At the end of the projects they are usually proud of themselves and say “I had no idea I could do that” and “I DID that!” Our goal is to hear more of that.
GLOW QUOTES
“It helps you make positive choices in life.”
“We went horseback riding, bike riding and sailing!”
“We take swimming and yoga lessons.”
“We’re leaning how different foods impact our health.”
“We went to an art collector’s home in Chicago and saw all types of art throughout his house!
“With GLOW, I’ve done so many things I never thought I could do.
“We’re learning the importance of voting. We interviewed mayoral candidates to understand how their platforms impact our families.