26 Best Organizations for Tween Girls

Girls are bright and talented, and they have the power to shape the future of the world. But young girls in the modern world face many obstacles, ranging from poverty to a lack of educational resources and even concerns such as domestic violence.

The following 26 organizations serve the young girls and women of today in a variety of capacities, including peer-to-peer and multi-generational mentoring programs, classroom and after-school programs, and recreational activities that foster the development of self-reliance, leadership and career prospects.

1. Day of the Girl
@DayoftheGirl

Day of the Girl offers toolkits for anyone who wants to plan a banging giving-back event for girls. Each year on October 11^th, the world celebrates International Day of the Girl. Day of the Girl is the go-to organization for any group wanting to hold an event to celebrate young girls everywhere.

2. Hardy Girls Healthy Women
@hghw

A nonprofit organization focused on improving the health of girls and women everywhere, Hardy Girls Healthy Women is a training institute for parents and educators as well as a creator of innovative programs for girls based on the latest research in girls’ development conducted primarily by Hardy Girls Healthy Women co-creator, Senior Researcher and board member Lyn Mikel Brown, Ed.D.

3. Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls
@smrtgrls

Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls was founded by none other than Amy Poehler, a well-known actress and performer with a goofy, loveable nature girls can relate to. Smart Girls is an online community and network aiming to inspire girls to be their authentic selves. With an Ask Amy feature as well as an abundance of other resources, Smart Girls is a lively and positive destination for young girls.

4. 4-H
@4H

4-H is the nation’s largest youth development organization with programs reaching every corner of the United States. Conducting leading research on youth development and working in rural, suburban and urban communities everywhere, 4-H is a positive organization enabling young girls to participate in positive recreational activities and make a difference in the world.

5. Best Bones Forever!
@bestbones4ever

Best Bones Forever! is a project of GirlsHealth.gov, owned and maintained by the Office on Women’s Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This sub-site focuses solely on bone health, an important health consideration for young girls. Maintaining bone health at a young age helps prevent osteoporosis, a common condition among older women. This organization provides a ton of excellent resources on bone health, such as the right foods to eat, why staying active is important and more – all in a fun, girl-focused format.

6. The Brave Girls Alliance
@BraveGirlsWant

The Brave Girls Alliance is an organization dedicated to changing the media-portrayed image of girls, instead offering a realistic picture of what it’s like to be a girl in today’s world. The Brave Girls Alliance encourages all girls to accept themselves just as they are – strong, intelligent and adventurous, spirited, and individual. The alliance consists of businesses, experts, nonprofit organizations, authors, parents, educators, adults and girls who believes in shifting the stereotypical, lowest-common-denominator portrayal of girls in the media.

7. Camp Fire
@CampFireNHQ

Camp Fire provides girls with the “opportunity to find your spark, lift your voice, and discover who you are.” With Environmental and Camp programs, an Out-of-School Time program and Teen Service and Leadership programs, there are many opportunities for both young and teenage girls to get involved in making the world a better place.

8. The Confidence Coalition
@Confidence_Co

An organization dedicated to instilling confidence in young girls, The Confidence Coalition was created in 2009 by the Kappa Delta Sorority. The group helps girls stand up to media stereotypes, to abusive relationships, bullying and other harmful and hurtful situations in the modern world. The Confidence Coalition runs awareness campaigns and promotes its cause on its website and through action projects. Kappa Delta created International Girls Day and International Women’s Friendship Month in support of its overall mission.

9. FabFems

FabFems is a group of women professionals working in math, science, technology and engineering fields and girls who aspire to pursue related careers. FabFems connects women professionals to young girls in a one-on-one mentoring program to provide young girls with inspiration and motivation to move beyond the stereotypes and pursue their own interests.

10. FearlesslyGiRL
@FearlesslyGiRL

FearlesslyGiRL was founded by 27-year-old “girl expert,” Kate Whitfield, who is also a speaker and author. With local chapters and summits, FearlesslyGiRL works to create a kinder world for girls – including an anti-bullying campaign, FearlesslyKiND, offered to schools through keynote speaking, workshops, parent/educator workshops and other resources.

11. The Girl Effect
@girleffect

The Girl Effect aims to “make girls impossible to ignore.” The organization believes that girls play a critical role in changing the modern world – by involving them in education, health and economic investment, girls can make incredible contributions to problems such as poverty and hunger. The Girl Effect is a movement created by the Nike Foundation in collaboration with the NoVo Foundation, United Nations Foundation and Coalition for Adolescent Girls.

12. Girl Scouts
@girlscouts

The Girl Scouts is probably one of the longest-running and well-known organizations dedicated to young girls. The first Girl Scouts Troop was founded more than a century ago, but the program is still going strong today – in fact, it’s bigger than it’s ever been with more than 3.2 million Girl Scouts members. With a focus on building character, self-esteem and community service, the Girl Scouts is a positive organization supporting girls in grades K through 12.

13. Girls for a Change
@GirlsforaChange

Girls for a Change empowers girls to take steps to change the world by creating, leading and implementing social change projects that impact girls on a local level, in their own neighborhoods. Through this process, girls strive to reach their own full potential, developing a voice and a passion for creating positive change.

14. Girls, Inc.
@girls_inc

Girls, Inc. inspires girls to be strong, smart and bold – everything they were born to be. The organization offers “life-changing programs and experiences that help girls navigate gender, economic, and social barriers.”

15. Girls Leadership Institute
@girlsleadership

Headquartered in Oakland, California, the Girls Leadership Institute has programs running in several large metropolitan areas across the U.S. With parent and daughter programs as well as professional development programs, the Girls Leadership Institute empowers girls to change the world by teaching them the skills needed for self-identity, self-expression and the courage to make their dreams a reality.

16. Girls on the Run
@GOTRI

Girls on the Run inspires girls to be healthy and confident, take charge of their lives and their futures, and live life on their own terms. With a fun, experience-based curriculum, Girls on the Run creatively integrates these values in the practice of running, a healthy, fun activity for young girls.

17. Girlstart
@girlstart

Girlstart is a resource for girls interested in pursuing “non-traditional” careers in mathematics, technology, engineering or science. Offering programs for girls, parents, and educators, Girlstart focuses its efforts on the female half of the world’s ideamakers – girls. “Girlstart develops and implements a range of innovative, research- and standards-based education and mentorship programs designed to promote girls’ early engagement and academic success in STEM, encourage girls’ aspirations and persistence in STEM education and careers, and incubate a talented and diverse STEM workforce.”

18. Girl Up
@GirlUp

Girl Up is “uniting girls to change the world” by encouraging them to get involved and use their talent, creativity and intelligence to tackle global challenges. The focus is on empowering young girls in the modern world to turn their efforts to helping the 600 million adolescent girls in developing countries – girls who are bright, talented and full of dreams but often struggle to meet their full potential due to poverty and other challenges.

19. Kids for Peace
@KidsforPeace

Kids for Peace encourages young girls and kids in general to be kinder, thoughtful and loving members of society. Kids for Peace programs cultivate kids’ innate abilities “to foster peace through cross-cultural experiences and hands-on arts, service and environmental projects.” The goal is to create a safe and peaceful world where kids and people treat others – and the planet – with respect. A number of programs allow young girls to get involved in eco-friendly projects, arts, and cultural experiences.

20. Girl Talk
@GirlTalkInc

Girl Talk is a not-for-profit organization with a peer-to-peer mentoring program for young girls. The program aims to help young girls develop self-esteem and leadership skills as well as learn to appreciate the value of community service. High school girls partner with middle school girls to help them navigate the issues commonly faced by girls at this difficult age, as well as get involved in positive community activities. More than 40,000 girls have been involved in Girl Talk through local chapters in 43 states.

21. She Heroes

She Heroes has reached nearly 50,000 girls between the ages of 8 and 12 online, and also offers classroom and after-school programs. An organization aiming to inspire girls to overcome obstacles and stereotypes to achieve their dreams and reach their full potential, She Heroes highlights professional women who have overcome the odds and achieved success in non-traditional roles.

22. SheWill
@SheWill_Inc

SheWill is an organization serving girls between the ages of 8 and 17, educating young girls and women on the importance of financial literacy and career development. Through research-based programs, SheWill teaches girls the principles of wealth building, recognizing the value of income-earning potential, and career empowerment.

23. Smart-Girl
@COSmartGirl

An activity-based program that helps young girls become self-reliant, confident and capable, Smart-Girl offers programs for girls in sixth through ninth grades. Girls meet in local chapters for weekly, 90-minute sessions packed with valuable activities and positive interaction with role models and peers. A comprehensive training program is available for educators and adults who want to implement a Smart-Girl program locally, including 22 hours of intense training and more than 100 hours of curriculum.

24. Strong Women Strong Girls

A multi-generational mentoring program, Strong Women Strong Girls teaches leadership skills and fosters a sense of community serving three generations – elementary school girls, undergraduate women and professional women. There are currently programs available in Boston, Pittsburgh and South Florida.

25. The Peer Project – Youth Assisting Youth

A peer mentoring program targeting at-risk youth and newcomers, The Peer Project is a nonprofit organization has helped more than 20,000 young people since 1976. Pairing young kids between the ages of 6 and 15 with older Youth Volunteers between the ages of 16 and 29, The Peer Project provides positive role models for young kids facing obstacles.

26. YWCA
@YWCAUSA

The YWCA has been offering positive services for youth for more than 150 years. One of the oldest and largest girls’ and women’s organizations in the world, the YWCA has served more than two million young girls and women and their families. Programs and services range from domestic violence prevention and education to career development.