Girls Inc. of New York City inspires 10,000+ girls each year to be strong, smart, and bold through life-changing programs that help them navigate gender, economic and social barriers and use their innate tools to advocate for themselves and others.

 

Every spring, in honor of Women's History Month, we host an annual city-wide leadership conference where we create a space for girls from across the city to engage in meaningful dialogue and dynamic workshops.

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The 2024 conference, Elevate Her Essence, brought together more than 1,000 girls and gender-expansive youth from middle and high schools across NYC for an experience centered on mental health and self-care. Through self-led activity stations, small-group workshops, and mainstage educational presentations, the conference offered several practical ways students could manage their mental health.

 

Girls today face a broad range of challenges to their physical, mental, social, and emotional health. The pervasiveness of social media and high engagement with the Internet amplifies the impact these challenges can have. Our goal is to tackle the increase in depression among teens by encouraging a positive sense of self and equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle.