Girls Incorporated® of Indianapolis Says Farewell to Two Key Staff

By Pat Wachtel, CEO

Director of Programs Carmen Rodriguez will spend her last day at Girls Incorporated® of Indianapolis on Thursday, Nov. 13 as she makes plans to join her husband Alex in Florida. Although the date is not yet certain, Bevin Prater, vice president and chief operating officer, will also be leaving before year end as she and her husband make plans to relocate to Texas. Because they are so strong, smart, and bold, no one could seriously label Bevin or Carmen a "trailing spouse." However, that is reasonable shorthand for the major life transitions that they will begin very soon.

Girls Incorporated® of Indianapolis is grateful to Bevin and Carmen for their amazing contributions of time and talent to this organization. Words cannot truly express how much we will miss them! Read more about their future plans and lasting legacies. Look for information about Girls Inc.'s new leadership staff, including our new vice president and chief operating officer, in next month's enewsletter!

What Does "Beauty" Mean to You?

By Ashley Crockett-Lohr, Special Events Coordinator

Girls Inc.'s participants have some nontraditional ideas about beauty. When we asked girls attending our recent summer camp what the word "beauty" means to them, they were full of ideas! Here is a sampling of their thoughts:
Alana (age 14) said, "My definition of beauty is to express myself through the things I love doing."
Chandler (age 9) said "Beauty to me is not how you look. It is about learning to thank your body and be healthy."
Autumn (age 13) said, "Beauty to me is loving yourself, taking care of yourself, and knowing you're cute without being airbrushed. It's feeling strong when sad and hard times come."
Watch other Girls Inc. participants redefine beauty in this short video!

Girls Connect with Rolls-Royce Engineers at Lunch Bunch

By Dana Bushouse, Coordinator of Volunteer and Intern Recruitment

On Oct. 20, Girls Inc. teamed up with Rolls-Royce and the Society of Women Engineers for a Lunch Bunch program teaching girls about careers in engineering. Volunteer mentors shared their careers and taught girls how to work as a team to build model helicopters comprised of candy and toothpicks!
Discover opportunities for your company to partner with Girls Inc. and teach girls about your exciting and nontraditional careers!

Are You Friends with Brianna Bold?

By Jennifer Baltz, Americorps VISTA E-Communications Specialist

Our strong, smart, and bold girls are now on Facebook! Show your support for Girls Inc. and stay involved by becoming a Facebook friend with Brianna Bold, one of our strong, smart, and bold girls. After logging in or signing up as a member, you can read Brianna's profile and leave comments or questions on her wall. Brianna also has lots of photos, videos, and Girls Inc. news for you to explore. Brianna shares on her profile that she enjoys self-defense classes, spreading media literacy, inspiring others to appreciate and accept their bodies. One of her favorite quotes is from Louisa May Alcott: "I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning to sail my ship." You can also keep up to date with us on Facebook by visiting our Fan Page.
If you missed our past two enewsletters, you can catch up with Sierra Strong and Serena Smart today!

Girls Inc.'s News You Can Use

Launch Party for Girls Inc.'s New Portal Technology
On Nov. 11, Girls Inc. will premiere the state-of-the-art extranet sites that are designed to facilitate communication between our organization and valued volunteers and community partners. Join us downtown at the Girls Inc. National Resource Center from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. to be among the first to test out this technology!

"By The Women, For The Girls" Campaign Kickoff
For girls today, growing up is like putting together a puzzle, and not every girl has all of the pieces she needs. Girls Inc. provides essential pieces to help each girl complete her puzzle, such as a puzzle piece of personal empowerment, another puzzle piece for a strong sense of self. What piece of the puzzle do you have to contribute to today's girls? What piece did you wish someone had provided for you when you were growing up? This month, Girls Inc. will launch an e-campaign to bring together a network of women virtually, in support of local girls. To participate in the campaign kickoff, contact Ashley Crockett-Lohr.

"Tell A Girl" Tip of the Month

Tell a girl her most attractive feature is her self-confidence.
If you take a moment to tell a girl all the remarkable things you see in her, not only will she believe you, she'll also start to believe in herself.