Why does the Girls Rule Foundation focus on developing, mentoring and educating teen girls? Arizona is one of the worst states to be a girl through statistics like; dropouts, sex trafficking, teen pregnancy, self-harm, and suicide. We find that disempowered girls often become disempowered women, and our commitment is that empowered girls become empowered women who contribute economically, intellectually, academically, and emotionally in our communities, country, and the world. We find that empowerment and leadership skills are being taught, on average, 20 years too late for girls. We must educate and equip girls with these crucial skills starting at age 12, not 32 if we want more girls to become empowered, successful women and leaders.

Because girls often do not get these skills until later in life it is harder to navigate through the pressures, distractions, addictions, temptations, and media that pull on all girls.

The 7 core things that “pull on” EVERY tween/teen girl in our country:
1. Peer pressure/bullying/cyberbullying
2. Media messages of perfection & beauty
3. Puberty and early puberty
4. Suicide and self-harm is happening around them
5. Teen Pregnancy is happening around them
6. Drugs/drinking is happening around them
7. Cell phones and electronics addictions and dependency
(suicide experts say electronic/phone addiction is one of the main causes behind the rise in suicides)

Suicide for girls is at the highest in 40 years along with many other staggering statistics like sex trafficking, phone addiction, drugs, dropouts and teen pregnancy (7100 teen pregnancies in AZ in 2016 alone (1 million nationwide in 2016)). We all know that self-esteem cannot be medicated, and we also know that when girls are equipped with social, emotional, and leadership skill sets that they can build strong self-esteem and powerful skill sets to better navigate their teen years to become successful adults. We believe in girls and believe they have fierce, unlimited potential and we want to help all girls to know their worth and valuable place in the world. 

Our Program’s Impact:
We design and lead educational programs so girls have the greatest chances of success in their schooling, their careers, and their lives. Our Foundation for Success Curriculum heavily influences 4 of the biggest areas of our lives: The 4 C’s: choice making, communication, community/relationships, and cash/income. Our goal is to lower self-harm & suicide rates, lower teen pregnancy, and to raise the number of girls who go to college and raise the number of girls who go into leadership. Overall we want girls to thrive and become successful, fulfilled and happy adults. Through our 4 empowerment & leadership programs, we powerfully impact about 1500 girls per year but with achieving our funding goals we will impact 7,125 girls in 2018-2019.

“Over the past 2 years, I have met my best friend, done things I don’t often get a chance to do, started my
own photography business and have held a school program all inspired by Girls Rule. Getting that camp scholarship and going to camp
changed my life and others around me. All of my success in the last 2 years is because of you.
I will carry this knowledge with me for the rest of my life.”
-Maddy, age 12

Our Social Impact:

In addition to our programs where we work with girls in person, we also reach people electronically – through our newsletter, our social media, and our Spread Love, Not Hate Challenge. We reach approximately 10,000 people per month. We help girls know their valuable place in the world as leaders and world changers.