GOAL CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF SERVICE TO GIRLS

Nonprofit begins second decade with move to expanded facilities in Decatur

ATLANTA, GA (February 29, 2008) – GOAL – A Girl’s Journey of Growth marks its 10th year of service to adolescent girls in 2008.  The nonprofit has seen tremendous growth in recent years, with the number of girls served more than doubling between 2005 and 2008.  This growth has led GOAL to begin its second decade of service to adolescent girls with a move to expanded facilities in downtown Decatur.  The “GOAL House” at 124 Church Street in Decatur will enable the organization to continue its growth and will create new opportunities for collaboration with other organizations located in Decatur.

“Making the move to Decatur is the capstone of a great decade for GOAL,” said Gail Rothman, CEO of GOAL.  “While we have grown as an organization and reached many girls, the need is still great and our mission of building self-esteem, self-awareness and a respect for individual differences in young girls is more important than ever.  A larger space will allow us to continue to guide even more girls on their journey of growth.”

GOAL provides girl-centered programs, training, and expertise to organizational partners serving early adolescent girls. GOAL designs and field tests its own experiential, research-based programs that address the social, emotional, intellectual, and developmental needs of adolescent girls.  GOAL is shaping a future generation of strong, competent, and resilient women able to handle life's challenges with flexibility and a solid grounding in their own identity.  The organization works directly with several schools in the metro Atlanta area, facilitating weekly sessions with their students.  In addition, GOAL is sharing its expertise with organizations across the country, from Milwaukee to Massachusetts, increasing the number of girls who have a chance to build valuable skills for developing into confident young women.

Highlights from GOAL’s first decade:

• Served thousands of girls from a broad spectrum of economic, ethnic and cultural backgrounds

• Provided leadership and self-esteem camps and backpacking trips for girls in early adolescence for six years

• Field tested and packaged the GOAL® Core Curriculum, a six-module experiential program based on optimal learning and best practices for middle school girls

• Designed unique experiential training program for women who want to become GOAL Certified Facilitators, helping each of them become a  “guide on the side” not a “sage on the stage”

• Provided capacity building to youth development workers in Georgia, Indiana, Washington, DC, Massachusetts and Wisconsin.
• Co-delivered a two-day training in Indiana with Dr. JoAnn Deak, an internationally renowned expert in brain differences and optimal learning environments for girls.
• Inspired 450 guests at the 2007 Going for the GOAL Luncheon with keynote speaker Eve Ensler

 To prepare for the move to Decatur, volunteers will paint, landscape, clean, and prepare the new GOAL House for its April move-in date.  On March 1st and March 15th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., community volunteers – including some of the girls who have benefited from GOAL programs in the past – will dedicate their weekend hours to get the GOAL House ready for the organization’s April move-in date.

Anyone interested in volunteering can contact tricia@goalonline.org for more information.

About GOAL
GOAL's mission is to promote self-esteem, self-awareness and respect for individual differences in girls and young women, resulting in an enhanced capacity for leadership.  GOAL provides girl-centered programs, training and expertise to organizational partners serving girls in early adolescence in all communities.  For more information, visit www.goalonline.org or call (404) 633-9413.

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