How we're making girls' health a priority in Chicago

The Girls Opportunity Alliance supports M.E.A.N. Girls Empowerment's new Resource Van and the state of Illinois declares first Girls Health Matters Day.

A group of Black women and girls pose with a van wrapped with M.E.A.N. Girls Empowerment branding and images of adolescent Black girls. The group is holding a copy of Governor Prizker’s state proclamation recognizing Girls Health Matters Day.

This spring, M.E.A.N. Girls Empowerment, one of the girl-serving organizations in Chicago supported by the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund, hosted its third annual Girls Health Matters Summit and a ribbon cutting for its new Girls Health Matters Resource Van.

M.E.A.N. Girls Empowerment empowers girls between the ages of 11 and 18 to avoid negativity, build confidence, and pursue their goals through perseverance, courage, and creativity. The organization offers community-based mentoring programs on the South Side of Chicago at local schools, libraries, churches, and community centers. The programs focus on issues pertinent to girls such as bullying prevention and health.

The Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund is supporting the expansion of the organization’s Girls Health Matters initiative, which gives adolescent girls the knowledge and tools to proactively and confidently manage their health during a critical period in their development. The funds enabled the organization to purchase a new Resource Van, which will travel to community sites and offer health education, health boxes, and workshops on nutrition, mental health, and reproductive health. The van will also provide transportation to and from program sites for girls when needed. This initiative aims to reduce health disparities in the Chicago community and address a common barrier which prevents girls from participating in community programs.

A group of five Black women and girls pose in front of a M.E.A.N. Girls Empowerment branded step-and-repeat. Four are wearing pink blazers and black shirts that read “Girls Health Matters.”

In recognition of their work, M.E.A.N. Girls Empowerment received a state proclamation from Governor J. B. Pritzker, declaring April 6, 2024 as Girls Health Matters Day and recognizing “the teens, advocates, and experts working together to address critical health issues affecting minority girls.”

Learn more about M.E.A.N. Girls Empowerment (Opens in a new tab).