Here at the Institute for Girls’ Development, we are dedicated to helping girls and young women grow through:

• Self-discovery
• Hardiness skills
• Growth-fostering relationships
• Empowerment.

We offer caring, comprehensive, and innovative programs and services for girls, their families, and their circles of community.

All members of our organization are committed to these enduring values:

Commitment: We are committed to helping girls, their families, and their communities build on strengths, develop authentic voices, and engage in growth-fostering relationships. Each Institute team member has a personal commitment to developing her “whole self” in a relational context. As a team, we are creative, passionate, caring, detail-oriented, grounded in theory and research, and excelling in the services we provide.

Community and connection:  We believe that growth of the “whole self” (emotional, physical, intellectual, relational, cultural, and spiritual) is fostered through meaningful connections and community. We support our clients in enhancing their authentic relationships with themselves, with friends and family, and with their other circles of connection. We are dedicated to promoting growth-fostering relationships, not only in the lives of our clients, but among ourselves, and with the larger communities in which we live and work. 

Responsiveness: We take time with people. Even when we can’t directly meet a need, we help people connect with someone who can. We have a reputation for “going the extra mile.”

Ethical stance: We adhere to the highest aspirational ethics. We provide a safe place to grow - where confidentiality, compassion, respect, trustworthiness, competence, integrity and appreciation of human diversity are the guiding principles.

Research and Theory: Our services are grounded in an asset-based model of programming that integrates important cutting-edge psychological research and theory with compassion. In the communities we serve, we are a major force in defining and implementing the best practices for services for girls and their families.

Inspiration: We draw inspiration from social movements, past and present, that have sought to make a difference in the lives of girls and women. As part of the “new girls’ movement,” we are indebted to those who have come before us, those who have worked tirelessly for women’s suffrage, women’s education, civil rights, and women’s health. We carry a profound appreciation of this history into our 21st century work with girls.

Click here for an organizational chart of our programs.

Copyright © 2006 by the Institute For Girls' Development, A Psychological Corporation.