What started as a small organization with hopes of helping local girls has blossomed into one of the most notable organizations in the St. Louis region for developing girls into successful women.
For nearly 45 years, United Way of Greater St. Louis (UWGSL) partner agency, Girls Inc. of St. Louis, has been a pinnacle for female success and empowerment. Their mission is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart and bold by providing them with the information, skills, strategies, and resources to make decisions, solve problems, meet their own needs and lead others.
Girls Inc. President and CEO, Cheryl Jones said their organization’s extensive commitment to fostering the success of our region’s next generation of female leaders makes them significant to Women’s History Month.
“We focus on empowerment and developing women from age 5 all the way to 24,” said Cheryl. “We really believe that if we give girls an opportunity and exposure to different types of arts, STEM, leadership, and more at a young age, they’ll have the tools they need to be successful in the long-term.”
Girls Inc. offers summer, after school and outreach programs where they have access to resources like art studios, a computer lab, science lab, gymnasium, various classrooms, and more. These resources have played a pivotal role in the success of Girls Inc. alum like:
- Kearstyn Richardson, who created an app called Here for You that virtually connects families with incarcerated relatives for milestones, celebrations and other shared experiences. Since graduating from Jackson State University in 2021, she has returned to Girls Inc. to facilitate their economic literacy course.
- Skylr S., who was one of the first two recipients of the Betty Sims “Wow” Scholarship. As a “Wow” recipient, Skylr will receive $2,000 a year for four years while she attends Spelman College and majors in political science. Skylr aspires to be elected to congress someday.
- Deja Strong, who as a student at Alabama A&M University, founded a student-led organization called Speak Up Act Out that identifies and works towards solutions for social injustices. She was also a senator for Academic Affairs in the Student Government Association and a member of the Honors Program. Deja graduated in 2021, and has interned for Mayor Tishaura Jones and serves as a volunteer and teacher for Girls Inc.
These stories and more illustrate the monumental impact that Girls Inc. has had, and this organization continues to thrive under Cheryl’s leadership. Girls Inc. currently serves over 9,000 girls annually.
Cheryl had aspirations in business and entrepreneurship when she first came to Girls Inc. She began her tenure on an interim basis with intentions of moving on with her career, but divine intervention convinced her that leading this organization was her purpose.
“One of my dreams was to start my own leadership institute for women, but God spoke to me and said, ‘What if you could start developing women at a very young age?’” said Jones. “I started thinking about how much more impactful and influential we could be if we started reaching kids at an early age. Seeing this impact is why I came here and why I continue to stay.”
Over 400,000 children and youth benefit from UWGSL programs and partnerships and when kids are safe and nurtured early on in life, they are more likely to have successful futures. UWGSL began partnering with Girls Inc. in 1986, giving them the capacity to steer girls down the right path in their developmental years.
“United Way is a big reason why we are able to conduct things like our STEM and leadership programs,” said Cheryl. “It is because of the funding from United Way that we can hire the best and the brightest and expand our services into local schools. United Way has provided an anchor for us and that has really helped us a lot.”
Take action now:
- Learn more about how our partner agencies empower women and girls.
- Find out how mentorship can have a profound impact.
- Share this story with family and friends.
