girl talk inc.
Girl Talk Impact
Girl Talk has reached more than 50,000 girls in 43 U.S. states and 7 countries.
We believe that this impact is multiplied when you consider that it does not include the advisors, family members, friends and community service recipients also affected by the engagement of these girls. Of those girls who have participated in our program, 83% have chosen to go on to become leaders of the program in high school, and studies have demonstrated that they have had an academic improvement of 14% in mathematics and 24% in language arts.
But here’s what excites us most: Our POTENTIAL impact includes 9.7 million U.S. middle school aged girls (ages 10-14), and 290 million internationally!
Why the need
Statistics consistently demonstrate the alarming incidence of dangerous behaviors in middle school aged girls, as well as the positive impact of mentoring. 2009 data suggests that, of the middle school girl population in the U.S.:
9% are pregnant
22% never make it through high school (drop out)
27% have been or will be suicidal
34% have eating disorders
55% experiment with alcohol, drugs or tobacco
and, of those with low self-esteem, 25% resort to self-injurious behavior and 75% report engaging in activities such as disordered eating, cutting, bullying, smoking or drinking
Marlton, NJ Chapter