Girls Inc of Omaha

Basic Information

Address: 2811 N. 45th St., Omaha, NE 68104 and 5407 S. 30th St., Omaha, NE 68107

Email: rwilhelm@girlsincomaha.org

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Phone Number: 402-457-4676

Fax Number: 402-457-3013

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Additional Information

Focus: Educational and recreational programs for girls

Sponsor:

United Way of the Midlands & other corporations, foundations & individuals

Director: Roberta Wilhelm, Executive Director

Schools Served: Most schools east of 72nd St. and some further west. Call to inquire.

School District: OPS and Parochial

County: Douglas

Schedule: After school and all day during summer

Ages: 5-18

Capacity: South Omaha - 80 girls per day, North Omaha - 300 girls per day

Membership/Pricing: $100 per year

Setting:

South Omaha - renovated church and caretaker's home; North Omaha - renovated elementary school
Our first home was donated space in the basement of an inner city church and our first enrollment was 6 girls. Fast forward 30 plus years. Now we have a new name: Girls Inc. of Omaha. We have two centers - one in North Omaha and one in South Omaha. We provide safe, reliable transportation from area schools to our centers. We do “pick ups” from over 40 local schools. Our centers have libraries, teen centers, and computer labs. We have a playground, a gym, a woodshop, and an art room with a kiln. On an average school day, we serve 180 to 200 girls. During the summer months, that number swells to near 300 daily.

History:

Founded in 1975, our mission at Girls Inc. is to build girls’ capacity for confident, responsible and self-sufficient adulthood…with special emphasis on those with limited access to comparable resources. We help girls grow up strong, smart, and bold. Girls Incorporated of Omaha was formerly Girls Club of Omaha. When Boys Clubs added girls to their name, Girls Clubs changed their name to Girls Inc. to reflect their continuing dedication to the gender specific programming to overcome the social, legal, and economic barriers that keep them from achieving their full potential.

Program Highlights:

Eureka!, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), Operation SMART, summer camp, corporate camp, out-of-state travel, GIRLStart Literacy, leadership

Support Services:

Homework help, transportation to our centers after school, counseling, daily meals, etc.

Activities:

Science, literacy, math, art, fitness, cooking, nutrition, economic literacy, media, college & career prep, reproductive health & sexuality, personal safety, etc.

Field Trip Destinations: field trips to most cultural & recreational sites in Omaha and surrounding metro: The Rose, Henry Doorly Zoo, Lauritzen Gardens, Mahoney State Park, Durham Museum, bowling, skating, swimming, hiking, camping, Fontanelle Forest, El Museo Latino, Omaha Symphony, Joslyn Art Museum, Opera Omaha, etc.

Program Information:

We provide a daily environment that is safe, nurturing and reliable.

Every day we provide safe transportation to our centers. We provide a hot dinner during the school year; during the summer we provide breakfast, lunch, and a snack. We help with homework every single day. We provide paper, pencils, dictionaries, computers, encyclopedias, markers, calculators and any other tools the girls may need to get their homework done. We also provide adults – staff and volunteers, to help with homework. We staff both of our centers with caring, nurturing adults who want the girls to succeed. We provide counseling services for girls who may need help with mental health issues, family problems, social adjustment issues, conflict resolution and more.

We provide a haven of security for girls who would otherwise be in an unsupervised, chaotic after-school environment. One of our members described it as “at Girls Inc., you won’t get shot.” Another member added, “And you will be loved.”

We provide educational and recreational programs.

We provide gender-specific programs in the following core areas:

Career & Life Planning;
Health & Sexuality;
Leadership & Community Action;
Sports & Adventure;
Self Reliance & Life Skills;
and Culture & Heritage.

On any given day, one group of girls might be taking African dance lessons in the gym. Another group of girls will be working on their soccer skills on the sports field in preparation for a game on Saturday. One group of girls might be learning about how to open a checking account (and then balance the check book!). Another group of girls will be competing in a spelling bee and yet another group will be at computers, working on graphic layout skills. On some days, there are “all center” activities where we will bus all of the girls from both centers to The Rose to see a play or to the Qwest Center to see “Disney on Ice.”

At Girls Inc., girls can learn how to:

Use a digital camera
Write a thank you note
Paint a still life
Use a microscope
Write a poem
Perform in a play
Do internet research
Vote
Break a board
Use a salad fork
Lead a team
Edit a PSA
Clean a horse’s hooves
Say “no” to risky behaviors
Create a resume

….and more

We also partner with local agencies and organizations to provide wonderful programs and opportunities that are unique to Omaha such as art lessons at the Joslyn, horseback Riding at Take Flight Farms, acting classes at The Rose, and Career Connection at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Girls get to go camping, make s’mores, go to the opera, get library cards, and have sleepovers. They get to play on a supervised playground, have pizza parties, compete on a soccer team, and bake cookies. They get to give each other manicures and pedicures. They garden and dance and sing. They participate in talent shows and mock elections.

Girls Inc. provides opportunities for life experiences girls wouldn’t otherwise have and to simply have some fun.

Slogan: Inspiring all girls to be Strong, Smart and Bold!