WEST CHESTER, PA (March 7, 2019) – On Saturday, March 2nd, the Chester County Fund for Women and Girls (CCFWG) hosted its inaugural Girls in Action Summit at the Business and Public Management Center at West Chester University. This free event – inspired by CCFWG’s award-winning Girls Advisory Board (GAB) girls’ grantmaking and leadership program – brought together high school girls from across Chester County to learn about varied needs in their communities and take action through education, advocacy and philanthropy.
The day began with a word from PA State Representative Carolyn Comitta, who encouraged Summit attendees to use their voices and catalyze change around issues that matter to them by speaking with local decision makers and pursuing their passions. This call to action led directly into a Young People in Action panel discussion featuring five young women making a difference in their local, national and global communities. Topics discussed included global aid, climate change advocacy, mentorship, STEM, and more.
Following the panel, Summit participants broke into small groups to hear from five local non-profit organizations working to uplift women and girls in Chester County. Representatives from Coatesville Youth Initiative, The Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County, Inc., La Comunidad Hispana, Mom’s House of Phoenixville and West Chester University’s Community Mental Health Clinic spoke with girls about the programs and initiatives their organizations run to address community needs. Finally, all girls discussed what they learned with their peers, talked about problems in their own schools and communities, and explored ways to take action that included awarding two mini-grants of $500 to two of the five non-profits at the Summit.
Ultimately, participants came to group consensus and awarded funding to La Comunidad Hispana and Coatesville Youth Initiative. In a final reflection on the day, all girls wrote down action items that they would take away from the Summit experience: notes included “Get more involved in my community” and “Speak up! Enact change!”
“I enjoyed learning about different non-profits and what they do. It made me more aware of what is happening in our community! Additionally, I liked the panel in the beginning because it showed me how to become involved in my community,” noted one Summit participant.
CCFWG would like to thank our community partners, panelists, volunteers, and all who helped make the Summit a success. A special thank you goes out to our event sponsors – Chester County Women’s Commission, Dr. Edwin Cottrell Entrepreneurial Leadership Center at West Chester University, Alexandria Catherine Events, 2120 Creative, Capacity for Change, Fox Rothschild LLP, Helena Astolfi and Marian Moskowitz.