HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – An organization in Holyoke that helps girls and young women succeed has received some major assistance from its national cohort.
Girls Inc. of the Valley is one of six new affiliates that was chosen to join Girls Inc. national’s “Project Accelerate” program. This program addresses inequality in the workplace. Last year, Girls Inc. national received $10 million in funding to benefit the Project Accelerate program, and expand its reach.
“If you look at just Fortune 500 companies, there’s still a tremendous gender-gap. I think it’s only less than nine percent of CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies are women and so we clearly need to provide better pathways, more skills and resources to support women to become leaders,” said Suzanne, executive director of Girls Inc. of the Valley. She believes this opportunity will bring career success to young adult women, particularly those in underserved communities.
The anticipated local impact of this program is that more young women will graduate on time, find a reliable network of influence and get positions in high paying jobs. Being a part of this national program also gives Girls Inc. of the Valley the means to reach out to alumni and help them navigate college and job searches.
