NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: Girls Inc.
Photos by Tom Miller
“When girls are exposed to possibilities, their vision expands. The options are truly endless, and it’s powerful when they begin to see that for themselves.”
What makes a Girls Inc. girl? She's strong, smart, and bold; she's ready for adulthood after spending her childhood thriving in a positive female environment. Since the 1930s, Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region (Girls Inc. GCR) has offered mentoring, pro-girl environments, and research-based initiatives to help young women in the community reach their fullest potential.
“The goal is when a Girls Inc. girl has to make a decision that is going to affect her [life’s] trajectory, she feels like, because she was in this pro-girl environment, she has all the data and experience she needs to make an informed and solid choice,” says Chief Executive Officer Ashli Fragomeni.
In their early years, Girls Inc. originally served the community as two separate entities: the Albany Girls Club and the Schenectady Girls Club. Eventually, they combined to become the singular program we know today.
“This work has been done since 1937,” says Fragomeni, who has been with the organization since 2020. “This is a long-standing institution in our area.”
While maintaining the core essence of Girls Inc., some things have certainly changed — when converting their Schenectady office’s former ‘etiquette room’ into a teen tech lab, they found a dusty book tucked in an old cabinet detailing ‘how to be a good wife.’
The irony of this discovery was not lost on them, and it served as an important reminder of how this generation of girls is paving a different path for the future. With that past not far behind, the needs of each new generation are rapidly evolving.
“It's not cookie cutter,” Fragomeni highlights. “We are really making sure that the experience is tailored to each individual girl currently in the program. I also think it's important to know that our experiences are constantly evolving every year with the girls that we have in the program.”
Girls Inc. is most recognizable throughout the region for their after-school programs, geared toward K–12 students. After-school programs include STEM-based activities, healthy mind and body exercises, social-emotional learning, community advocacy and leadership, media literacy, and financial literacy.
“There are so many different curriculums that really focus on developing the whole girl at age-appropriate levels,” explains Fragomeni.
The nonprofit relies heavily on the community’s support, from local sports initiatives to lawyers, realtors, writers, and more. Kadijah Johnson, a licensed associate real estate broker and the founder of oKay, Let's Talk: Real Estate & Financial Literacy for Youth, has volunteered with Girls Inc. since 2024.
Johnson was inspired to volunteer with Girls Inc. after seeing a powerful alignment her organization had with them: the desire to equip young people in the community with the skills, resources, and confidence they need to navigate life.
“Girls Inc. creates a safe space where they feel comfortable asking questions, exploring ideas, and imagining stronger possibilities for themselves,” Johnson tells me. “That kind of exposure and encouragement can shift how a young girl sees her future, and that shift can truly change the trajectory of her life.”
Johnson called the volunteer experience ‘tremendous.’ Praising the Girls Inc. girls for their eagerness to learn, it was their growth in confidence that stood out the most to her. “It’s important to provide mentorship to girls because they need to see and truly believe that they are not limited,” she says. She goes on to describe this transformation, saying,
Through hands-on experiences and direct interaction with local women professionals, the girls are exposed to career paths they may not have previously considered. I’ve seen girls walk in with little knowledge about a particular field and leave asking deeper questions, expressing new interests, and speaking more confidently about their future goals.
In addition to financial literacy like Johnson promotes, Girls Inc. teaches media literacy through collaboration with #HalfTheStory, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that girls and young adults understand the value of time away from screens and how to use their devices responsibly.
Girls Inc. is also taking a hands-on role in the effort to close the STEM gap, which refers to the under-representation of women and marginalized groups in the field. Providing STEM access to girls is essential through early exposure, mentorship, and inclusive environments.
“We’re providing this really beautiful K–12th grade safety net where a girl can try new things and have opportunities that maybe she wouldn’t have if she wasn’t a Girls Inc. girl,” says Fragomeni. “What comes with that is also this ability to try something and potentially fail at it, but feel so empowered in this pro-girl environment to get up and try again.”
Girls Inc. works alongside several state organizations, including the governor's office, right down to the local municipalities. This strong working relationship with all levels of government sets a great example for the girls and allows them to have a voice.
“We make sure that girls understand what it looks like to be an active participant, not only in their very small communities inside their schools, churches, and Girls Inc. but also in the broader community. What does it look like to be an active participant in their cities, towns, and state?”
Their footprint keeps growing; where there is a need, they want to be there as they work out of their office buildings on Central Avenue in Albany and Albany Street in Schenectady, classroom space on the Russell Sage campus in Troy, and an elementary school in Poughkeepsie. They have even expanded to helping students in Hudson Falls, Glens Falls, Mechanicville, and Hoosick Falls.
“Girls deserve to understand that they have options across industries, career paths, and life choices,” says Johnson. “They should know they are never alone. Through mentorship and community, they gain access to advice, tools, professional references, and sisterhood that can support them both personally and professionally.
”When girls are exposed to possibilities, their vision expands. The options are truly endless, and it’s powerful when they begin to see that for themselves.”
For more information, visit https://girlsinccapitalregion.org.