Girls Inc. of Northern Alberta is a non-profit organization that encourages girls to be “strong, smart and bold,” by providing the necessary skills and knowledge to break free from gender stereotypes, to be confident in themselves and to create change.

Working with girls between the ages of 6 and 18, Girls Inc. host a variety of events in addition to their regular programs, including their annual spring baseball camp, their Woman of Inspiration and their Mother’s Day Yoga-a-Thon.

Program coordinator Katlin Okonkwo has been working at Girl’s Inc. in Fort McMurray for more than two years. As one of two program coordinators, she hopes to continue working to grow the organization and provide more opportunities for girls in around Wood Buffalo.

This interview has been edited and condensed for space and clarity. Last week’s profile can be read here.

What made you work with Girls Inc. in the first place?

I am just interested in it. It’s kind of a passion to work with young girls in our community and to help girls see their full potential.

What kind of programs does Girls Inc. offer?

We have in-school programs and out-of-school programs.

Our in-school programs, our main ones are media smarts – teaching the girls about media. We have the bullying program, which is very popular. We have Project Bold, which teaches girls how to be safe and teaches them self-defence and then we have friendly peer, which is our substance prevention program.

Why is it important to talk to girls about specific topics like media representation and bullying?

Girls experience bullying differently than boys do. Giving them that space so that they can feel comfortable to share their own experiences and talk openly in a judge-free zone, it’s definitely very important for the girls to have that.

Can anyone participate in the programs?

Yeah, definitely. Our in-school programming, that’s set up with teachers, but our mentoring program, our camps, the run club, all of that is free and it’s open to the girls specific to the age groups.

What has your experience been like with the organization?

It’s always a good experience. I love it. Some groups can be challenging, especially older girls, they may not be as open in the beginning, but they always end up coming around and get more comfortable and it’s always nice to see them share and to participate.

Is there anything that you’ve learned or taken away from your experience working with Girls Inc?

That these programs are definitely needed for girls and that there is a demand for it.

It’s super rewarding working with young girls. It might not always be the easiest, but it’s definitely worth it.

Do you find the girls’ attitudes and perceptions change as they go through the program?

Yeah, definitely. Girls learn new things that they might not get to discuss every day in their life. We often have girls who start out very shy, but end up opening up after a couple sessions, participating more as the program goes on.

Also, girls build relationships with each other and form bonds with girls that they might not always get the chance to talk to or hang out with.

Why do you think a girl-specific organization is important in Fort McMurray?

Girls deserve to have a girls-only space where they can feel safe and comfortable to talk about issues and problems that they face without having the boys around.

Do you find over your two years the organization has seen success in providing that?

Yeah, definitely. Each year it continues to grow and we’re always implementing new programs.

Are there any goals you have for the organization?

Just to reach as many girls as possible in our community and surrounding communities, like Anzac, Janvier, Fort McKay, as well as introduce new programming. The more different programs we can get in the more girls we can reach.

Just get as many girls as possible so that we can have as many strong, smart and bold girls in our community.

lbeamish@postmedia.com