Grow Her Game: Girls Leadership Academy

Community safety

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Girls in South LA face challenges that impact their ability to thrive both on and off the court, including limited access to sports, safe play spaces, role models and mentors, mental and physical health resources, and overall community safety. Economic disparities result in fewer sports programs, equipment, and qualified coaches, restricting opportunities for physical activity and skill development. Violence in neighborhoods deter girls from playing outside, leading to a sedentary lifestyle. The absence of female role models and mentors limits girls' aspirations and growth. Mental health is impacted by unsafe environments and economic hardships, with limited access to support services. Community safety concerns create fear and insecurity, preventing girls from pursuing their interests. Our Girls Leadership Academy aims to empower young girls through sports, mentorship, and community support, creating a brighter future for all.

In the Spring of 2024, PeacePlayers launched the inaugural Grow Her Game Girls Leadership Academy. Held at the 109th Street Recreation Center, this program aims to empower young girls in an underserved Los Angeles community, where access to sports, mentorship, role models, and quality programs is limited. We look forward to expanding this program in 2024-2025 to other LA City Recreation and Parks locations.
The Grow Her Game Girls Leadership Academy is a pioneering initiative that seeks to transform the lives of young girls in Los Angeles. By focusing on leadership development, mentorship, and high-quality sports training, the academy empowers participants to break barriers and become confident, capable leaders. We are excited to see the achievements these girls will accomplish and the positive ripple effect this program will create in the community. We are eager to expand this program to other LA City Recreation and Parks sites throughout LA County, where access to sport and play for girls is limited. Additional funding will allow our PeacePlayers team to build capacity and continue to deliver this program across the county.

Grow Her Game Girls Leadership Academy will empower girls to reach their full potential, where communities are stronger and safer, and where gender equality is the norm
1. Empowered
Participants of the academy will emerge as empowered young women with enhanced leadership skills, confidence, and resilience
2. Access to Sport
Increased access to local rec and parks locations, programs, and resources, ensuring that more girls have the opportunity to participate in physical activities and reap the associated benefits
3. Safer Communities
Civic engagement initiatives will promote social cohesion and a sense of belonging, reducing crime rates and fostering a more supportive environment
4. Improved Mental/Physical Health
Physical activity, coupled with mental health support, will reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Healthier lifestyles will emerge, reducing obesity and other health issues
5. Positive Role Models
Girls will engage with a network of role models and mentors who inspire

PeacePlayers’ methodology is informed by: participant engagement; access to opportunities; leadership development; and engagement in advocacy and other forms of community engagement for improvement. We employ an M&E system to ensure programs are increasing access for youth to equitable opportunities and effectively empowering youth to become advocates for gender equity (impact). In 2023-2024 our team directly worked with over 800 youth with 55% of them being female identifying over the course of 100+ program sessions. These numbers are indicative of the success and impact of the programs we run and highlight our ability to scale and work with more girls. Methodology: Design: Process for outlining what our program will achieve and how
Monitoring: Ongoing tracking of progress towards results
Learning: Results are shared and used to collaboratively improve programs
Evaluation: Assessments of the program’s impact on participants, staff and communities