Our Hope
GRIT is a hands-on workshop for girls age 6 - 22 which encourages participants to love themselves, connect with others and be involved in the world around them. We use creativity to encourage these girls to explore and own their own unique gifts and talents while celebrating the greatness of others. A few of the main messages we encourage girls to embrace are:
- Being perfect is boring.
- Connect with the world.
- Others' success isn't your failure.
- Be yourself.
- Social media isn't real.
- Own your gifts and talents.
- Reflect and utilize feelings of power and pride.
- Take risks!
Our Story
Grit was started two years ago in East London, South Africa. While our team was volunteering at Hope Prep, a school for children infected or impacted by the HIV/AIDs virus, we had an insightful conversation with a little girl who was 7 years old at the time. When we asked her what she dreamed of being when she grew up, she halfheartedly said she wanted to be a cleaner. She didn't have the best examples at home, so it was quite possible she never dreamed of life beyond her school. As the Grit team started to point out the many gifts she had, her eyes widened as she thought of the new possibilities. She came away from our conversation with a new aspiration: to be a teacher. And the team came away from that trip inspired to help encourage more of the young girls in our lives. Our aim is to help girls discover what makes them amazing and to celebrate the big and the small. Grit has been delivered in South Africa and the US, with plans of taking it to other international countries in 2016.
While the social needs of girls in every part of the world are different the theme remains the same. We all can benefit from encouragement and a supportive community around us.
Do you know a girl who needs to be reminded how great she is? Please contact us to get information on a GRIT workshop for your next practice, birthday party or school event.