SMART Girls Today. Strong Women Tomorrow.

Young women need a solid foundation for building healthy attitudes and lifestyles, now more than ever. The Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands helps solidify that foundation through SMART Girls, an educational program designed to build self-esteem, develop positive relationships with peers and adults, explore societal attitudes and values, and learn about health and […]
The ‘Harvesting Our Potential’ Mentorship Program Offered New Opportunities in 2021 for Iowa Farmers

A special thank you to our 2022 Grantee Partner, Women, Food & Agriculture Network for writing this guest blog and sharing more about their wonderful organization. To learn more about them, visit https://wfan.org/. 2021 was a big one for the Women, Food & Agriculture Network’s mentorship program, Harvesting Our Potential (HOP). We expanded to include […]
At Girls on the Run, Mentorship is a Two-Way Street Between Learning and Teaching

A special thank you to our 2022 Grantee Partner, Girls on the Run, for writing this guest blog and sharing more about a great program that’s empowering girls at a young age. To learn more about them, visit https://www.girlsontherun.org/. At Girls on the Run (GOTR), we envision a world where every girl believes in and […]
$100K in Grants!

Eleven organizations have been awarded $100,000 collectively for programs addressing one of six identified barriers to women and girls’ economic self-sufficiency: Employment, Child Care, Housing, Education/Training, Transportation, and Mentoring. Grantees were announced at the annual luncheon on October 7th at the Hyatt Regency Coralville. Those receiving an award are: Boys and Girls Clubs of the […]
Creating a Safe Space Where SMART Girls Can Thrive – Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands

A special thank you to our 2021 Core Grantee Partner, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands for writing this guest blog and sharing more about their wonderful organization. To learn more about what they do and who they serve, visit https://bgcomaha.org/. The Carter Lake Boys & Girls Club held their Kick Off Party for […]
That’s SMART: Helping Iowa Girls Find Honest, Accurate Information About Womanhood & Growing Up

A special thank you to 2021 Grant Partner Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa for writing this guest post. To learn more about this phenomenal organization, visit https://www.bgcci.org/. Where do girls today get information about womanhood? Or straight answers about life and society? Usually the answer is friends, and more than likely—social media. These […]
Watch the 2021 OVATION Unveiling Ceremonies

2021 Online Unveiling Receptions Click to watch the Iowa City Area unveiling Click to watch the Des Moines Area unveiling Click to watch the Cedar Rapids Area unveiling Click to watch the Cedar Falls-Waterloo Area unveiling 2022 Ovation Join us for the 9th edition of OVATION unveilings, where we’ll shine a spotlight on the Iowa […]
University of Iowa Women in Business & National Mentoring Month

“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself” – Oprah Winfrey. In 1998 Jennifer Cropper, a Tippie undergraduate, founded The University of Iowa’s Women in Business student organization to address the unique challenges women experience in a male-dominated space. Little did Jennifer know that over the next 20 years, WIB […]
Lead(h)er & National Mentoring Month – a Message from the Executive Director

Meet Our 2021 Grantees

Previous Next Help us celebrate these amazing grant partners across the state of Iowa who are daily working to break down the barriers that keep woman and girls from achieving economic self-sufficency. Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa Smart Girls Location: Polk County Barrier: Education/Training The SMART Girls program strategically focuses on providing academic […]