Girls Empowered by Mentoring
“Mentoring, at its core, guarantees young people that there is someone who cares about them, assures them that they are not alone in their day-to-day challenges, and makes them feel like they matter.” The National Mentoring Partnership
What is the Girls Empowered by Mentoring (GEM) Program?
An AAUW Mentoring Program for young women enrolled in the Early College High School (ECHS) of the Carrollton Farmers Branch Independent School District (CFB ISD) located on the campus of Dallas College/Brookhaven.
Mission of GEM:
GEM is designed to bring together mature, experienced women with the young women in ECHS to empower the students to reach their full potential. They work together to navigate effective ways to continue their on-going education and to build self-confidence. These young women in the program are referred to as “Scholars.“
Why become a mentor for GEM?
A mentor has an opportunity to make a positive difference in a young woman’s life. The relationship grows over the nine months of short visits, sometimes desperate phone calls, more often moments of small achievements. An adult woman is reminded of the some of the challenges a 16-year-old girl faces and can offer the wisdom that time can offer. Many of our mentors have stayed for years because the gift of their time is amply rewarded. We hope you will decide to join us in this endeavor.
AAUW’s Diversity Statement as applied to GEM program:
AAUW values and seeks a diverse membership. There shall be no barriers to full participation in this program on basis of race, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or class.
History of the Girls Empowered by Mentoring (GEM) Program
CFB ISD maintains an Early College High School (ECHS) on Brookhaven campus, enrolling male and female students entering ninth grade with the design to complete four years of high school simultaneously with the first two years of college. Graduates will have their high school diploma and, with dual credits, will have also earned a college two-year degree. They can transfer these to certain four-year college/university programs.
Prior to 2015, the ECHS principal and counselor identified the need for a program to help the young women enrolled in their program be successful with their college goals. Many of these students come from families without previous college experience. A female role model would have the opportunity to offer these young ladies needed support.
In 2015, AAUW-North Dallas at the guidance of Delryn Fleming, Brookhaven Community College (now Dallas College/Brookhaven), and the local Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (CFB ISD) created a mentoring program between women and young female ECHS students. Girls Empowered by Mentoring (GEM) is financed by the CFB AAUW Foundation which is a registered 501 c(3) organization.