When superintendent Dr. Keith Miles visited the GEM program at Jackson Middle School, he asked the participants how they’re recruiting others for the girls mentoring program, now in its third year.
“Mostly food,” the newest member of the group says, laughing. “They do eat good.”
But GEM—which stands for Girls Empowerment Mentoring—is about a lot more than that. Its goal is to get middle school girls talking about healthy relationships, confidence, and where they want to go in life.
“We want them to get better grades, we want them to be at school on time,” says Vondol Hammond, the supervisor of curriculum development for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and the organizer of the program. Hammond is also an associate pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Lancaster.
“My dream would be that the girls that are involved in this program will become leaders not only in the school, but in the community as well.”
Hammond has a long history organizing girls empowerment programming. She began Naomi’s Girls Ministry at Ebenezer Baptist Church, which aimed equip and empowering girls ages 13-19 to confront and overcome obstacles facing their generation. In 2016, she founded the Lancaster Teenage Girls Empowerment Summit.
“So I got together with some of the steering committee groups that have been working with me in the community for many years and asked how we could come,” she says.
Currently, the GEM program pairs 10 girls with 10 women mentors from the community. They meet weekly to encourage each other, laugh, and—of course—share a meal. Mentors include social workers, teachers, and retirees—and they are looking for more.
“I didn’t have family that was helpful to me when I went to school, because I was the oldest one,” said mentor Nilsa Garcia. “Some of these girls learn so much from people that look like them and that make that time for them.” Garcia is an office assistant at Washington Elementary School.
“Everybody gets along together,” said participant Yasmyn Ventura Reyes. “We talk about what’s good in life and what goals we are we working toward.”
Their school principal says it’s an important partnership.
“Our girls find it really helpful and really uplifting, and it’s very useful,” Dr. Jasmin Torres says. “Every time I see them engaging with the mentors there, they’re always excited and happy, and it’s just a beautiful thing to watch.”