Karen Venable-Croft

“The CARE Initiative at Girls Global Academy (GGA) focuses on wrap-around social emotional services for our students, their families, and GGA staff. Designed to address the need for wellness and mental health support in the wake of COVID-19, the program will provide the CARE team with the ability to support our students as they adjust to GGA and its culture represented by the four pillars: Sisterhood, Scholarship, Safety, and Service. The CARE team will provide one-on-one and group counseling to our students, which will allow them to connect students to wrap-around supports through partnerships with community organizations that will address the needs of their families. In addition, the CARE team will coordinate training for GGA staff based on a culturally responsive trauma-informed social emotional learning (SEL) curriculum designed specifically for girls of color. The CARE Initiative will positively impact GGA's community by addressing the SEL needs of students, their families, and staff, and as a result, we will see a decrease in student absenteeism and student altercations, improved academic outcomes, and increased engagement in school activities. GGA families will have their basics needs met and access to resources to develop healthier relationships between daughters and their parents. GGA staff will also feel better equipped to address our students' needs and able to manage their own mental health and wellness issues.”