Established in October 1994, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NC100BW) Academy for Girls program assists in the development of young black women who can benefit from exposure and interaction with African-American female role models.

The program is designed for high school students ages 14-18 year old. The goal of the Academy is to immerse participants in a variety of cultural, social, and educational experiences, and to provide tools to assist in career selection, development and direction.

The Academy's purpose is to provide experiential and educational opportunities that highlight information and skill sets not necessarily obtained in schools or at home.

Using as a foundation the talents and skills of Coalition members and affiliates, Academy workshops and community activities focus on education, arts and culture, community affairs, economic development, and personal and professional development.

The continuing theme of Sisterhood is designed to help girls to learn skills that will help them love and support themselves- and each other- as they approach adulthood.

Five years ago, the Coalition formed a partnership with Arlington High School and the Urban Mission Y.M.C.A. to expand the scope of its program. Starting with the Year 2000 group, girls were recruited during their freshman year in high school with the goal of continuing with the program through their high school years. In 2003, the Academy partnered with Hoosier Girl Scouts' Studio 2B program.

While NC100BW provides educational, interpersonal and financial support, our partners provide administrative, logistical and academic support. The educational component, in response to the stock market's recent tribulations and abiding national crisis of personal bankruptcy and consumer debt, focuses on financial literacy.

This is a step toward ensuring economic stability by helping students grow into adulthood prepared to build solid, enduring financial lives for themselves and their families.

One Saturday each month is devoted to a financial literacy curriculum titled "My Money Matters."

Additionally, Academy participants have had the opportunity to attend various functions, including cooking classes at the Corner Gourmet Cooking School; the Broadway stage play, The Lion King, and the National Underground Freedom Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Academy for Girls is made possible through NC100BW fundraising activities, such as Gourmet Gents; donations from corporate partners, such as McDonald's Corporation, Bank One, and Lilly Endowment; community grants; and volunteer support. There are no costs to the girls who participate in the program.