“Our mission is to inspire girls to be strong, smart, and bold,” says Lisa Moore, CEO and president of Girls Inc.
And Zia Higgins is just that. Higgins, then a high schooler, got up in front of Frayser Exchange Club members to make an announcement and froze like a deer in headlights, saying nothing but the word “Okra!” A year later, Higgins gave a speech in front of 600 guests and spoke brilliantly and confidently without looking at her notes. How did she transform? A simple answer — Girls Inc. of Memphis.
Girls Inc. creates an environment where girls create trusting and encouraging relationships while receiving training that helps them succeed in both their futures and academics. Alongside, they also learn to lead healthy lifestyles. “We track those outcomes annually with our girls,” explains Moore.
As Girls Inc. of Memphis celebrates its 75th anniversary, it’s hard not to acknowledge all the social justice work and female empowerment projects the organization has done over the years. By serving and nurturing strong girls from more than 42 ZIP codes, they certainly have a lot to be proud of — whether it is managing a farm in Frayser or engaging with the larger Memphis community, the work done at Girls Inc. makes a huge impact and creates a rewarding experience for participants. Higgins and many others like her have benefited from the social entrepreneurship and civic engagement opportunities.
Higgins and other high school girls created the Girls Inc. Youth Farm, a 9.5-acre plot in Frayser, which provides for the local community. “[We thought] let’s make this a girl-run farm because [the plot’s] in a food desert. There was no infrastructure there, but we had a group of high school girls who thought that was an intriguing idea,” says Moore, regarding the decision to start a youth farm on the then-newly purchased plot in Frayser.
Today, high school girls are responsible for running the farm and making decisions, from what should be planted to how and where the crops should be sold and distributed. Additionally, the girls who are a part of the farm gain life skills, are encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles, and learn ways to become more independent. On a day-to-day basis, the girls do anything and everything from making plans and charting crops to delegating tasks around the farm. “Every day is different — depending on the crop that is growing or the crop that needs to grow,” Moore says.
Apart from the youth farm, which has slowed down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Girls Inc. has several other projects from which young girls can benefit, including financial literacy and college preparedness. Whenever the girls aren’t on the farm, they are participating in other Girls Inc. programs where they learn to get “equipped with a healthy lifestyle, further their education, and work on community engagement, leadership, and independence,” Moore says. “This is where girls really learn how to be a leader and grow as a person. Last year, we served 2,008 girls. We just did
things differently and offered virtual programming.”
In fact, this past June, Girls Inc. held a groundbreaking for the new Patricia C. Howard Campus in Frayser. With this new campus, the program will serve so many more in the community, including a full program center for girls ages 6 to 18, administrative offices, indoor and outdoor gathering spaces with stages, and a farm-to-table teaching kitchen. “Lots of exciting things in store,” says Moore. “We’re going to have a teaching kitchen, so our girls will be educating the community on how to take farm to table right here in the same space.”
No matter what program a girl signs up for, whether it is the farm or robotics, the outcomes are the same — growth and development in a pro-girl environment. Girls Inc. also partners with local schools to reach a larger community.
Zia Higgins has since joined Girls Inc. as an employee after graduating from college, and while accompanying visitors on a tour of the farm, she proudly welcomed the visitors and quipped that she started the youth farm. “And yes she did,” Moore adds. “She [Higgins] takes such pride and ownership to this day.”
To learn more about Girls Inc. of Memphis or to build a success story similar to Zia Higgins’, visit girlsincmemphis.org.