Girls Empowered Mentally for Success, Inc. (GEMS) is a non-profit designed with a gender-specific youth development focus to assist at-risk girls ages 10-17. Our organization's outcomes include developing social competencies, ensuring a healthy emotional and mental transition to womanhood. The organizational model consists of a seven-year continuum of programs, services, and resources that provides cohesion in a fragmented system and eliminates gaps and inconsistencies. Our five tiers of programming are designed to develop internal and external assets based on grade levels. Girls are equipped to return to the community as mentors, facilitators, volunteers, and GEMS Alumni.

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Girls Empowered Mentally for Success, Inc. seeks to create healthy, developmentally appropriate transitions for girls as they move forward from one grade to the next. Founded in 2003, GEMS Transition to Success Programs and Transitions  Candles Internships address the needs of girls whose individual and/or family circumstances include risk factors that impede their ability to transition into responsible and productive adults successfully. 

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Girls Empowered Mentally for Success Inc. GEMS provides Project Based Learning (PBL) through group mentoring, one on one mentoring, after schools, in-school, and summer; work readiness, college prep, entrepreneurial training,  paid internships, and college tours.

 GEMS has implemented Transition to Success Programs in 14 sites across Hillsborough County. During the past 15 years.

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GEMS programs have influenced over 1000 girls in the Tampa Bay Community. Youngsters benefit from a girls-only curriculum delivered by certified facilitators in group/individual mentoring sessions. Activities are tailored to develop physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Gender safe support groups and group therapy sessions will be available in 2019.  Approximately 285 girls per year enroll, and 75% complete the programs. The group mentoring program is designed to foster positive outcomes associated with encouraging engagement and commitment to school, promoting a commitment to responsible behaviors, and cultivating positive relationships with committed adults and mentors. 

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Our objective is to be a diverse organization to fulfill the community's needs,” Empowering the community one girls at a time.” Programs are provided in traditional living facilities, detention centers, and secured facilities.