Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Marine.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My journey to GirlForward really started when I was in undergrad at Xavier University in Cincinnati studying social work and peace studies. While at Xavier, I spent a semester living, studying, and volunteering in Kumasi, Ghana. I had the opportunity to work with and learn from the amazing staff of Kumasi Street Children project, an organization that provides education and safe space to internally displaced girls. After returning home to the US, I knew that I wanted to dedicate my life to building community with young women who have been displaced. I continued expanding this passion while pursuing a Master’s Degree in Social Service Administration from University of Chicago and following graduation found my way to GirlForward. I met Blair and immediately fell in love with the mission of GirlForward. I joined her in 2013 and as a team of two we got to work!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I’d love to say it has been all smooth but building a nonprofit is hard work. Our first office was a 300 square foot room with bad insulation. Despite all the candy colored paint and throw pillows, it wasn’t exactly the most ideal space for girls to learn, make friends and access resources the needed. It took time, energy, and resources from staff and girls to build out the current GirlForward HQ we have today in Edgewater. Just like building our HQ, building a unique and innovative organization that centers girls and elevates their voices for change requires challenging, intentional, and community-based work, and that work is really never done. Honestly, there is just so much more to be done and so many girls to work with but with limited staff and resource capacity we have to draw the line. It’s only through support from the community that we can continue to grow at this rate. Sometimes I look back at the past 4.5 years and I honestly can’t believe how much we have grown as an organization but then I look at the girls in our program and I think, duh, why am I surprised? They are powerful, confident, amazing, hardworking, smart, resourceful young women. With girls like this in our community informing our work, it’s no surprise that together we are building something awesome.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with GirlForward – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
GirlForward is a community of support dedicated to creating and enhancing opportunities for girls who have been displaced by conflict and persecution. Our Mentoring Program pairs girls with mentors to engage in “4W” activities (Wellness, Wisdom, Wallet and World) in order to explore their passions and graduate from high school.
Camp GirlForward provides a space for girls to simultaneously build their English skills while exploring their identities and learning about the world around them. The Safe Spaces Program provides safe spaces for girls to explore their identities, connect with other girls, and access the resources they need.
GirlForward is unique in that the focus on serving teenage girls, who have been resettled as teenagers. Girls resettled as refugees who are teens face a unique set of challenges and are often on a short time clock to finish high school and plan for their future. Our community serves as a resource for those girls to learn English, make friends, and explore their identities. Our lens is girl centered and informed, so they get a say in what our programs look like and we are continuing to explore how we can enhance this component of the program in the future.
I am proud of the girls in our program every single day. This year I was proud when a girl and her mentor tried a new cuisine. I was proud when a girl received a scholarship to her college of choice. I was proud when the girls marched through the streets of Edgewater in support of refugee rights. And I was proud when one girl taught another about the themes of Identity in Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved. Mostly, I am proud of the GirlForward community and the support that everyone can give and receive within it.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
There are so many plans! Growth is in the works for sure. We have a lot of demand in Chicago and Austin that we need to meet. Personally, I’d like to expand our staff capacity to increase the numbers of girls we work with. In the immediate future, I am working on bolstering our curriculum for the mentoring program. My team and I are adding a ton of new college focused lessons and will be thinking a lot more about what mental health and social support can look like in our space. This year, a small group of students created and edited our first ever GirlForward Zine, Girls Like Us. It is filled with fashion, food and stories of home from girls in the program. I think there is so much potential for this editorial board and the content they can create from Zine’s to a potential book project we have in the works. Additionally, girls have been requesting some type of field trip so, I may or may not be working on GirlForward adventure next year!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.girlforward.org
- Phone: 7738560598
- Email: info@girlforward.org
- Instagram: @girlforwardgram
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GirlForward
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/GirlForward
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
