Mission

Our mission is to equip ambitious, resilient female-identified students from Philadelphia with the tools and support to advance their professional dreams.

our approach

We:

• Provide financial support to buffer the overwhelming expense of college or other post-secondary school initiatives
  

• Match each student with a mentor who can help her navigate academic, professional, and social challenges through a mix of counsel, encouragement, and connections
  

• Embed financial empowerment into our program so each student can confidently assume stewardship of her personal finances and offer academic and professional development opportunities so she can be career-ready
  

• Surround each student with a strong intergenerational community of women for sharing, advising, networking, and celebrating

ELIGIBILITY

All applicants must:

• Live and attend school in Philadelphia

• Be nominated by their school principal or the head of a community-based program. Teachers, counselors, and related staff may recommend nominees to their principal or leader (read more about the nomination process)

• Be a junior at a public (district or charter), private, independent, or parochial high school located in Philadelphia

• Identify as female

• Demonstrate persistence, resilience, ambition, and involvement in family, school, or community activities

• Agree to commit to their mentoring relationship and our awardee expectations

Preference is given to first-generation students and students with significant financial need. A minimum GPA of 2.5 is recommended but not required. We recognize that life circumstances can affect student achievement. 

our Program

Awardees benefit from financial support, mentoring guidance, financial empowerment coaching, and intergenerational events and trainings. We select five students each year.

the jill melmed-buzzeo award

Named for the woman who inspired our program, The Jill Melmed-Buzzeo Award is made up of a variety of direct financial support to offset the high cost of higher education.

Awardees receive:

• $2,000 for education-related activities and events

• $300 for education-related travel costs

• Toiletry kits, with everything from toothpaste to tampons

• $500 graduation gift to support the transition from student to professional

Starting in 2020, we introduced the Girls with Grit Emergency Fund. This fund is available for awardees facing unplanned financial emergencies, including medical and emotional health coverage, internet access and other technical needs, legal support, food, and other approved needs.

MENTORING GUIDANCE

Awardees are paired with a mentor who can help with:

• Preparing for and applying to college

• Navigating the college decision-making process

• Transitioning to and thriving in college

• Managing time, money, and relationships on campus

• Writing and building a career résumé

• Networking

• Personal and social needs

Financial Empowerment

Our financial empowerment curriculum provides an introduction to sound financial management principles and is based on a lifecycle approach. Awardees are introduced to topics such as paying for college, managing savings and spending, and job search skills. To hone in on their personal questions and choices, awardees work in one-on-one and group sessions with our college financial fit coach and our financial cheerleader and attend workshops with external partners and speakers.

professional development

Awardees develop professional knowledge and skills through annual workshops, leadership opportunities, and one-on-one coaching. Awardees are exposed to women speakers and a variety of career topics at our annual summer retreat and are invited to develop their strategic, financial, and communication skills through service with Girls with Grit, including joining committees or our advisory board for a one-year term. As they reach their higher college years, awardees develop their professional presence and career materials by working with our career coach at Hello Possible, a boutique coaching company.

our COMMUNITY

Awardees become part of a growing community of “girls with grit.” Incoming awardees benefit from a peer sisterhood who provide pragmatic and empathetic advice and an "elders" community who opens doors to institutions, organizations, and industries. Our ConnectHer database extends this community to those who, along with us, invest in our awardees’ futures. Our aim is to help every awardee start to form her her personal board of directors.