Girls Actively Participating! kicks off its 9th year

Contact: Amy Manhart, Executive Director, Girls Actively Participating!

On Monday, September 25, participants and supporters of Girls Actively Participating! (GAP!) kicked off their ninth year of programming with an ice cream social at Jackson Hole Middle School. “We wanted the girls who participate in our programs to meet the donors and Board members who are supporting them. We also wanted the donors to see the excitement and enthusiasm on the faces their contributions support,” said Amy Manhart, the program’s founder.

Girls Actively Participating! recently received a $7,000 grant from the Wyoming Department of Education to support their programs that keep adolescent girls drug and alcohol free. Grants and donations keep the program free of charge for all participants. “We want all girls to be able to join our GAP! community. By keeping the program free, it is accessible to everyone,” said Board President Melissa Turley.

The mission of Girls Actively Participating! is to increase the self-esteem of adolescent girls through active participation in the outdoors and in life. Meetings focus on Building Community, Giving to Others, Taking Care of Ourselves, and Expressing Our Voices. Programs are offered throughout the school year on Tuesdays for sixth graders and Wednesdays for seventh and eighth graders from 3–5 p.m. In the past eight years, over 350 middle school girls have participated in at least one GAP! activity.

For more information about GAP! please visit http://gapjh.org or contact Amy Manhart, Executive Director, at 734-8528.