NOVEMBER 29, 2006 MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Manhart, 734-8528 gapgirljh@gmail.com Pictures: Photo Credit: Shelby Sheperd Jackson, WY GAP! girls learn about trust and communication on the Doug Walker Ropes Course. Girls Actively Participating! has been awarded a $1,500 grant from the Wyoming Women’s Foundation to support programs targeted to improve the economic status of girls and the women they become. The Wyoming Women’s Foundation (WWF) is dedicated to improving the economic status of women and girls in Wyoming through systems change. Girls Actively Participating! (GAP!) Executive Director Amy Manhart says her program creates systems change by “planting the seeds in young girls who will go on to be successful, economically sufficient women. By investing in young girls,” says Manhart, “GAP! programs create young women who are confident in their abilities.” GAP! provides after school programming for middle school girls, exposing them to new people, new activities and more adults who can serve as anchors in their world; thereby supporting girls to be happier, healthier, and more successful in the future life. The grant specifically funds five meetings targeted to improving the economic status of girls when they become adults. During these meetings, GAP! girls will meet female business owners from the Jackson Hole community. These role models will discuss their background, including their education, and tell what it took to start their own business. In separate sessions, the girls will meet with a financial planner and a career coach to map their financial future. Board President Melissa Turley says these programs are important because, “talking to young girls about money and money management is important groundwork for long-term financial independence.” Girls Actively Participating! increases the self-esteem of adolescent girls through active participation in the outdoors and in life. If you are interested in becoming involved or supporting our programs please contact Amy Manhart, or 734-8528; or visit http://gapjh.org/. The Wyoming Women’s Foundation is a charitable organization that supports economic self-sufficiency and access to opportunities for women and girls in Wyoming by raising funds, making grants, and providing leadership. For more information call 307-721-7007 or visit the Wyoming Women’s Foundation website at www.wywf.org.