BIO Girls Dickinson focuses on self-esteem for young girls

Earlier this year, Nikki Wolla teamed up with a couple of other moms in the community to launch a Dickinson chapter of BIO (Beauty Inside and Out) Girls, a Fargo-based Christian non-denominational organization. She noted that junior high (grades 7-8) is a tough period for young girls, and that programs can provide them with productive coping mechanisms.

"I have a teenage daughter, and it’s something I would’ve loved to have put her into because it focuses a lot on self-esteem… That’s something I’m passionate about," Wolla said. "I like to say that it’s mind, body, and soul."

The group uses non-competitive physical activity to teach participants accountability, goal-setting, and how to manage stress and anxiety. The program combines mentoring with physical activity to foster the healthy development of girls in grades 2-6, giving them tools for success during such a transformative and often confusing time in their lives.