Our Program
Girls who believe in themselves. Caregivers who believe in us.
BIO (Beautiful Inside & Out) Girls is a volunteer-facilitated program empowering girls in grades 2–6 to build self-worth, resilience, and lasting connection with others. Founded in 2013, BIO Girls has served over 18,000 girls across the Midwest through an evidence-based program led by community volunteers.
Research shows that BIO Girls participants experience measurable increases in self-esteem and decreases in anxiety. Praised for relevant lessons and practical tools, BIO Girls has become a trusted resource for caregivers and communities supporting the mental health of young girls.
Keep scrolling to learn more about our program.
Key Teachings
Emotional Coping
Girls learn to name, understand, and manage their feelings, building emotional regulation skills they'll use their entire lives.
Resilience
Girls practice strategies for handling stress, anxiety, failure, and everyday challenges in healthy, constructive ways, and learn to see failure as something they can grow from, not be defined by.
Healthy Relationships
Girls learn to navigate friendships and other supportive relationships with adults, identify good from bad relationships, resolve conflict, communicate clearly, listen actively, and build trust.
Self-Worth
Girls grow in courage and self-awareness, discovering what makes them unique, strong, and capable.
Psst! Come behind the scenes!
BIO Girls has been impacting girls across the Midwest for over a decade. Our program consists of 12 sessions, combining key tools & teachings, in an environment rooted in connection with peers and trusted mentors in the community. An experience creating resilient, confident girls: a foundation that changes everything.
Check out our sample lesson to see what a BIO Girls session in action looks like:
Program Overview
Serving girls in grades 2 - 6, a BIO Girls program meets for 12 sessions, 90 minutes each. A session combines key tools & teachings, a Christian devotion, small-group mentoring, and non-competitive physical activity. Each program is led by a volunteer Site Director.
Key Tools & Teachings
BIO Girls curriculum is evidence-based and research-proven. We equip participants with the skills necessary to combat societal pressures and recognize their inherent values. Through a hands-on service project, BIO Girls participants also get to experience the power of helping others, gain a bigger perspective on gratitude, and learn that giving back has no age requirement.
Mentorship
Research proves adolescents with a non-familial role model have higher self-esteem, better psychological well-being, and greater satisfaction in life. BIO Girls mentors leave a lasting positive impact on participants. In fact, many participants chose “relationship with mentor” as one of their favoritethings about BIO Girls! Our volunteer mentors engage the participants in small-group activities and one-to-one discussions. They also provide support and encouragement during the physical activity portion of the session.
Physical Activity
BIO Girls uses non-competitive physical activity to teach participants accountability, goal setting, and how to manage stress and anxiety. Through these lessons, participants also experience success. BIO Girls has traditionally used running as our program’s physical activity component. However, in 2019, we began expanding our program to include programs that use yoga, cross-training and art as their activity component.
Get connected with our mission.
Looking to learn more about the BIO Girls mission, the program, and how it all works?! Drop your info into the form below! We’ll send some information right to your inbox, and keep you updated month to month! It’s our BIO Girls (Good) Newsletter!
What do participants say about BIO Girls?
How does my community get a BIO Girls program?
The BIO Girls program is 100% volunteer-facilitated! We currently have programs in five states: North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. To bring a program to a community in those states, there needs to be an individual who volunteers to lead as a Site Director.
What starts with one interested individual, spirals into a community-wide impact.
See how BIO Girls came to fruition in Perham, Minnesota and the impact it’s inspired:
“This program is a must for young girls living in today’s world. When my girls come home and talk about their lesson I often find myself thinking ‘I wish I knew that when I was their age.’
Each week they are so eager to learn something new. I love it when they share their experiences from the week and we continue the lesson at home. They love setting personal goals, working with their mentors and peers, and proving to themselves they are capable. The relationships they have made through this program are amazing.”
– BIO Girls Participant Caregiver