CORE by HGNA – History

Mary Ellen Young and Julie Pouilly

Mary Ellen Young, Board Director and Co-Founder of HGNA, and Julie Pouilly, President of the Geneva Coalition for Youth

In 2012, TriCity Family Services and the Geneva Coalition for Youth teamed up with HGNA (Helping Girls Navigate Adolescence) to bring Chick Chat to fourth and fifth grade girls in the TriCities, a program that was launched in Downers Grove in 2005.  Thanks to the tireless support and mentorship by both a team of HGNA volunteers and a local group of moms who shared our vision of raising emotionally healthier, more empowered girls, we were able to successfully launch Chick Chat by HGNA.  Thanks also to key administrators in CUSD 304 who recognized the benefits of offering this social-emotional learning opportunity to local students, a Geneva location was chosen for the launch in 2013.  Since this initial event, Chick Chat has expanded to include sixth grade girls, as well as parent presentations addressing common age-related issues that girls are experiencing.

The success of our annual Chick Chat by HGNA events has driven us to continue our partnership with HGNA with the launch of CORE in 2016, a middle school transition workshop for incoming sixth-grade girls.

We look forward to welcoming your daughter at this year’s event!

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