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Girl Talk Inc.

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Vburnetteengl1101 (talk | contribs) at 17:07, 13 July 2010 (→‎Girl Talk’s Mission). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Introduction

Girl Talk is an international student-to-student mentoring program. Girl Talk was designed for high school girls to mentor and be positive role models for middle school girls.[1] Haley Kilpatrick founded the mentoring program at her high school in Albany, Georgia in the fall of 2002.[1] According to a 2006 Albany Herald article, Girl Talk chapters are now in 39 states across the United States and in the Virgin Islands and Zambia.[2] The mentoring program has reached more than 30,000 middle school girls.[1] Girl Talk Inc. is a non-profit organization and its headquarter is currently in Atlanta, Georgia.[1]

Girl Talk’s Mission

Girl Talk is a mentoring program designed to build self-esteem and encourage individuality.[3] In the weekly chapter meetings, the high school Girl Talk leader picks topics to discuss with the middle school girls in her chapter. These lessons are designed to build girls' character and intelligence.[3] Girl Talk sessions are guided by the T.H.I.N.K. acronym. Girls are taught to carefully consider the character of their conversation and discouraged from saying anything that is not True, Honest, Important, Necessary, or Kind.[3] Girl Talk chapters are formed by female high school students, mothers, teachers or counselors. New chapters are formed by visiting the program website and filling in a form. The Girl Talk Chapter Coordinator Erin Patterson then contacts those interested in forming a new chapter.[4]

History

Haley Kilpatrick founded Girl Talk because of her own middle school experiences. Kilpatrick had a hard time adjusting in middle school and often times she felt left out. Kilpatrick attended high school at Deerfield-Windsor School in Albany, Georgia.[5] While in high-school Kilpatrick led a very active and social life.[1] But, she noticed that almost all her friends encountered similar experiences throughout middle school.[1] Therefore, Kilpatrick decided she wanted to make a difference and create a student-to-student mentoring group. Kilpatrick wanted high school girls to mentor and inspire middle school girls.[1] She also hoped that the high school girls would become good role models for the middle school girls to follow.[1] Kilpatrick took the idea to her school’s headmaster and hoped that it would be approved. At first her Headmaster denied the mentoring program.[6] After initial rejection by her headmaster, Kilpatrick then went back and revised her proposal. She also made the program more cost efficient. She was then given permission to start the program. Kilpatrick used her school as place to hold weekly Girl Talk meetings. The meetings lasted an hour and once a week and they would take place before or after school.[1] In Girl Talk Chapter meetings, the high-school leaders encourage candid conversations with the middle school girls.[7] Many of the meetings topics relate to peer pressure, independence, and self-worth. Kilpatrick felt that, “if young girls were taken care of emotionally that they would excel academically.”[8]As Girl Talk continued to grow, Kilpatrick knew that she would need help in funding her new business. So, she approached Brown Bag Marketing Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia and hoped they could help her take Girl Talk to the next level.[9] “I basically told them that I knew that I was on the brink of something huge,” Kilpatrick said. “I was young, but I convinced them that if they believed in me, I would put them on the map.”[9] Brown Bag Marketing Inc. joined the Girl Talk team and donated thousands of dollars to building of their website.[9] Recently, Girl Talk has secured a $100,000 grant from Bell Capitol management, an Atlanta area investment advisor. Kilpatrick said the new funds will be used for starter kits for existing Girl Talk chapters, which include journals, t-shirts and a copy of the “Girl Talk Handbook.”[9] Since the founding of Girl Talk in the fall of 2002, it has become one of the fastest growing nonprofit mentoring programs across the nation.[1] There are currently 412 active Girl Talk Chapters in the United States.

Founder

Haley Kilpatrick is a twenty-three year old native of Albany, Georgia. She currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia and is the President and Executive Director for Girl Talk Inc.[10] In 2007, Kilpatrick graduated from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications. During 2007, Kilpatrick traveled to 12 states and talked with youth about issues concerning them and informing educators on the importance of student-to-student mentoring groups.[7] Kilpatrick aspires to have Girl Talk in all 50 states by the end of 2010.[11]

Awards & Honors

Haley Kilpatrick has been featured on NBC’s Today Show, NBC Nightly News, CNN, HLN, Montel and TBS. Haley was recently named one of Atlanta’s Power 30 under 30, as well as People Magazine’s “All-Stars Among Us.”[12]

Other awards and recognitions Kilpatrick have received are:

  • Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 40 Under 40 (Youngest Recipient to Receive Award)
  • HLN Morning Express “Breakthrough Woman”
  • CNN’s “Young People Who Rock”
  • Power 30 Under 30 (Apex Society)
  • People Magazine’s “All-Star Among Us”
  • President’s Volunteer Service Award
  • Our Family Hero Award (American Family Insurance)
  • Star of the South (Honoring Irish Americans)
  • CosmoGirl of the Year (CosmoGirl Magazine)
  • $10,000 Maybelline Scholarship Recipient
  • TBS Pathfinder Award
  • Confidence Coalition National Advisory Board
  • Entrepreneur of the Month by the National Center for Rural Entrepreneurship
  • Atlanta Falcon’s Community Quarterback Award
  • Atlanta Community Service Award – 11-Alive (NBC)
  • Atlanta’s 50 Most Beautiful People – Jezebel Magazine
  • Georgia State Senate Resolution #330
  • Girls Inc. Leadership Panel
  • Georgia’s Youth Entrepreneurship Panel
  • National Society of Collegiate Scholars
  • HOPE Scholarship Recipient
  • Volunteer Albany’s Volunteer of the Year
  • Girl's Inc. Giving Girls Wings Bold Award (2009)[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Girl Talk - History". Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  2. ^ "Girl Talk adds 72 more chapters" (PDF). The Albany Herald Online. September 23, 2006. Archived from the original (pdf) on unknown date. Retrieved 13 July 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |archivedate= (help)
  3. ^ a b c Clarck, Nicole (September-October 2006). "Girl Talk: The Mission" (PDF). Mar News. Archived from [http:// the original] (pdf) on unknown date. Retrieved 13 July 2010. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help); Check date values in: |archivedate= (help)
  4. ^ "Chapter Request". Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  5. ^ Styron, Jeremy (2006.12.15). "Georgia girl talks the talk" (PDF). The Clayton Tribune. Archived from [http:// the original] (pdf) on unknown date. Retrieved 13 July 2010. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help); Check date values in: |date= and |archivedate= (help)
  6. ^ Girl Talk helps students deal with middle school issues” The Daily Tribune News Online. 15 October 2006 name="Entrepreneurs">Bauer, Lisa (10/06). "Entrepreneur of the Month: Haley Kilpatrick" (pdf). Retrieved 13 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ a b Lapin, Nicole (May 14, 2007). "Young People Who Rock: Haley Kilpatrick". CNN. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  8. ^ . History . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.desiretoinspire.org/about/history.html
  9. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Entrepreneurs was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ "Interview with Haley Kilpatrick, Founder and Executive Director of Girl Talk". Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  11. ^ “Kennesaw State University Student Created Program To Build Self-Esteem & Leadership Skills in Middle School Girls” Marietta Daily Journal Online. 12 November 2006 name="Founder">"Girl Talk - Founder". Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  12. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Founder was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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