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Giving Girls A Chance To Succeed

By Joan Gabrielson, Executive Director

As girls arrive at Excelsior, we see their faces of fear from past failures and their apprehension at failing again. They don't believe they can succeed, and, sadly, they believe that they do not DESERVE to succeed. Repeated moves from foster home to group homes to treatment centers and detention, students often feel abandonment and rejection. Based on their own acting out behaviors they have shattered relationships with families, friends, school, staff, police and the courts which have resulted in our girls having very low self-esteem and feeling worthless, powerless and hopeless.

Our most important challenge is to help them learn that they deserve to lead a healthy, productive life and that they have the skills, talents and strengths to make that life a reality. At Excelsior, girls can experience success by:

*Running a 5K with the Girls on the Run training program
*Seeing their painting displayed at the Denver Art Museum
*Having their No Bullying Poster hanging in the school hallways
*Winning a poetry contest
*Showing their Mom a winning ribbon from the Science Fair
*Finding clues in our English Mystery Writers class
*Losing 60 pounds through the Wellness Program
*Talking about a tough treatment issue while walking through our Healing Garden
*Walking into the auditorium in their cap and gown on Graduation Day with their parents, friends and teachers cheering
*Being a "Big Sister" to a new girl
*Solving variable equations in math class
*Being a member of the Student Leadership Group or Friendship and Service Team

Providing a wide variety of activities, ensures that each girl can succeed in at least one area to help improve her self image and motivate her to actively and productively participate in her treatment and education.

With success in one or more areas, our girls begin to see themselves in a new light: maybe, just maybe, they are not a bad kid. Maybe they really do have some skills that can help them tackle other challenges and succeed. As the girls' accomplishments grow, they begin to feel some self confidence, try greater challenges and feel a greater willingness to face some very difficult therapeutic issues. They begin to accept themselves, make healthier choices, accept responsibility for their lives, start setting goals and believing that they actually DESERVE to reach those goals.

Many of these opportunities for success come from our many wonderful supporters. The art show at the Denver Art Museum was made possible by Jana Bartlit. A grant from the James and Beatrice Salah Charitable Trust allowed us to create the Whole Girl Initiative. Our Wellness Program has grown from support from the Melvin and Elaine Wolf Foundation, Daniels Fund and ECA Foundation. The Sheila Fortune Foundation supported and encouraged our Art programming. Our Science Fair is sponsored and judged by members of the University Hills Rotary Club. Many hours of work by the Aurora Gateway Rotary Club and the Eagle Scout project created and enhanced our Healing Garden . Our organic garden, recently named The Girl Sprouts Garden, is maintained by several community volunteers and Excelsior students along with sponsorship from the Colorado Garden Show and the Kinder Morgan Foundation.

Thank you to our many generous donors and volunteers.