Girls Inc. of Orange County

Workforce Development Pipeline 

Girls Inc. of Orange County’s Workforce Development Pipeline prepares girls and young women for long-term success in higher education, leadership, and the workforce. Through sustained mentorship, college access support, professional skill development, and real-world career exposure, participants receive guidance and opportunities from high school through college and early career preparation. The pipeline includes: Girls Meet the Workforce (GMTW) – a workforce readiness and career exploration program for high school students that combines professional development workshops, mentorship, networking, digital literacy, and paid externship opportunities with Orange County employers. College Bound (CB) – an intensive college readiness and advising program that supports high school students through the college application, financial aid, scholarship, and decision-making process while cultivating a strong college-going mindset. Project Accelerate (PA) – a collegiate success and early career program that supports alumnae through postsecondary education with mentorship, professional networking, leadership development, and career preparation opportunities. Throughout the pipeline, participants engage directly with corporate and community partners through externships, workshops, career panels, mentorship experiences, and workplace exposure opportunities that help them build confidence, professional competencies, and social capital. The program places a strong emphasis on economic mobility, first-generation college success, STEM career pathways, leadership development, and increasing access to industries where women remain underrepresented. Through this sustained exposure model, Girls Inc. helps participants navigate critical transitions from high school to college and from college into meaningful careers, ensuring they are equipped with the tools, networks, and confidence needed to thrive personally and professionally. The program will serve as many as 700 underserved girls and young women in 2026.

Eureka!

Eureka! is a multi-year STEM and life skills program designed to ignite excitement and build lasting confidence in girls around science, technology, engineering, and math. The program kicks off each summer with an immersive four-week, 160-hour experience on a high school or college campus, where participants spend their days exploring health and wellness, STEM, and essential life skills including economic literacy, resiliency, advocacy, and personal safety. STEM programming makes up 50% of the overall experience, ensuring participants leave with both hands-on knowledge and the belief that STEM is for them. Eureka! has been hosted at Santa Ana College, Golden West College, and Orange Coast College, with additional activities taking place at UC Irvine and Chapman University — giving participants a meaningful taste of college life and the campuses where their futures could unfold. The experience continues year-round through Eureka! Council, where participants deepen their leadership and advocacy skills through weekly sessions and a culminating community service project.

Smart Ups

Smart Ups is Girls Inc. of Orange County’s entrepreneurship and financial literacy program designed to help girls in K-6th grade develop leadership, innovation, and business skills through hands-on learning experiences. Participants create and pitch their own business ideas while learning budgeting, marketing, branding, collaboration, and communication skills. Through project-based activities and mentorship, girls strengthen confidence, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and entrepreneurial thinking while gaining exposure to career pathways in business and leadership.

Leadership & Advocacy Programs

Our Leadership & Advocacy programs equip participants with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to advocate for themselves and others — in their schools, their communities, and beyond. Through SHEroes, Eureka! Council, Art4Justice, Girls Inc. Ambassadors, Generation Giga Girls (G3), and HOPE (Hispanas Organized for Political Equity), participants spanning elementary through high school explore civic engagement, digital literacy, body image and media literacy, data analytics, creative expression, and community organizing. Whether designing an original advocacy project, analyzing data to drive social change, creating art as activism, or executing a civic initiative, participants develop their voices and step into their power as the next generation of community leaders.

School-Based Enrichment Programs 

Girls Inc. of Orange County’s School-Based Enrichment Programs provide research-based educational programming across Orange County schools and community sites. Programs integrate social-emotional learning into STEM, literacy, leadership, entrepreneurship, wellness, and advocacy education. Offerings include Literacy Lab, Bold Bots robotics, STEM ExploreHERs, Mind Body Matters, Trusting My Instincts (TMI), Skills to Pay the Bills, Business BuildHERs, and additional enrichment programs tailored to elementary, middle, and high school participants. These programs create safe, supportive environments where girls build confidence, strengthen academic and leadership skills, explore future career pathways, and develop the tools needed to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.