A mentoring program helps low-income young women become leaders.

In 2004, we commissioned a report to help us understand how successful young adults develop. The report confirmed our belief that mentoring is one of the best, most cost-efficient strategies for improving the prospects of vulnerable young adults. As a result, in July we made a community grant to the Seattle-King County YWCA's GirlsFirst program.

GirlsFirst is a leadership program for low-income girls of color entering the ninth grade. It aims to build their confidence, improve their academic performance, and encourage them to think ambitiously about career opportunities. The program provides adult mentors, academic support, and leadership training in a variety of settings, including a retreat at Seattle University, a three-week summer academy, and monthly "Action Days." The intensive portion of the program lasts a year, but the YWCA offers ongoing activities for GirlsFirst alumni, aimed at making sure they graduate from high school.

Our grant will allow GirlsFirst to accept more girls every year and help it expand into South King County, where many low-income families now live. In addition, the grant will fund the first comprehensive evaluation of GirlsFirst, both to ensure that it's achieving its goals and to provide a better understanding of whether it can be replicated.