In week three, I continue to interface directly with coworkers and girls who are part of the Girl Up community we seek to inspire.

I’ve done nonprofit and foundation work in the past, and I have noticed that often those working on the strategy side of things get so caught up in operational overhead that they often don’t participate in the actual execution of the programs. I really value Girl Up in allowing the programmatic roles to still work directly with the girls – allowing the programs to be truly youth-centered and driven by the population Girl Up serves.

Early on, my supervisor told me that if at any point I want more access or have a greater desire to work with the girls, I should not wait to ask. I really appreciate this close relationship between mission and action.

I’m also getting more involved with the monitoring and evaluation team, which is great, since M&E, and social impact measurement in general, is something personally very interesting to me. I intend to write my PAE on this subject next year. I have told members of the Girl Up team about this interest, and they are extremely excited – I think there is a potential I continue with UNF as a PAE client to explore this field. Continued 1:1s also contribute meaningfully to my experience at Girl Up! I am very glad to be at an organization populated by such smart and dedicated people.