What is Girl Talk?
Girl Talk is a nationally recognized student-to-student mentoring program that offers fun, positive weekly meetings, community service projects, and friendship-building activities for middle school girls. Girl Talk is started and led by high school girls who serve as mentors, and in turn, Girl Talk leaders develop leadership skills that they will carry with them throughout life.
Our mission is to help young teenage girls build self-esteem, develop leadership skills, and recognize the value of community service. Girl Talk is and always will be free to any high school girl who wants to make a difference in her community by “Starting a Girl Talk Chapter” . All of Girl Talk materials are only available online.
Girl Talk is designed to reach ALL middle school girls. Therefore, we welcome non-traditional chapters (home school, athletic teams, youth groups, etc.) as well. We encourage high school girls to think outside the box if their school is unable to host Girl Talk meetings before or after school.
The concept of Girl Talk was developed in the Fall of 2002 by Haley Kilpatrick, Founder and Executive Director of Girl Talk. At the age of 15, she began brainstorming ideas for an organization that could help middle school girls with the daily triumphs and trials of being a young teen.
Everything you need to know about starting a chapter and making it official is on our Web site.
Girl Talk Today
- National nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization
- Based in Atlanta, Georgia
- More than 30,000 girls in 24 states
- Local chapters
- Student to student mentoring program
- Meet once per week
- Pairs middle school girls with high school girls
- Listen and offer support
- Promotes self-esteem
- Teaches value of community service
Girl Talk Facts
- Girl Talk has 3 pillars as a part of our mission:
- Leadership
- Mentoring
- Community Service
- Girl Talk is reaching over 30,000 girls through the 413 existing chapters in 24 states
- Girl Talk girls across the U.S. completed over 312,000 of community service (in addition to running their chapters)
- 83% of middle school girls who attend Girl Talk have become Girl Talk leaders in high school
- Girls who attended Girl Talk showed an academic improvement of 14% in math and 24% in language arts
What programs does Girl Talk offer?
Through our unique student-to-student mentoring program, we pair middle school girls with high school girls who serve as mentors. Girl Talk helps middle school girls build self-esteem through positive weekly programs, learn the importance of community service and most importantly, benefit from a valuable relationship with a high school Girl Talk mentor.
Click leader lesson to view one of dozens of Girl Talk topics that high school leaders use each week during their one hour chapter meeting with their middle school peers.
Why the need for Girl Talk?
Research consistently demonstrates that mentoring directly and positively affects youth. A study conducted by the research organization Public/Private Ventures found the following benefits of mentoring: 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 27% less likely to begin using alcohol, 52% less likely to skip school, 37% less likely to skip class, more confident in their schoolwork performance and get along better with their families. Girl Talk feels that through our positive weekly lessons, middle school girls will grow and learn from one another.
How much does Girl Talk cost?
Girl Talk is absolutely FREE. There are no dues or membership fees. The only cost is your time.
Who can start a Girl Talk chapter?
Girl Talk chapters can be started by any passionate and motivated high school girl who wishes to develop a mentoring relationship with middle school girls.
How many Girl Talk Leaders does it take to start a chapter?
It only takes one girl to start a chapter; however, as many high school girls that want to be leaders can participate. We typically recommend that each chapter have at least one leader per every five middle school girls that attend. Most Girl Talk chapters have anywhere from eight to 50 middle school girls who attend on a weekly basis.
Where are Girl Talk chapters started?
Girl Talk is a national organization and chapters can be started anywhere there are middle and high school girls who want to help each other. Girl Talk Chapters are currently reaching over 30,000 girls.
What makes Girl Talk different from other organizations?
Unlike typical mentoring relationships where an adult serves as the mentor, Girl Talk’s unique program empowers high school girls to be mentors to younger middle school girls. Student-to-student mentoring has proven effective because students can relate to each other.
How can I help?
Please visit the Make a Contribution section of our Web site to learn more. Girl Talk is funded solely by generous gifts from individual contributors. Donations are 100% tax deductible. You can use your credit/debit card or mail a check made payable to Girl Talk to:
Girl Talk
3060 Peachtree Road NW
Suite 2000
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
How often does Girl Talk meet?
Girl Talk typically meets once a week for one hour. If needed, how often a chapter meets can vary chapter to chapter. Please see how a “Typical Meeting” works.
What is the purpose of the Anonymous Question Box?
The box serves as a wonderful tool for leaders and guides the weekly topics. For detailed information on how to make our own anonymous questions box, please reference the Girl Talk Handbook.
Besides the anonymous question box, how do Girl Talk Leaders know what to talk about during the Girl Talk meetings?
Girl Talk does it for you! We provide you with individual, easy to follow lesson plans - each with a different topic for every week of the school year. The lessons are available to high school females who are Girl Talk Leaders. The leaders can choose a topic, download and print the weekly lessons through the leader login section of the Web site. One example of a weekly lesson is Being Nice.
What are the Girl Talk Leadership Requirements?
Girl Talk Leaders must be female high school students (grades 9-12). They are expected to be strong role models and community leaders. The following requirements have been set for Girl Talk Leaders.
A leader must demonstrate a strong commitment to Girl Talk and encourage new girls to join the group.
She must always abide by the rules and regulations of the Girl Talk Handbook.
She must commit to leading one weekly meeting with middle school girls as well as spend at least one hour of preparation each week with the other Girl Talk Leader(s).
She is expected to complete at least 10 hours of community service each semester OUTSIDE of serving as a Girl Talk Leader. This can be done alone, with other leaders or with the chapter as a whole.
A leader is responsible for keeping her chapter’s adult sponsor fully informed about events, her community service hours and any ideas or changes she’d like to make in her weekly meetings.
She must agree to email Girl Talk a simple Monthly Report of her Girl Talk program.
She must strive to be a positive role model and a community leader at all times. She must hold herself up to the highest standards. She must understand that as a Girl Talk Leader, any bad decisions she makes will not only affect her, but her reputation as well.
Is there a Leadership Contract?
Yes. Click Leadership Contract to preview it.
What are the ground rules for Girl Talk meetings?
What’s said in Girl Talk stays in Girl Talk. No names or details about anyone are EVER mentioned inside a meeting, unless it’s to commend or congratulate someone. If a middle school girl breaks this rule, she should be addressed in PRIVATE by one of the leaders. If a leader breaks this rule, the sponsor/faculty advisor should be informed immediately.
Are Girl Talk meetings supervised?
Yes. Each Girl Talk chapter is required to have an adult advisor present at every meeting. Numerous adults are eligible to supervise a Girl Talk Chapter. If it’s in your school, you should have an administrator, counselor or teacher. If you can’t find anyone at school to sponsor your chapter, but the school approves the Girl Talk program, a leader’s mother or local college female can sponsor your chapter. If you are starting a chapter in your youth group or a chapter that meets at your home, make sure there is a responsible adult that will agree to fully sponsor your chapter.
Are there any requirements for a middle school girl to be a part of Girl Talk?
Nope! Come as you are—you can come to every meeting or pop in once a month—whatever fits your schedule. We are happy to have you whenever you can participate.
Where can I find the link to the Today Show clip?
http://www.desiretoinspire.org/LatestScoop/todayshow.html
I work full time. Can I be an advisor and have my Chapter meet in the evening at maybe even in a public location?
Yes! Our goal is to reach as many middle and high school girls as possible. However that may work for you- works for us.
Can a church/youth group offer Girl Talk?
Of course! Girl Talk was designed to reach all girls- and all of our resources will continue to be free. We have several youth groups that offer Girl Talk and give high school girls a great leadership opportunity to mentor their younger peers. Remember that we have leader lessons (make sure to preview the lessons at link above) and you can choose to use our topics or you can use our “Create Your Own” and you decide what to discuss.
Do leaders and participants do this for multiple years?
Absolutely! Girl Talk Leaders can be leaders 9th-12th grades and it is our hope that 8th grade Girl Talk participants will aspire to become Girl Talk Leaders upon entering 9th grade.
Can I start a Chapter outside the United States; I want to start Girl Talk in another country?
Of course! Everything you need to know to start and run your Girl Talk Chapter is available at no cost on our Web site www.desiretoinspire.org. Good Luck!
Do you do any specific leader training we can take part of, or have any insight on?
By following the steps in the Girl Talk Handbook , Girl Talk Leaders will learn how to effectively and efficiently run a Chapter meeting with the support of her Chapter Advisor. Girl Talk is a leadership training program- so the skills are developed over time by running the Chapter.
How can I get a printed, color version of The Girl Talk Handbook?
We make The Girl Talk Handbook available only online, because we run on an incredibly limited budget. As Girl Talk continues to grow, we will have the option to order a printed copy through our Girl Talk Store. We recommend that you use a local office supply store if you’d like several copies printed and bound. We’ve recently learned that you can email your job to Kinko’s and pick it up later.
What does “Leader Login” allow you to do?
Once you complete your “Chapter Application Form” it will take 10-14 days for us to process your Chapter information. Once your Chapter is approved, you and your Chapter Advisor will use your usernames and passwords in the “leader login” section. This will give you access to “My Chapter Page.” That page will give you access to all of Girl Talk’s resources, leader lessons, flyers, parent consent forms, etc.
I’m not sure if we have a Chapter in my area?
If you are unsure whether or not your school already has Girl Talk, please contact your school administrator or guidance counselor to find out. If there is not a Chapter, we encourage you to help start a Chapter. All the information you need to start is available on our homepage, click “Start a Chapter”.
Can you mail me more information or an info packet on Girl Talk?
No. We wish that we had the staff and funding to do that, but in reality we do not. We try very hard to make your donations go as far as possible and make most use of our Web site to keep the entire process cost efficient. Because we are a cost-conscious, nonprofit organization operating with limited funds, we have no printed materials or "starter packets" to mail to you. All of the necessary and even supplemental resources you need can be found on our Web site www.desiretoinspire.org.
I would like to visit a Chapter first or talk to a local Chapter to ask questions.
We think that is a great idea and encourage you to contact the Chapter Leader or Advisor
.
I want to be a Chapter Advisor. What do I do?
If you are interested in becoming a Girl Talk Chapter Advisor - all you have to do is contact your local high school or high school female who would make a great Girl Talk Leader and inspire her to start a Chapter in her community. All females who have graduated high school are eligible to become Chapter Advisors. We encourage you to work closely with that school’s guidance counselors, teachers, and administration to ensure the success of your Chapter. Chapters can have multiple Chapter Advisors.
Has Girl Talk ever been incorporated into a schools’ curriculum?
The answer is yes. Atlanta Girls’ School in Atlanta, GA did just that and is having great results. If you’d like to learn more, their Web site is www.atlantagirlsschool.org.
I am an adult female and want to volunteer with Girl Talk, how can I?
We encourage you to contact your local school to see if they have a Girl Talk Chapter. If so, you can help with snacks, transportation, speak to the Chapter on an issue you think is important to you, etc… The ideas are endless. If you are in Atlanta you can also volunteer at our headquarters. We are understaffed and can always use administrative help to truly meet the demand of Girl Talk girls everywhere. If that is you, please visit our contact us section and let us know and someone will contact you.
Is there relationship spill over out of the program, mentoring/friendships that develop between high school leaders and middle school participants?
Of course. This is a mentoring program for middle school girls by high school girls. We have testimonials throughout the Girl Talk Handbook and in the bios of the Teen Advisory Board. Both are found on the Girl Talk Web site www.desiretpinspire.org.
Boundary issues - any advice on what happens if inappropriate subjects are raised? My school is concerned about making sure those are addressed properly.
Great question! Please use the sample link above to view our leader lessons. Each week is structured around a simple grassroots topic (gossip, community service, being unique, healthy eating, etc…). Girl Talk is designed to be proactive and build leadership skills and a Chapter Advisor is always present. It is very rare that harsh or liable topics are mentioned because the weekly lessons are so positive. The leaders and advisors sign contracts that spell out what to do if this happens. If a Leader is asked or told information that could lead to a girl harming herself or someone else, she knows to go directly to her Chapter Advisor for the appropriate help. These situations are very rare, and we have found Girl Talk to be an important communication tool for teenage girls who may not have anyone else to go to.
Does Girl Talk have an official school and parent consent form?
Yes we have both. These resources can be found in the Leader’s Resource Room. Only Girl Talk Leaders and Advisors can access these.
What happens if many girls sign up to participate - multiple, smaller meetings?
That is a great problem to have! We leave that up to you. Girl Talk works because it is so simple and allows schools to conform the program to the needs of your school. Some schools that have large Chapters have Girl Talk incorporated into their curriculum so this way there are 2-3 leaders per 10-15 middle school girls, others have 2 weekly meetings one before school and another after school and the middle school girls choose which works best for them, and other schools have one large meeting and manage to involve each girl during those meetings.
Where do I mail my Girl Talk Chapter pictures so they can be featured on your Web site?
We prefer that you email us your pictures because it makes our job much easier. If you cannot email them, please mail your Chapter pictures to Girl Talk, 3400 Peachtree Road, Suite 1750, Atlanta, GA 30326.
Can my Girl Scouts Troop have Girl Talk?
Yes. During or even before or after your troop meetings you can meet for Girl Talk. Our lessons are free and help build leadership skills. This also gives high school girls an opportunity to reach out to troops that are middle school girls.
Are Girl Talk Leaders available to speak at meetings or events?
Yes. If you are looking for a local Girl Talk Leader, we encourage you to contact your local school and go through them or the leader directly.
If you would like Girl Talk Founder, Haley Kilpatrick, to speak at your upcoming event, please see contact us or contact Jennifer Grizzle, PR Manager at Jennifer@theprstudio.com. See Speaking Terms and Conditions.
Speaker Terms and Conditions:
Founder, Haley Kilpatrick’s Speaking Fees:
- $1,000.00 flat rate for the first two hours
- $100.00 per hour thereafter
- Speaking fees do not include airfare, meals, ground transportation, mileage reimbursement or room and board. All are in addition to the speaking fee.
- Standard Speaking Engagement
Standard speaking engagements are 30 minutes to one hour presentations. Presentations will be tailored to your audience’s needs and interests. For further details about her schedule and capabilities, please contact Jennifer Grizzle at jennifer@theprstudio.com.
Who is your PR contact?
If you are a member of the media, interested in partnering with Girl Talk, want to reach Founder, Haley Kilpatrick, or would like to know more from a PR perspective, please contact Jennifer Grizzle, PR Manager at jennifer@theprstudio.com.