YWCA Cambridge Announces 5th Year of the GOLD Program

Cambridge, MA, November 13, 2017- Today, the YWCA Cambridge launched its 5th GOLD Program year. Operated in conjunction with Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons, GOLD is a free, regularly scheduled, afterschool program that celebrates self-esteem building, self-expression, collaboration and girl power.

GOLD is an intergenerational space where adolescent girls can explore their own identities, their communities and their leadership potential through discussions, workshops, and field trips. We believe that every girl is a leader and we aim to provide a safe space for GOLD girls to determine, practice and develop their own unique leadership skills. Over the past four years, GOLD has worked with over 100 young women in the Cambridge community.

“YWCA Cambridge is delighted to launch another year of GOLD (Girls Only Leadership Development) in partnership with Mayor Simmons, and with a new collaborator, Tutoring Plus. GOLD is an empowerment program for 8th grade girls, designed to provide young women with knowledge and resources that will help them make a smooth transition into high school and beyond. As a mission-driven association the YWCA Cambridge works to empower adult women as well as young women who will be our women leaders of the future. We encourage 8th grade girls to join us and we invite the public to know more about our efforts to empower women of all ages,” said YWCA Cambridge Executive Director, Eva Martin Blythe.
The program pairs each girl with a mentor to help answer questions and guide them through the program. Anna Weick, a mentor and a member of the 2012 GOLD planning committee, the year of its inception, said when asked why she got involved, “GOLD is close to my heart because encouraging the leadership of girls is an urgently-needed service. GOLD not only provides concrete tools for girls to realize their own power, but it creates a supportive community for girls and mentors to grow and learn together.”
YWCA Is On A MissionFor over 150 years, YWCA has been at the forefront of the most critical social movements — from voting rights and civil rights, to affordable housing and pay equity, to violence prevention and health care reform. But despite important work being done on the ground by more than 220 local associations across the country, not enough people understood the size, impact, or relevance of YWCA.

YWCA Cambridge programs and services include:

• Housing for indigent single women and homeless families
• Girls Only Leadership Development (GOLD), a leadership program for 8th grade girls
• Marshfield Branch Summer Day Camp, serving children from Kindergarten to 8th grade

But there is still unmet need. With this brand awareness campaign, we invite the public to join us on our mission to assist even more women, children, and families.

YWCA Cambridge is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families and strengthen our communities. For comprehensive information about this important work, go to: http://ywcacam.org and www.ywca.org.