PROGRAMS | billieinc

B.i.l.l.i.e. Girls Program

"B.i.l.l.i.e. Girls" is a mentoring program based in Richmond,VA for teenage girls between the ages of 12-17 years old. The girls meet with their chapter at least one Saturday per month (generally the 2nd or 3rd Saturday of each month) to engage in a variety of educational and cultural activities that are geared to inspire the participants to be leaders in their communities as well as to prepare them for a successful future overall. The program runs year-round and the curriculum is based on each participant being enrolled for a 2-3 year time frame.

By the end of year one, each B.i.l.l.i.e. Girl would have completed at least five hours of community service, participated in a health/fitness workshop, completed a self-love project, demonstrated new leadership skills, and developed a bond, through teamwork, with several other teenage girls. Each girl is introduced to new skills and is expected to apply those to the classroom setting while in school in addition to everyday life.

B.i.l.l.i.e. Inc's staff is composed by VCU students and community volunteers. There is a $25 registration fee for new youth (provides each girl a t-shirt and a new member kit) and $20 for volunteers (background check and t-shirt). Most monthly activities are free of charge or range in price (under $20). Parents are required to provide transportation for their youth to and from the monthly meeting locations. If the group is going on a field trip, B.i.l.l.i.e. Inc. volunteers will have transportation arranged in advance. Parents are welcome to join us for most activities. However, there are some events that hosts only allow teens to participate in.

The B.i.l.l.i.e. Girls are encouraged to make suggestions that will enhance our program. Feedback is strongly encouraged through journal writing. We focus on youth culture to make our program interesting. Therefore, we use social media to communicate with our participants. We also incorporate technology, such as television and radio into the program.

Our Goals

Long Term: For girls completing all program requirements, 100% of young ladies will have the education and skills needed to implement positive money making decisions into the lives of themselves and their families. The young ladies will obtain leadership roles within their prospective careers and will also become role models, advocates, and pillars in their communities for breaking the generational poverty cycle.

Short Term: For teenage girls completing all program requirements during 3 of 4 high school years, 100% of the participants will graduate from high school. For teenage girls entering the program during grades 6 or 7, 75% will enroll in a specialty center offered on the high school level in order to obtain skills geared toward a specific concentration in addition to general education courses. After participating in one year of the program, 100% of the participants would have created a modifiable life plan that includes: earning income, being capable of budgeting/living independently, and community service. After only one session, all girls will encounter a caring adult who is capable of serving as a positive role model.

After the completion of a series of educational out-of-school activities (which includes: project-based learning, presentations by guest speakers, field trips, etc.), 100% youth participants will graduate from high school and enroll in higher education opportunities (college, trade or vocational schools, certificate or licensure classes).

Examples of Success

Generally, girls are recommended to participate in the program due to behavioral or academic issues. In our history, parents' concerns have ranged from truancy to promiscuity to the lack of social skills. After completing the Billie Girls mentoring program, those same girls have gone on to become Miss Freshman nominees at VSU, public speakers for self care during our workshops for new participants, and positive social media socialites.

Jai-Lynn & Nona Bishop and Chrinique & Lakisha Adams

(left to right)

E-Mentoring

B.i.l.l.i.e. Inc. launched its mentoring program for teenage girls in February 2016. The objective was to pair each B.i.l.l.i.e. Girl with an adult female mentor. Each B.i.l.l.i.e. mentor is expected to communicate with their assigned mentee a minimum of once per month. Although phone calls are strongly encouraged, other acceptable ways of communication include: email, text messaging, and conversations via social media. All communication must be logged.

Training is provided via conference call/webinar and a volunteer handbook is provided to e-mentors. We hold a conference call several times throughout the year for e-mentors to discuss their experiences with other e-mentors.

Our B.i.l.l.i.e. Girls have each been paired with two e-mentors who reside in various states across the nation! Local e-mentors are introduced to the parents of B.i.l.l.i.e. Girls and select out of state e-mentors were able to meet their B.i.l.l.i.e. Girls in person during our annual out of state trip!

E-Mentors encourage academic success by showing the benefits of staying in school and pursuing post-secondary educational options. They are also role models who help B.i.l.l.i.e. Girls see their greatest potential.

E-Mentors are not to act as their mentee's:

Parent
Counselor
Social Worker
ATM Machine
Savior

Recent studies have described benefits adults gain through participating in mentoring relationships:

Enhanced self-images. Mentors saw themselves as being competent, helpful, visionary and loved
Feelings of accomplishment and the creation of networks of other volunteers
Fulfilling expression of the mentor ’s spiritual values
Improved health and self-esteem
Insight into one’s own childhood or children
Public recognition
Businesses reported an enhanced company image, and an improvement in attitude, collaboration, and work satisfaction afer, more connected communities

Source: The National Mentoring Partnership

National studies show that mentoring works. Quality mentoring programs have been shown to impact students socially, emotionally, academically, thus creating safer, healthier, more productive citizens of our society. Some of the many benefits youth derive from mentoring include:

Improving self-esteem;
Keeping young people in school;
Helping improve academic skills;
Leading young people to resources they might not find on their own;
Providing support for new behaviors, attitudes and ambitions;
Increasing young people’s ability to seek and keep jobs

Source: How Mentoring Helps

Studies have found that students who regularly met with mentors for about a year were:

46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs;
27% less likely to start drinking;
52% less likely to skip a day of school;
more trusting of their parents or guardians;
less likely to lie to their parents or guardians; and
felt more supported and less criticized by their peers and friends

Source: Public/Private Ventures Study of Big Brothers Big Sisters

Post-Secondary Education and Career Readiness

100% of the B.i.l.l.i.e. Girls have aspirations to achieve great things upon graduating from high school. They have a wide array of dreams, therefore our preparation methods are crafted to meet their individual needs. Some examples of our techniques are: challenging our aspiring entrepreneurs to create mock businesses, sending recommendations for our future scientists to participate in internship programs, and providing clientele for our cosmetology students to practice their skills on.

B.i.l.l.i.e. Inc. takes the youth on college tours each year. Some of the colleges that have been included are: Virginia Union University, Clark Atlanta University, Georgia Tech, Spelman College, CUNY Lehman College, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Clemson University.

Camp "Explore" B.i.l.l.i.e.!

Camp Explore B.i.l.l.i.e.” gives rising 6th to 9th grade girls the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities similar to those that take place year round in our B.i.l.l.i.e. Girls Program. 10 girls will participate in educational, recreational, and cultural activities that will provide them an experience of a lifetime. The cost is $250.00 per girl. This includes transportation, snacks, lunch, and field trips. Select participants will be extended an invitation to participate in our B.i.l.l.i.e. Girls program relaunching in September 2020!