BIO Girls + Choice Bank: Putting Young Girls First
62 percent of girls suffer from low self-esteem.
Statistics like this used to keep Missy Heilman up at night. In 2013, as Missy was raising two elementary-aged daughters, she could already see the impact that societal pressures had on young girls. The pressure to be beautiful, based on the standards they saw in the media. To prioritize looks over all else.
Every year, BIO Girls reserves three spots at each site for referral participants, whose registration fees are 100 percent covered by scholarships. And participants do not need to be referred for the program in order to receive a scholarship; anyone in need of financial assistance may apply online.
Choice Bank has been a community partner of BIO Girls since 2015, and in 2019, Choice made the decision to increase their support of the program in an important capacity: by funding scholarships for low-income participants. In 2020 alone, BIO Girls has already enrolled over 150 girls through these referrals and scholarships—making up over 12 percent of total registrations.
“Regardless of who they are or where they come from, young girls from all walks of life can be susceptible to low self-esteem,” said Melissa Block, SVP of Marketing and Communications at Choice. “This is why it’s so important for us to support BIO Girls and the work they do so that they can continue to positively impact all young girls in our communities, including those that would not normally have the opportunity to participate.”
This partnership with BIO Girls is proof that Choice Bank lives out their motto of #PeopleFirst, by investing in the communities in which they are present.
“They see the value of BIO Girls in our communities,” Missy said. “The fact that they’re giving hundreds of girls the opportunity to participate in our program who wouldn’t have been able to otherwise speaks volumes about who they are and what their mission is.”
Sparking a Movement
What began seven years ago as a desire to help even one girl discover her self-worth has transformed into a movement, inspiring thousands of young girls across the Midwest. In 2019, an independent study found that 60 percent of BIO Girls participants experienced a significant increase in self-esteem; significant improvements were also found in physical, emotional, and social well-being, as well as family and school life.
But for Missy, the transformations she witnesses first-hand are more impactful than any statistic. Take, for example, the story of one nine-year-old girl who joined BIO Girls as a referral participant last year. She struggled with depression and anxiety, and had a difficult time socializing.
“Her mentor expressed some concern that she wasn’t getting much out of the program. She really disliked the running component,” Missy said. “But she came every week. She tried her hardest. She participated in the 5K and she walked every step of it, and that was completely fine because that was her way.”
After she finished the running program, she immediately signed up for the summer dance session. Fast-forward to the end of the summer, when Missy received an email from this once-shy participant’s mother: I’m so thankful for BIO Girls. The amount of confidence that I have seen in my daughter and the passion for dance is something I’ve never seen in her before. She was able to get up in front of an auditorium full of people and do her dance for the recital. I never thought she would have the confidence to do that.
Perhaps this is how the impact of BIO Girls is best measured: in the look of pride on a young girl’s face as she takes her first bow, knowing she has an entire group of mentors and peers cheering her on.
“Back in 2013, I had no intention of BIO Girls being what it is today,” Heilman said. “I truly was looking for a way to give back to other girls. I would have never dreamed that it would equate to the number of girls that it does today—it’s pretty amazing.”
To learn more and register your child for an upcoming BIO Girls session, visit biogirls.org.