Empowering Adolescent Girls For Every Chapter of Their Tomorrows

Stress, anxiety, understanding and managing emotions… These are tough challenges for anyone to navigate.

Which is why BIO Girls (Beautiful Inside & Out) is on a mission to equip adolescent girls with the confidence they need for every chapter of their tomorrows.

The goal? Encourage them to grow in self-worth, self-awareness and courage to tap into what makes them unique, strong and capable to handle anything that comes their way.

Supporting Jamestown's Adolescent Girls

As one of the longest running chapters in the nation, Jamestown BIO Girls has been at the helm of helping girls in grades 2-6 develop emotional regulation skills they'll use their entire lives.

"I got involved with BIO Girls after having my oldest daughter be a participant. I saw what a great program it was, and the previous site director had to step away. I was worried that we would not be able to have a program in Jamestown, so I volunteered to be the site director," said Stacy Irmen.

Whether it's practicing strategies for handling stress and anxiety in healthy, constructive ways to navigating friendships, resolving conflict and communicating clearly to build and enrich trust, the Fargo-based organization operates under a handful of values:

• Faith
• Gratitude
• Passion
• Connection
• Joy

"A program like BIO Girls is so important to help support the adolescent girls in Jamestown who are growing up in such a difficult time. Girls in grades 2-6 are at much higher risk of problems like low self-esteem, anxiety, and poor body image," said Irmen. "BIO Girls is a program that tries to help these girls have healthy relationships with others and improve their sense of self-worth which is something that I hope they will carry with them for a lifetime!"

The vision is clear: help foster a world where things like faith and self-acceptance empower young women to be their best, bold, beautiful self, both inside and out.

"Our program equips girls with lifelong skills to understand and manage their emotions, build confidence, navigate friendships, and cope with challenges in healthy ways. Through mentorship, meaningful connection, and guided activities, girls develop resilience, self-worth, and a strong sense of belonging that protects their mental health," said Director of Marketing Macy Kraemer.

Developing the Skills That Will Last a Lifetime

Each BIO Girls program meets for 12, ninety-minute sessions, during which things like life-skills lessons, Christian non-denominational devotions, small-group mentoring and non-competitive physical activity is held.

Volunteer-led, over 100 Site Directors dedicate their time, love, and energy into the program, which began back in 2013 with the Fargo location. Since then, BIO Girls has expanded across the Midwest into North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin with rousing success.

"The best feedback I have heard from our program is talking to the parents of girls who start the program as quiet and shy. By the end of the program their daughter was more comfortable with speaking up and was more comfortable making friends in new situations. That makes me feel so happy to hear that she gained the confidence to do that!" said Irmen.

Bringing BIO Girls to Your Community

Curious about bringing the program to your own community?

BIO Girls hosts a virtual Lunch & Learn every Wednesday at 12 pm. Click here to register for the 20-minute webinar to learn more. If you can't attend live, no worries; you can opt to have a recording sent to you via email.