Thank you to Girls on the Run Bay Area for sponsoring this guide to excellent programs for girls, female-identified youth, and gender-nonconforming kids.
Girls on the Run Bay Area has been empowering youth through running, mentorship, and their nationally recognized confidence-building curriculum for over 20 years. Their afterschool program inspires participants to recognize their inner strength, increase their level of physical activity, imagine their possibilities, and confidently stand up for themselves and others.
Save $10 off registration with code 510FAMILIES$10. Girls on the Run Fall Program runs from early September to November; register here >>
Girls on the Run Bay Area, and many other East Bay organizations, want to change the world by empowering girls to follow their passions and serve the greater good. There are so many wonderful camps, classes, clubs, and community spaces dedicated to this mission; some focus on technology, the arts, sports, justice, and a bit of this and that.
Sports Enrichment Programs for East Bay Girls
Brown Girls Climbing supports developing climbers as they experience the benefits of outdoor leadership skills. Website >>
Chrysalis Girls Adventures offers hiking and camping expeditions for girls entering 4th-9th grades. They embrace the outdoor environment as a medium for empowering girls to build healthy relationships with one another, recognize and celebrate their strengths, and connect with the natural world. Website>>
GirlVentures’ mission is to empower adolescent girls to develop and express their strengths. Through outdoor adventures, including backpacking, hiking, kayaking, and rock climbing, GirlVentures brings diverse girls together in a social justice and leadership development framework. Website >>
👉 Girls on the Run Bay Area’s Fall Program runs from early September to November, with their celebratory 5K on November 14 at Marina Park in San Leandro. They offer programs for elementary and middle school-aged students. The program cost is $350, and they offer financial assistance on a sliding scale of $40-$350, as well as a full scholarship upon request. Practices are held twice per week for 90 minutes. Save $10 off registration with code 510FAMILIES$10. Visit their website to learn more and register!
Oakland Girls Softball League provides coaching and team competitions to develop athletic skills. Website >>
Play Like a Girl Bay Area and Try (it) Out (Piedmont). The annual Play Like a Girl event is aimed at getting girls ages 2 to 17 involved in sports in a fun and supportive environment with several different coaches and lots of sports equipment to allow girls to really experience each sport. Try (it) Out similarly offers young girls a chance to try new sports, meet coaches, and find opportunities in their communities. Website>>
Skate Like A Girl hosts clinics, summer camps, and volunteer opportunities in the East Bay. Website >>
Supergirl Power Camp is an all-women, empowering gymnastics experience designed to elevate more than just skills. They equip girls with the confidence, resilience, and mindset tools they need to overcome obstacles, define their own superpowers, and make a positive impact in the world. Located in Fremont. Website>>
Music & The Arts Programs for East Bay Girls
Bay Area Girls Rock Camp is a gender-inclusive space where girls, ages 8 to 18, learn to play instruments, create a band, make new friends, experience fun workshops, and perform at a showcase at the end of the program. Website >>
Girls Garage is a dream come true for girls and gender-inclusive youth, ages 9 to 18, who want to fuse metal and make something new. Fearless builder girls can come together for after-school lessons in welding or weekend workshops in visual and industrial arts. Website >>
The Intuitive Writing Project, Bay Area. Find empowerment through writing your story. For girls and gender-expansive youth. They also offer non-fiction writing and other coaching for young writers. Website >>
REEL Stories: When women, girls, and non-binary filmmakers are better represented behind the scenes, they’re better reflected on the screen. Reel Stories is training the next generation of female filmmakers with collaborative, hands-on programs; they’re creating a pipeline of young women with the skills they need to enter the film and media industry, and the confidence they need to succeed. Website >>
San Francisco Girls Chorus provides music education and produces performances for girls and young women, with programs available in the East Bay as well. Website >>
Find East Bay Summer Camps for Girls >>
STEM & Career Opportunities for East Bay Girls
Black Girls Code aims to increase the number of women of color in the digital space by empowering girls of color, ages 7 to 17, to become innovators in STEM fields, leaders in their communities, and builders of their own futures through exposure to computer science and technology. Website >>
Girls on the Mic (GOTM) program is a groundbreaking after-school training and mentoring program serving San Francisco Bay Area (including Oakland) girls and gender-expansive youth ages 11-18 from under-resourced communities. We offer free creative technology and digital media production training on a variety of topics. Website>>
Science Adventures for Girls (SAfG) is an Oakland-based nonprofit organization that aims to increase the number of women in STEM fields by offering after-school science enrichment programs to young girls. Offers volunteer opportunities to individuals and companies who care about closing the gender gap. Website >>
Society of Women Engineers (SWE) GetSET is a hands-on engineering and technology overnight camp for high school girls from underrepresented groups to show them that engineering is fun, creative, improves lives, and is an exciting career option. Website >>
Leadership for East Bay Girls
Cinnamon Girl creates cohorts of girls and high-performing mentors of color. Activities include travel, creative endeavors, and more. Website >>
Girl Scouts encourages girls, grades K to 12, to gather under the leadership of a parent volunteer to master topics related to the great outdoors, financial literacy, volunteerism, and self-care. Find a troop of same-aged girls to join here >>
Girls Inc. of Alameda County inspires girls and gender-inclusive youth to be strong, smart, and bold through its many programs for girls entering grades 1 to 12. Website >>
Julia Morgan School for Girls, Oakland. East Bay girls middle school, grades 6-8, with specialty camps in the summer. Aims to prepare confident, capable, creative, compassionate women of tomorrow. Website >>
Radical Monarchs has a chapter in Richmond for girl-identifying youth of color from ages 8-11. Following a model similar to Girl Scouts, activities focus on skill-building and independence. Learn more >
Thank you again to Girls on the Run Bay Area for sponsoring this guide to the many excellent programs for girls, female-identified youth, and gender-nonconforming kids. We hope your daughter finds the right ones to ignite her passions. Save $10 on registration with the code 510FAMILIES$10.
