Our History

Girls Inc. is the longest-running girls’ leadership organization.

girls inc atl history

Our Mission

Girls Inc. inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.

Our Vision

Powerful girls in an equitable society.

Our Values

Respect the dignity of each human being.

Recognize and support the strength in every girl.

Appreciate, embrace, and advance diversity.

Drive for results anchored in accountability.

Operate collaboratively.

Honoring the memory of

Debbie Randall

In 1974, a tragic incident sparked the establishment of what we now know as Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta. A 9-year-old girl, Debbie Randall, was abducted and found two weeks later, raped and murdered. This event highlighted the need for a safe, after-school environment for girls in Cobb County. In response, Irma Glover and Joyce Dunaway Parker appealed to the Marietta City Council, leading to the creation of the Cobb-Marietta Girls Club. The organization started in a one-room trailer and later became known as Girls Incorporated of Cobb County.

In 1998, the organization expanded to become Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta, focusing on serving the needs of girls throughout the Greater Atlanta area, continuing to maintain the original Marietta Center, and expanding to offer programming throughout Metro Atlanta in various school and community settings.

Girls Inc. was founded in 1864 to serve girls and young women who were experiencing upheaval in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Across the decades, we adapted to meet the specific environmental challenges facing girls and young women, always working in partnership with schools and communities, and guided by our founders’ fundamental belief in the inherent potential of each girl. Woven into those early girls’ clubs are the same core values of Girls Inc. today: the importance of creating a safe gathering place for girls to learn and to share in a sisterhood and a strong premise that each girl can develop her own capacities, self- confidence, and grow up healthy, educated, and independent.

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Girls’ Bill of Rights

We will always support girls and ensure that their rights are recognized and respected.