“Girls at Work, Inc. began in 2000 out of the back of my pickup truck. This effort is the result of a lifetime of observation, and a desire to share with others the sense of accomplishment you can have when you build something with your own two hands. I’ve seen girls shy away from woodshop in a school setting as the majority of the class consists of boys. But a girls’ camp, or our workshop full of girls, breaks down those walls and allows girls to try many new and different things they probably would not have attempted otherwise.

Our focus has been, and continues to be, reaching out to foster girls as well as girls from families with low income. These girls are faced with far too many obstacles that keep them from discovering their abilities that lie within. We reach them by being able to offer 50% of our program fees in scholarships from grants and private donations.

As a result we are able to teach the craft of woodworking, on a beginner level, to just over one thousand girls now. Our program enables girls to build a small project using several different power tools, despite the fact that most, if not all, have never used any tools whatsoever.

Placing a power tool in the hands of a young girl takes empowerment to an all new level!

Girls are able to take their project home with them as a constant reminder of how capable they truly are.”

- Elaine M. Hamel, founder of Girls at Work, Inc.