When her daughter Ayana entered middle school, career educator Deirdre Skelton noticed something surprising. The typical bullying that comes with the middle school experience didn’t seem to be in effect with her daughter and friends, even with the powerful addition of social media. Soon, she figured it out. Ayana and her friends were the smart kids at her school. They were too busy and engaged with their activities to be concerned about what everyone else was saying.
Deirdre began to wonder how other girls could build that same confidence to navigate their world, transform their self-image and expand their view of the possible. That question led her to create Girls Initiating Real Living Standards (G.I.R.L.S) — a curriculum for girls in elementary through high school aimed at counteracting the effects of social media and empowering them to recognize their talents and strengths.
A few years later, supported by a skilled, committed staff and board, G.I.R.L.S. offers an array of programs from professional development, presentations and workshops to empowerment- focused curricula.
Recently, the organization moved to revamp and enhance its website to attract more participants and donations. They started by contacting Jericho Road Pasadena and asking them to locate a volunteer with expertise in web design and development.
JRP introduced them to Jason Orellana, founder of the digital marketing and website development firm Emphasis LA. Working closely with Deirdre, Jason developed a plan to enhance the website’s ability to reach out, connect and communicate. Key strategies included incorporating a social media presence; adding photos and other visuals; and creating tabs that expanded on their story, showcased their board, profiled their partnerships and invited donations. Jason also gave Deirdre training that would make it easy to maintain the site.
“Jason was very personable and easy to work with,” she says. “He was able to explain and break things down so I could understand the process. He even helped to save on annual website hosting fees! Our collaboration has hugely enhanced our online presence, and we are thrilled.”
As someone who often works with nonprofits, Jason especially relished this assignment. “I was fascinated to learn about the positive impact this organization is having on young girls and the way it’s empowering their futures,” he says. “I loved playing a part in their growth.”
Thanks to volunteer Linda Taubenreuther for writing JRP social media posts!