International Girls Academy A Nj Nonprofit Corporation

I am so grateful for the International Girls Academy and the impact it has on the community. This nonprofit truly lives up to its mission of uniting, uplifting, and empowering girls & Women by giving them the tools, confidence, and real-world experiences needed to become leaders, while as well honoring women who are crushing in their industries as a beacon of accomplishment. The programs go beyond academics—they teach advocacy, entrepreneurship, public speaking, and global awareness, opening doors for young women that many never imagined possible.

I came across this non profit while attending a college camp at Montclair state university. I immediately jumped on the opportunity of joining a club that sounded like exactly what I needed to improve myself. They claimed to help us with our leadership skills, teamwork skills, and consistently offer scholarships and networking opportunities for us to get some real world experience and grow. In every aspect the organization has succeeded and then some. Not only did I sharpen some important life skills but I met amazing girls and took advantage of tons of opportunities.

My name is Brittney Guaillasaca. I heard about the IGA through my older sister, Jasmine. I joined in February, and my first time with the IGA team was at a Starbucks when we were tabling. There I met Gaelle. Gaelle and I got to learn a lot of new things about each other. Later on, as we continued to the table, we became good friends. I must admit tabling was quite a challenge. Especially because of some of the responses we got from the people. Although it felt like too much sometimes, it was also a way of making me feel more confident. I am also happy to say that by pitching to strangers, I got a better sense of public speaking. Before IGA I was always nervous about talking in front of people; I would get anxious and stutter. I’m glad that through the International Girls Academy I have bettered myself.

On our trip to Guyana, I learned many new things like more about the wood industry, the supply chain, the many historical places of Guyana, and I even got to interview business owners. Along with that, I made new friends that I'm happy I got to meet them: Samiyah and Darian. This trip was not just a vacation but a learning experience, and I'm glad that I got to be a part of it.

The International Girls Academy, IGA, is truly an amazing organization. They offered my daughter and I an opportunity to participate in Project Guyana, a life-changing experience. Project Guyana exposed the girls and I to global commerce via woodworking, lumber yards, the markets, etc., to culture via the National Museum and E. R. Burrowes School of Art, to environmental science via Guyana's Protected Areas Trust, to Guyana's natural beauties via the Demerara Harbour Bridge and The Essequibo River, to delicious cuisine at the local restaurants. Most importantly IGA arranged for the girls to have a Women's Empowerment presentation facilitated by female entrepreneurs, female educators, women in construction, female mental health practitioners, and Guyana's first female officer and firefighter. I will forever be grateful to IGA for providing my daughter with the opportunity to be exposed to something of this magnitude. Kudos IGA for making such a strong impact in the lives of our young women.

This nonprofit organization changed my life. I went from being a girl who was timid about expressing their ideas publicly, to a woman of confidence and strategies for the future. I have been blessed with so many opportunities and ways to enhance my understanding of the world. This is also something that I see as a unique opportunity. I met professionals from top company such as Netflix, Pinterest and Starbucks, became our Youth Council President, went to do a project in New York, became a co-author of a book, and hosted my very first event, an art gallery in my hometown. I have met people that understood me and pushed me to do better. Anyone that joins the International Girls Academy will experience a positive change within themselves and provide that same positive change to their community.

My daughter is part of The International Girls Academy and her experience with the academy has been a real eye opener for her. One of the things that you can account for when it comes to the IGA is results. It hasn't been a year since my daughter joined the program and she was able to help raise funds for the trip and got better with public speaking. Another thing that I like about the IGA is that every student had their own focuses, such as entrepreneurship, writing, S.T.E.M. and more, though there are many different interest, IGA is always able to find a cross intersection that allows the different student interact. The International Girls Academy has been supportive of her achievements congratulating her and even posting her on their page. Thank you The International Girls Academy!

I have been supporting the International Girls Academy for a few years now. It has been amazing to see them grow and use their resources so efficiently and effectively to impact the lives of so many girls in the metro NY area. The work they did to take some of the girls abroad and show them a bigger world will have an impact for years to come. I am also very excited for their hub to come online so they will have a physical space to take their support to the next level. I have loved working with this group and would implore anyone looking to make an impact in this area to help out in any way you can!

Hello, my name is Gaelle and I am a student that has been a part of the International Girls Academy for 8 months now (since I became a freshman in highschool) and I can truly say that this organization is authentic and puts in the work that's it stands for. It is my first year with them and I already have had the opportunity to become more knowledgeable in terms of woodworking. The International Girls Academy traveled with a select group of girls to Guyana to teach them about not only woodworking but also introducing us to the supply chain as well. The process of making the trip possible were done by the girls that went on the trip as we helped raise money. This process is called Project Tea which teaches students how to present and sell a product to a person or entrepreneurship. We met amazing people in Guyana and learned about the difference in culture between there and the states and we saw the oldest wooden church in the world once, which was an experience itself, it was beautiful. It was also refreshing to hear that in Guyana women in stem was a norm, it isn't shocking in Guyana to see a woman the boss of a logging company or taking a woodworking class. The journey that I've been through with the IGA has been astounding and I can't wait to see what else we will be accomplishing.

Having the ability to witness a small, but amazing organization grow during a pandemic it’s simply breath taking! The founder of this amazing organization Makeba, launched during a time when many business owners shut down due to uncertain times, but she decided to continue despite what COVID, and because of that she built more than an organization, but legacy and hope for the next generation of leaders!