William James Middle School 8th grader Callie Barger was just selected by HealthMPowers and Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia as a student leader for the new Girls Empowering Movement Program, known as GEM.

Sponsored by The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation, GEM is a five-year statewide initiative to improve middle school girls’ physical activity.
Barger is one of only 14 middle school girls from across the state selected to serve on the  Leadership Team. The group of girls has been working closely with HealthMPowers staff during the design phase of the program and collectively decided on the name GEM because they felt it represented the strength, value and confidence they hope to inspire in their peers. The Team also announced the project in a video and provided direction in creating the GEM logo.
Spurred by Georgia FitnessGram data that shows a sharp decline in girls’ aerobic capacity from 51 percent in 5th grade to only 31 percent in 12th grade and a gender disparity in fitness levels among middle school girls and boys, the program will empower and engage 18,000 girls from 120 sites across Georgia.

“GEM is different because it is girl created, and girl led,” Barger said. “Other programs created by adults, might not do as well. Because girls are creating the program, it will be a better fit for most girls.”
The GEM program will be implemented in schools, Girl Scout Troops, and Boys and Girls Clubs starting in the fall of 2021.
The Girls Empowering Movement is a collaborative initiative led by HealthMPowers in partnership with: Boys and Girls Clubs of Georgia, Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, and Wolf Wellness Lab at the University of West Georgia. The organizations are working together to ensure that the girls’ voice drives all program elements and keeps them at the forefront.
“The collaboration and insights from the GEM Leadership Team have been integral to creating a physical activity program tailored to meet girls’ needs,” said Christi Kay, Project Director, HealthMPowers.
As a leader in the movement, Barger said she looks forward to the impact GEM will have on her peers.

“We want to get girls moving and help them find fun, creative ways to stay physically active and create healthy habits,” she said.
For more information about the GEM program, visit HealthMPowers.org/GEM.