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By Steve LeBlanc CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF Amid Halton elementary school â€"teachers‘ last workâ€"toâ€"rule, one s group of Milton fourth grade girls Thursday, February 16, 2017 | 18 just couldn‘t sit silent. "They went into the viceâ€"principal‘s office and wanted to know where Girls Inc. was," recalled the organiâ€" zation‘s longtime executive direcâ€" tor, Claudia Scobie, referring to the school boardâ€"affiliated mentoring s sessions that had been put on hold. * "Not only that, but they had identiâ€" §fiedanumberofGrade39Mswho they felt would be good for the proâ€" gram. That‘s a perfect example of the immense positivity of the program." Z2 It‘s memories like this that Scobie holds dear as she heads into retireâ€" ment after 24 years at the heilm of Girls Inc. of Halton, which evoived out of the local Big Sisters chapter that would be brought into the Halâ€" ton Big Brothers fold. Having worked with youth most of her life â€" most notably as a swimâ€" | "My children were out of the house and I needed something to do," said the Campbellville resident. She found that relationship with the 11â€"yearâ€"old very positive, and ‘ would soon find herself on the orâ€" | ganization‘s board of directors. | But as strong an advocate for the | Big Sisters program as she was, Scoâ€" | | bie saw a demand for more than | | just these oneâ€"onâ€"one matches. | "They (girls) neéded a support sysâ€" | tem with peer groups." . | So around the time Big Sisters was | being absorbed by Big Brothers, fScobleâ€"wlthfimndalbxking‘ by the United Way â€" set out to esâ€" | tablish Canada‘s very first Girls Inc. | chapter. | Its 2002 inception was small, with a group of 10 girls at Brookville Public School. + Rapid growth But awareness of and appeal for the group‘s mentoring quickly snowâ€" balled â€" and today Girls‘ Inc. of Halton serves more than 900 girls ming instructor â€" Scobie first beâ€" | five to 18 at 21 schools across the came a Big Sister in her ‘40s. Bs * ;' Ak)Home hardware building centre region. | 66 It‘s about the girts. They are amazing, The goal is to empower them, give them selfâ€"esteem and selfâ€"worth. Claudia Scoble, Outgoing Executive Director, Girls Inc. of Haiton | Perhaps the biggest reason for that | tremendous growth, Scobie notes, | is that all of the group‘s programs | are researchâ€"based and address the | specific needs and concerns poâ€" , tential participants have at various stages of their lives. Friendly Peerâ€"suasion, Discovery Leadership and Media Literacy are among the sessions being offered at Haltonâ€"area schools, with teachâ€" ers helping recruit members. "They‘re not just sitting around doing arts and crafts," said Scobie, Ne _ P en f v gaeroplan ~movs whose organization has three faciliâ€" tators who run the sessions â€" and is on the brink of expansion. Among Girls Inc‘s countless sucâ€" cess stories is 14â€"yearâ€"old Angelina Appleby, who said she almost imâ€" mediately felt her deepâ€"seated shyâ€" ness fading after her first meeting in Grade 4. A few years â€" and two more sesâ€" sions â€" later, Angelina is now an outgoing freshman at Mikon Disâ€" Executive director retires, bids farewell to empowering program trict High School. been captain and MVP of her volâ€" leyball team at PL. Robertson Pubâ€" | lic School and has earned a slew of | student awards. | She credits Girls Inc. with not only | boosting her confidence, but also | providing an emotional and moral tool kit for everyday life. "I learned to trust my gut instinct | and be true to myself," said Angeâ€" | lina. "There‘s some really great peoâ€" ple (in Girls Inc.)" | With that kind of impact, it‘s no wonâ€" | der Scobie hasn‘t spent much time thinking about the untold hours and I energy she‘s spent with Girls Inc‘s | l She‘s attended a leadership camp, | | creation, growth and evolution. "It‘s about the girls ... they‘re amazâ€" ing," said the outgoing executive diâ€" rector, adding that the local chapter has a 98 per cent return rate among firstâ€"time participants and that | she‘s received numerous letters from principals and teachers about the positive changes they‘ve seen in the girls. "The goal is to empower them ... give them selfâ€"esteem and selfâ€"worth." DANGELO ROOFING.ca COMMUNITY ROOF DONATION D‘Angelo and Sons is proud to announce their partnership with the No Roof Left Behind program. Founded in 2009, No Roof Left Behind strives to unite communities in order to help the people within them. Every year, D‘Angelo and Sons donates a free roof to a family in need. Nominate someone tod Visit: dangeloandso‘ns.com _ _or noroofleftbehind.com