Beacon Street Girls' and Girls Inc.' Partner to Help Girls Explore Contemporary Adolescent Themes through Literature

Beacon Street Girls' and Girls Incorporated' Partner to Help Girls Explore Contemporary Adolescent Themes through Literature

NEW YORK, NY (Nov 30) - B*tween Productions Inc., creator of the award-winning Beacon Street Girls book series, announced today that they are joining forces with Girls Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, to launch a nationwide initiative that will help adolescent girls use literature to explore contemporary social themes that can impact their self-esteem and development.

The two organizations have developed a Reading and Activity Kit, which will be offered online, free to the general public and to all Girls Inc. affiliates in the U.S. and Canada. Girls Inc. affiliates deliver programs through a network of sites including Girls Inc. centers, schools, and community centers. B*tween Productions will also donate copies of the best-selling Worst Enemies/Best Friends, the first volume in the Beacon Street Girls book series to Girls Inc. affiliates. The kit offers a series of educational activities based on the key themes in the book: new friendships, fitting in, civic engagement, and first impressions.

"Girls are being objectified on a daily basis by media that is increasingly reliant on sex to sell stories and products to young girls. The purpose of this collaboration is to provide a healthy alternative to help girls become empowered young women," says Addie Swartz, CEO of B*tween Productions.

In addition to the Reading and Activity kit, girls will be invited to participate in an online forum (www.girlsinc.org) where they can communicate with other girls their age about topics in the Beacon Street Girls books, including friendship, family, and the complications and pressures of middle school life.

Joyce M. Roch', President and CEO of Girls Inc. and Addie Swartz say the program will support their similar missions to provide healthy and age-appropriate messages for girls.

"In our culture increasingly filled with provocative media images and scantily-clad pop princesses, girls aren't given much time to be girls before they face enormous pressure to get on the express train to adulthood," the two women said in a joint statement.

"We share the belief that girls need time to grow at their own pace, and they deserve positive role models, supportive girl communities, and healthy messages along the way."

Expressly designed for Girls Inc. affiliates, the guide will also be available online at no charge to the public at both www.girlsinc.org and www.beaconstreetgirls.com. The two organizations plan to continue the collaboration with additional books in the series.

Press Contacts:
Barry Wanger
Beacon Street Girls
617.965.6469

Taiia Smart Young
Girls Inc.
212.509.2000, ext. 229

About Girls Incorporated
Girls Incorporated' is a nonprofit organization that inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and boldSM. With local roots dating to 1864 and national status since 1945, Girls Inc. has responded to the changing needs of girls through research-based programs and public education efforts that empower girls to understand, value, and assert their rights. In 2004, Girls Inc. reached nearly 800,000 girls through Girls Inc. affiliates, its website, and educational publications.

About B*tween Productions
Through the Beacon Street Girls' book series and website, B*tween Productions, Inc., is committed to reaching girls with age-appropriate media that delivers positive role models and health affirming messages.