Our History

An affiliate member of the national Girls Incorporated organization, which serves more than 250,000 girls and young women in 122 cities across the U.S. and Canada, today Girls Inc. of Sioux city serves more than 500 girls each year through a variety of afterschool, summer, and outreach programming. Girls Inc. of Sioux City is open to all girls between the ages of 6 and 18, with its members and participants coming from a wide variety of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. In any given year, Girls Inc. serves girls from multiple states and more than 25 public schools, private schools, and home schools.

In the fall of 1985, a group of concerned citizens gathered to discuss the lack of a program for girls and the possibility of bringing Girls Club, as it was then known, to Siouxland.  On November 20, 1985, Girls Club of Sioux City was incorporated and efforts began to identify and raise funds for a place to call home and begin providing programming. In early 1986, Girls Club was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Kiewit Foundation which, along with another $50,000 raised, allowed it to purchase the former First Assembly of God Church on Myrtle Street in Sioux City.  One June 30, 1986, Girls Club officially opened its doors. In early 1991, following the name change at the national level, Girls Club of Sioux City officially became Girls Incorporated of Sioux City.  Programming continued to grow and expand to meet the needs of young girls in Siouxland, with afterschool and summer programming offered. After more than 15 years in the former church, programming had long since outgrown the available space, limiting the variety and depth of programming Girls Inc. wanted and needed to provide.  As a result, after much planning, in 2007 the “Building for Her Future Campaign” was launched, with the goal of building a new facility specifically designed for Girls Inc. and the girls it serves. Thanks to incredible support from the community and outstanding leadership, in 2008 construction began on a 25,000 square-foot facility located in the corner of Cook Park, not far from Girls Inc.’s existing location near downtown Sioux City.  With the help of more than 30 volunteers from the 185th Air Refueling Wing, on May 27, 2009, Girls Inc. moved into its new home, just days before the start of its summer program. Now approaching its 40th year, Girls Inc. of Sioux City continues to provide exceptional, high-quality, evidence-based programming and activities for girls age 6 to 18 in a facility complete with multiple classrooms, a computer lab, science lab, craft room, commercial kitchen, full-sized gym, and more.  Girls Inc. also partners extensively with other community organizations and provides outreach programming through Siouxland.

After more than 15 years in the former church, programming had long since outgrown the available space, limiting the variety and depth of programming Girls Inc. wanted and needed to provide. As a result, after much planning, in 2007 the “Building for Her Future Campaign” was launched, with the goal of building a new facility specifically designed for Girls Inc. and the girls it serves. Thanks to incredible support from the community and outstanding leadership, in 2008 construction began on a 25,000 square-foot facility located in the corner of Cook Park, not far from Girls Inc.’s existing location near downtown Sioux City. With the help of more than 30 volunteers from the 185th Air Refueling Wing, on May 27, 2009, Girls Inc. moved into its new home, just days before the start of its summer program. Now approaching its 40th year, Girls Inc. of Sioux City continues to provide exceptional, high-quality, evidence-based programming and activities for girls age 6 to 18 in a facility complete with multiple classrooms, a computer lab, science lab, craft room, commercial kitchen, full-sized gym, and more. Girls Inc. also partners extensively with other community organizations and provides outreach programming through Siouxland.