Focus Fairies Mentoring

Bee Girls: In 2024, Focus Fairies Mentoring proudly served 57 high schoolaged girls across the South and West Sides of Chicago through our BEE-Girl initiative. Program sites included but not limited to, Marshall, Art in Motion, and Bogan High School. The BEE-Girl program continues to provide a safe and affirming space for girls to explore identity, emotional wellness, and leadership through mentorship, creative expression, and community engagement. This year, we also expanded our youth employment efforts by hiring and paying four student interns during the summer to work with Focus Fairies Mentoring, offering hands-on experience in nonprofit operations and youth development. Additionally, we rebranded and relaunched our alumni program, now called BEE Girl Fly, designed for young women ages 16 to 21 who are transitioning out of the core mentoring program. B-Girl Fly serves as a bridge to adulthood, providing alumni with continued mentorship, workforce readiness training, and leadership development opportunities as they prepare for college, careers, and independent living.

Whimsical Wonder and Wishes: The Whimsical Wonders and Wishes (WWW) program reached 140 elementary-age girls across schools such as Daniel Webster, Mason, and Sumner Elementary in North Lawndale. The curriculum promoted social-emotional learning, character-building, and self-expression through play-based learning. Following cuts from CPS, FFM restored WWW to these schools to ensure continuity for girls in under-resourced communities. Programming reflected the organizations commitment to cultural affirmation and community healing, grounded in identity, joy, and resilience