FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Heather Kelnhofer, Executive Director
Girls Inc. of the Northern Sacramento Valley
Phone: (530) 768-2189
Email: heather@girlsincnsv.org
Website: www.girlsincnsv.org

Girls Inc. NSV Awarded $600,000 Elevate Youth California Grant to Expand Youth Leadership and Substance Use Prevention Programs

Redding, CA — March 13, 2026 — Girls Inc. of the Northern Sacramento Valley (Girls Inc. NSV) has been awarded a $600,000 grant over three years through the Elevate Youth California (EYC) Standard Track Cohort 7, administered by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) in partnership with Sierra Health Foundation’s Center for Health Program Management.

This grant will support the Elevate Girls Leadership & Prevention Project, a comprehensive initiative running from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028. The project aims to prevent substance use and risky behaviors while strengthening leadership, resilience, and civic engagement among girls ages 12–18 in Shasta and Tehama counties.

Over the three-year award period, Girls Inc. NSV will serve approximately 1,000 girls, prioritizing youth from low-income families and those facing access barriers, including foster youth, youth with disabilities, English learners, and girls living in rural communities. Programming will integrate evidence-based substance use prevention education, mentorship and relationship-building, peer-led leadership development, and youth civic engagement focused on policy, systems, and environmental change.

“This investment affirms the importance of youth-led prevention and leadership—especially for girls in rural communities,” said Heather Kelnhofer, Executive Director of Girls Inc. NSV. “Through Elevate Youth California, we are expanding opportunities for girls to build confidence, make healthy choices, and actively shape the policies and environments that impact their lives.”

Key components of the project include school-based workshops, afterschool programs, and summer prevention camps using Girls Inc.’s nationally recognized curricula, such as Healthy Mind + Body, Mind Over Pressure, and One Circle Foundation programs. Girls will also participate in mentoring circles and an expansion of the organization’s Youth Leadership Council, where participants receive training in advocacy, public speaking, and community organizing. Youth leaders will engage directly with local school boards, city councils, and community stakeholders to advance substance use prevention and healthy behavior initiatives.

As the only organization in the region dedicated exclusively to serving girls, Girls Inc. NSV brings 20 years of experience delivering culturally responsive, trauma-informed programming that empowers girls to be strong, smart, and bold. The Elevate Youth California grant strengthens the organization’s ability to reach underserved youth and deepens its impact across Northern Sacramento Valley communities.

The Elevate Youth California initiative supports youth-driven solutions that prevent substance use and promote health equity across California by centering youth voice, leadership, and lived experience.

For more information about Girls Inc. of the Northern Sacramento Valley and its programs, visit www.girlsincnsv.org.