Editor’s note: The San Antonio Report is pleased to feature the weekly bigcitysmalltown podcast hosted by Robert Rivard, co-founder of the Report. We’ll be publishing a brief synopsis of the podcast each Tuesday.
Lea Rosenauer wants all girls to be strong, smart and bold.
BigCitySmallTown host Robert Rivard sat down with the CEO and president of Girls Inc. of San Antonio to talk about the organization’s mission for inspiring girls to overcome barriers that prohibit them from achieving their personal, educational and career goals.
“‘Strong’ is healthy–mentally, physically, emotionally healthy. ‘Smart’ is graduating from high school…and having a plan for continuing education,” Rosenauer said. “‘Bold’ are all of the life skills that it takes to be successful and independent.”
Girls Inc. of San Antonio was established in 2004 and serves girls ages 6 to 18. In 2019, the organization served a record-setting 6,000 girls in Bexar County. Rosenauer has been with the organization for the past 10 years.
She says their outreach is primarily executed through collaborating with schools and organizations such as Communities In Schools, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the THRU project and various independent school districts.
“When I talk to my peers around the country and I talk about how collaborative San Antonio is, I get shocked expressions,” Rosenauer said. “This is the environment I believe makes San Antonio so special and so unique.”
In addition to being present in schools weekly, leading conversations over topics like leadership and career exploration, Girls Inc. works to be a safe space for girls.
The program center located in Los Angeles Heights is home to classrooms, a “Zen Zone” where counseling students can complete their internship hours and work with peer support groups, a scratch kitchen where girls can learn about healthy eating, and an “Empower Her Zone” where teens can socialize. At the center, they also bring in guest speakers and host speed mentoring events.
“It’s about building trust. Many of these girls have never had an adult in their life follow through with anything,” Rosenauer said. “And so, we get to be those adults that provide that support.”
Currently, they are working with Bexar County to open a Bibliotech Nina, which will help to provide digital access to girls and their families, are in partnership with Frost Bank to create an entrepreneurship and finance lab, and have partnered with Methodist Healthcare Ministries to increase their mental health services.
“Talent may be universal but access and opportunity is not. It’s my mission to provide access and opportunity for girls to see a world outside their backyard,” Rosenauer said.
