Girls Coordinating Council of Palm Beach County Celebrates Two Year Anniversary During the Week of the International Day of the Girl

The second anniversary of Palm Beach County’s Girls Coordinating Council (GCC) will be commemorated with a free community 5K Run & Walk on Saturday, October 8 at Okeeheelee Park and Symposium at Palm Beach State College on Friday, October 14. 

The Girls Coordinating Council is a community collaborative focusing on reforming and strengthening the system of care for girls and increasing the availability of gender-responsive, trauma-informed and strength-based services for girls. The model brings together community stakeholders to identify and address specific issues affecting girls to influence the policies and practices that impact the well-being of girls. GCC also seeks to strengthen and promote community norms to ensure girls are socially, emotionally and physically healthy, educated and socio-economically stable.

“Our girls’ stories — and the untold millions struggling with similar issues amid a growing youth mental health crisis — are the driving force to continue to take much-needed steps to support young women in Palm Beach County and beyond,” shared April Brownlee, Founding Leader of Palm Beach’s GCC and Senior Director Program Performance at Pace Center for Girls. “All girls and young women, regardless of race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status, should be uniquely cared for, supported, and encouraged to become the best versions of themselves through a path of healing and recovery.”

Today over 25 organizations actively participate in the collaborative that was founded in 2020 by Pace Center for Girls, Palm Beach County Youth Services and Palm Beach County Victim Services. When we focus on supporting girls, they gain the power to achieve success in all areas of their lives, leading to positive outcomes for themselves, their families and communities.