Whole Girl Wellness
About Whole Girl Wellness
Whole Girl Wellness is a trauma-informed approach that supports BLSYW students by building resilience and competence in both students and teachers. This initiative goes beyond traditional education by integrating resources and interventions that address the unique needs of our students, empowering them to overcome challenges and live lives of strength and purpose.
Many of our students in Baltimore face higher levels of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) than those in Maryland or nationwide. ACEs include abuse, family violence, parental separation, incarceration, substance abuse, and mental illness. These experiences can create significant barriers to academic success, and many of our students come from under-resourced elementary schools, entering BLSYW behind in reading and math.
Recognizing the impact of trauma, BLSYW has created a supportive environment that focuses on building both academic skills and emotional resilience. Some of our students struggle with attention, behavior, and emotional regulation due to the effects of trauma. Historically, Black girls displaying these behaviors have faced disproportionate discipline, which deepens racial and social disparities and limits their academic progress.
BLSYW believes that supporting the whole girl—focusing on both her emotional well-being and academic growth—is essential to overcoming these barriers. This approach has become even more crucial in the wake of the pandemic. By expanding this initiative we are better able to meet our students’ needs.
The Whole Girl Wellness Approach
The Whole Girl Wellness approach teaches, inspires, and nurtures each student by considering her entire life experience—gender, race, and culture—when choosing the best ways to support her learning and development. For over a decade, BLSYW has combined proven teaching methods with strategies designed to address the unique challenges faced by urban girls of color, focusing on both internal and external stressors.
Within the last year, we have trained our School Climate Associates in restorative practices, de-escalation and Socio-emotional learning. We created a “BLSYW Cares” wellness team that meets bi-weekly to assess and plan for students and their needs. Participants of this committee include director of whole girl wellness, school social worker, school counselor, school climate associates, school psychologist, community coordinator and administrator.
We have continued to nurture existing and developed new partnerships including:
The results of this approach are clear: 100% of our graduating seniors are accepted into 2- or 4-year colleges or professional programs, and 78% of BLSYW graduates enroll in college the fall after graduation. This far exceeds the 22% college enrollment rate for African American students in Baltimore City Public Schools. Whole Girl Wellness is about more than academics; it’s about empowering each young woman to succeed in life and become a leader in her community.