Kim Mogan's program gives girls a safe place to belong and thrive at GirlUp GVL
Kathy Laughlin
5 min read
This school year, Kim Mogan is helping 27 middle school and high school girls Monday through Thursday.
Middle school is a pivotal time for most young people.
COVID-19 and its economic, emotional and social upheaval — plus issues of inequity, prejudice and violence nationwide — have only added to young people’s struggles with school, family and peers.
Kim Mogan recognized that girls in middle school could thrive with a little extra help, and she set out to provide it through the organization she founded, GirlUp GVL.
“I love that age,” said Mogan, a Greenville native. “It was such a turning point in my life. I wish I had had more leadership and guidance during those years. I think that's why I have such a heart for this work.”
The organization works with girls from Tanglewood and Sevier middle schools and League Academy, as well as some high-school-age girls, mostly from Carolina High and Greenville High.
GirlUp GVL was founded in the fall of 2019 but, like many programs, has been hampered by COVID-19 until this year. This school year, 27 girls are participating after school, Monday through Thursday. Many will continue through summer break.
“The fact that any of these girls show up on a daily basis … That shows how amazing they are, that they want something greater than themselves — a sense of belonging, a place where they are safe and supported,” Mogan said.
“They have supportive parents and families. But we all have a desire to have our spot, have our place, be loved, be known.”
Mogan had worked with middle school students through another organization. When she left, she stayed connected to the girls and their parents.
“GirlUp GVL started out of the need to continue to find resources for these students,” she said.
Mogan jumped into GirlUp GVL without much planning.
“It wasn't like I could say, ‘Hey, let me pause your life. Let me develop some really great strategic planning. Let me raise a couple hundred thousand dollars.’ These were real people, and we had real things that needed to happen right away,” she explains.
“You could take eight years to come up with a beautiful plan, but you’ve missed a whole lot of things that you could have been doing during that time.”
Today, GirlUp GVL and Mogan have financial support — mostly from individual donors in the Greenville community — a board of directors, a cadre of volunteers, two full-time staff members and a part-time employee.
She also has the invaluable support of her husband, Jared.
“I've been married for eight years. He's never known me to not have a group of middle school girls. I honestly would not have been able to do this without him. It takes a village, and he's a champion for it,” said Mogan, who is now executive director of the program she founded.
Students hear about GirlUp GVL from friends; sometimes they are referred by their schools. Participants must be willing to have “accountability in their lives and strive to be the best version of themselves.”
Mogan has high expectations, in terms of behavior and respect. Academic credentials aren’t necessary.
“They may not be in a situation that is helping them to perform at their best academically. We would be remiss to use that against them,” she said.
Transportation isn’t a barrier either. Mogan, staff and volunteers pick up girls Monday through Thursday from the middle schools and a couple of times a week at high schools.
The girls receive a snack and dinner during the school year and breakfast and lunch during summer break.
But GirlUp GVL is more than a mere after-school program.
“We are a life enrichment program,” Mogan said. “We're making a difference in the lives of the students who we serve.”
Girls from three middle schools in Greenville County gather four times a week to study, set goals, explore the community, and learn more about themselves and what they want from their lives.
Girls do schoolwork with tutors from the Clemson University Panhellenic Council. They journal, work on art projects and practice coping mechanisms with a mental health professional. They also take part in activities that they choose.
“A lot of the programming is students discovering more about who they are, developing a sense of self, learning what talents and skills they are good at … maybe, what they are not good at. We might visit a local company and hear about job opportunities,” Mogan said.
“They’re also connecting with the community. That’s a huge part of what we do.”
Mogan works with parents; sometimes she or staff members attend teacher conferences when parents can’t. They also meet with guidance counselors.
“What differentiates us is that we do individual success planning with all of our students. We meet with our students regularly, one-on-one, to talk about their goals and what they want to work toward. We create opportunities to make sure they're meeting those goals,” Mogan said.
For high school students, objectives are practical.
“We have a checklist to help get them with things they need — a driver's license, a bank account, a resume, job shadowing,” Mogan said.
Volunteers can visit colleges with students and help them prepare applications.
Middle school students might attend summer camps, and GirlUp GVL encourages them to participate in school athletics. The organization coordinates physicals, helps pay for uniforms — and drops them off for after-school practice.
They also talk — which proved especially crucial when a student at Tanglewood recently fatally shot another student.
“Our students are still processing. One girl put it beautifully: ‘It doesn't feel weird. But it's never going to be normal.’ All of our students were impacted because they know each other, even if they weren't in that school,” Mogan said.
“I was grateful that we have systems in place at GirlUp GVL that created a safe, encouraging, supportive environment that allows open and honest communication. It wasn't out of the ordinary for us to come together and talk.”
GirlUp GVL helps the girls defy labels that hinder their growth, Mogan said.
“These are incredible young women who are fighting for their place in this world,” she said. “We prop them up a little bit to help give them a chance. We want the students we work with to know that they are loved, that they have value, and that they can make choices that reflect what they’ve learned about themselves.”
