NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 12, 2019) The Chaput-Avery Family Foundation announced today a commitment to fund a new program for Girls Inc. at YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee named “The Chaput-Avery Scholars Program.” Girls Inc. is a national non-profit dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. With more than 1,400 Girls Inc. sites across the United States and Canada, Girls Inc. focuses on the whole girl, giving her the opportunity to grow up healthy, educated, and independent.The Chaput-Avery Family Foundation, founded in 2018 by Bob and Mary Chaput, is dedicated to strengthening leadership skills in girls and young women. This new program is designed to increase the ability for girls to attend and graduate from college. The Chaput-Avery Scholars Program will include two components:

1. In-School Programming—24 weekly sessions focused on building confidence and achieving academic, personal, and career goals.
2. Monthly Workshops—10 sessions of in-depth exploration of leadership and college readiness.

Initially involving students participating in Girls Inc. at Antioch High School, the program will involve up to 10 girls in 11^th grade and up to 10 girls in 12^th grade, every year for four years. The goal is to increase the number of girls being admitted to, and graduating from, four-year colleges. The Chaput-Avery Scholars Program will begin this summer.“I could not be more excited to be involved in this program and helping it to succeed in our goals,” said longtime educator Nicole Chaput Guizani and member of the Chaput-Avery Foundation. “The people involved in Girls Inc. here in Nashville have been equally enthusiastic in developing the syllabus, program content, and supporting the Foundation goals.”A second initiative funded by the Foundation is the Chaput-Avery Foundation Scholarship, a $12,500 scholarship each year to assist an eligible Chaput-Avery Scholars Program participant in financing the cost of attending a four-year college. The grant can help cover a portion of the cost of tuition, text books, and/or transportation, in addition to other required fees or necessary costs.“The Chaput-Avery Scholars Program will be a game changer for our girls. It has the ability to create immediate and long-lasting change in their lives and in generations to follow,” said Sharon K. Roberson, President and CEO of YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee. “We are extremely grateful to the Chaput-Avery Family for investing in our Girls Inc. youth, and we all look forward to witnessing the impact these strong, smart and bold young women will make in our community and the world!”About Girls Inc. at YWCA Nashville & Middle TennesseeGirls Inc. at YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee was launched in early 2008 in response to the limited enrichment activities for at-risk middle school girls in the Nashville public school system. Today, Girls Inc. has expanded to 21 elementary, middle, and high schools in the Metro Nashville Public School district, and engages more than 500 girls annually through its in-school programming, spring break and summer camps. The key objective of Girls Inc. is to equip girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers and grow up healthy, educated, and independent. To achieve this objective, the Girls Inc. Experience consists of people, and environment, and programming that, together, empower girls to succeed.About the Chaput-Avery Family FoundationThe mission of the Chaput-Avery Family Foundation is to assist young women in their pursuit of higher education, and improved health and well-being, thereby preparing them to play increasingly important roles as leaders. The Foundation seeks out non-profit organizations with similar goals in order to help fund new or current programs.