Albany eighth-grader selected as Girls Empowering Movement leader

NORCROSS — Robert Cross Middle School eighth-grader Timmea Jordan has been selected by HealthMPowers and Boys and Girls Clubs of Georgia as a student leader for the new Girls Empowering Movement Program. Sponsored by The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation, GEM is a five-year statewide initiative to improve middle school girls’ physical activity.

Spurred by Georgia FitnessGram data that shows a sharp decline in girls’ aerobic capacity from 51 percent in fifth grade to only 31 percent in 12th grade and a gender disparity in fitness levels among middle school girls and boys, the program is designed to empower and engage 18,000 girls from 120 sites across Georgia. The GEM program will be implemented in schools, Girl Scout Troops, and Boys and Girls Clubs starting in the fall of 2021.

“Girls are not getting enough physical activity, and this is a real problem” Timmea said in a news release. “GEM is a leadership program for girls, created by girls to inspire them to get more active. GEM is creating more opportunities for girls to be physically active and lead a healthier lifestyle.”

The Girls Empowering Movement is a collaborative initiative led by HealthMPowers in partnership with Boys and Girls Clubs of Georgia, Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, and Wolf Wellness Lab at the University of West Georgia. The organizations are working together to ensure that the girls’ voices drive all program elements and keep them at the forefront.

Timmea is one of only 14 middle school girls from across the state selected to serve on the GEM Leadership Team. The girls have been working closely with HealthMPowers staff during the design phase of the program and collectively decided on the name GEM because they felt it represented the strength, value and confidence they hope to inspire in their peers. The team also announced the project in a video and provided direction in creating the GEM logo.

“The collaboration and insights from the GEM Leadership Team have been integral to creating a physical activity program tailored to meet girls’ needs,” Christi Kay, the project director of HealthMPowers, said.

As a leader in this movement, Timmea said she looks forward to helping others.

“GEM motivates and inspires girls to work together to reach their goals,” the eight-grader said. “It will help them feel more confident about themselves because they are understood and respected.”

For more information about the Girls Empowering Movement program, visit HealthMPowers.org /GEM.

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