Introduction & Background

Welcome to LiveGirl; a non-profit organization who's mission is "to build confident, inclusive leaders... we want to prepare the next generation of diverse, brave, female leaders with the skills, community, and connections so that ALL girls may thrive and make a positive impact on the world."

I was first introduced to this organization in January of 2020. I was the Programs Intern there and was responsible for helping plan events, fundraisers, and collaborations. I also occasionally ran their Instagram page, and wrote blog posts that were featured in the "blog" tab of LiveGirl's website. Here is a link to one of my posts!

My intern experience with LiveGirl was so special to me because that is where I discovered my passion for a career in Public Relations. The work environment was fantastic, and my supervisors were extremely supportive and gave me such great advice as I navigated the start of my professional career. It just seemed so fitting for me to do a social media audit at the same place that I originally learned to navigate social media professionally.

Mother-daughter team Sheri and Olivia West co-founded LiveGirl in 2014. The non-profit started out as small, middle school mentoring groups at the Boys & Girls Club, and has since catapulted into an organization that serves thousands of girls annually from grades 5 through college. The West's recognized the immediate need for building leadership skills amongst girls, and were able to turn their dreams into action. This information, as well as the mission statement that was included at the beginning of this post can all be found in the "About" tab of the Live Girl website. LiveGirl's programs and services are divided up into four different sections; middle school, high school, HS/college, and equality and inclusion. Within these subsections are several important events that LiveGirl continually hosts.

One of the most popular programs is the Confidence Club. This is a free, eight week curriculum where middle school aged girls are paired with mentors who work with them to develop essential life skills such as coping mechanisms, conflict resolution, social-emotional intelligence building, and much more. Confidence Club coincides with LiveGirl's mission because here, the organization is emphasizing the importance of building confidence in young girls. Girls who are resilient and confident in who they are are more likely to become powerful leaders in the future.

I think that everyone can agree that LiveGirl's brand and organization is extremely beneficial for young girls everywhere. That's why the non-profit is so widely admired by the public. LiveGirl partners with several organizations throughout Connecticut who all truly believe in the power of building confident leaders. Immediately upon reading through Luttrell's four quadrants of social media, I knew that LiveGirl's approach to connecting with the public through social media was on the right path. The organization has an eclectic blend of communication throughout their uses of media, community, business, and government. Sheri West, LiveGirl's founder and CEO had a previous career in business herself, allowing her to bring so much knowledge to the table already. LiveGirl is constantly engaging with their community, recruiting participants from everywhere within Connecticut and the tri-state area. They are constantly keeping up with the current political climate and are always re-evaluating programs based on specific needs within the community at any given moment.

LiveGirl's massive growth over just a seven year period is quite amazing. I commend their ability to keep up with a rapidly changing social climate, and to compete with other non-profits who are bigger and have more funds. Much of this success is due to LiveGirl's smart decisions when it comes to social media. I look forward to further analyzing this organization as the weeks continue.