Description
History
Founded by Blythe Zemel in December 2020, Girl with Grit is a grassroot 501c3 nonprofit that empowers girls with hands-on learning opportunities to develop life skills, career paths, and passions. As our nonprofit grew, we noticed a strong need for an all-girls trades program and in 2021, Briana Huhn joined us through her Huhney Bee Trades Program. We have reached beyond Boerne to Dripping Springs, where we utilize Huhney Bee Fabrication to run Camp Girl with Grit and our mobile programming serves the San Antonio and Austin areas.
Throughout 2022, we experienced exponential growth and a need for a safe, gender neutral space and created Come and Make It!, a 501c3 nonprofit creative community that provides hands-on educational programming in Kendall County. Were were nominated as best nonprofit in 2022 in Boerne, TX, one of the fastest growing communities in the United States. We were recognized by San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, along with being part of a “Girl Power” Cover Story in the San Antonio Business Journal.
In the short two years since its founding, Girl with Grit and Come and Make It! have played important roles in the transformation and growth for youth in our area. On average, we served over one hundred girls in 2022, teaching them various vital lessons from the safe use of tools to how to properly change a tire; from how to start and operate a small business to culinary skills.
Our camps and classes are all inclusive and have included youth in group homes, foster care, shelter residents, as well as the special needs population. Recently, we partnered with Wounded Warrior Project to serve our veterans.
‘Come and Make It!’ serves more than just the girls in Girl with Grit. It houses our Junior Entrepreneur Club, Huhney Bee Trades Club, Culinary Program and Knives for Niñas, Art Club, Design and Digital Lab, and more. We also provide inclusive opportunities for hands-on learning for diverse populations including Group Homes, Foster Care, Shelter Residents, Special Needs Populations, and we recently have partnered with Wounded Warrior Project to serve our veterans.
In 2023, Girl with Grit will be expanding the Girl with Grit programming throughout the Texas Hill Country. Founder and CEO, Blythe Zemel, will continue to oversee the program in its original home, Boerne, TX and provide resources to communities in the surrounding San Antonio and Austin region while Briana Huhn will step in as Executive Director to directly grow our presence in the Dripping Springs and Austin Communities.