Information for
Helpful Links
Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region, a youth-serving organization working with over 200 girls daily, has launched a partnership with Russell Sage College, allowing the nonprofit organization to expand its offerings.
The partnership expands Girl Inc. of the Greater Capital Region’s Rensselaer County afterschool program to the Russell Sage Campus in Troy, serving girls in grades 4 through 7, which will double the number of participants this year. The program follows a national curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) and launches this week in a newly dedicated space on the college campus. In collaboration with Russell Sage College, students will assist with this program as part of their service learning hours.
Approximately 35 girls are enrolled in the Troy afterschool program. Of those currently enrolled in our programming, 85% identify as girls of color (Hispanic, Black Multi-racial, or Other), 65% come from households with an income below $30,000, and 65% are from single-parent households. These statistics reflect the demographic makeup of the girls served by Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region, highlighting the critical role our organization plays in empowering girls from underrepresented communities.
“Returning to Russell Sage College, where I learned so much about the power of community and education, is a full-circle moment for me,” said Ashli Fragomeni, CEO of Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region. “As an alumna and now adjunct professor, teaching the ‘Innovating to Impact’ course, paired with our Troy afterschool program here at Russell Sage, allows us to give Girls Inc. participants a firsthand experience of what it means to be in a truly empowering academic environment. This partnership reflects the heart of both our organizations – encouraging young women to lead and challenge the world around them.”
Female students from Russell Sage College will participate throughout the school year as mentors in Girls Inc.’s Eureka! Program, creating a new multi-generational component to the existing Council of Women for Girls. Fragomeni believes that the Eureka! participants will be excited to regularly interact with college students, who are closer to their age and can offer relatable guidance. In addition, career professionals — including Andrea Rehn, undergraduate dean and dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Russell Sage — will join the cohort of Professional Women Mentors to lead mentorship activities and create opportunities for meaningful connections spanning the generations.
Russell Sage College has been a recognized driver for social mobility. U.S. News & World Report ranked Russell Sage 15th among national universities in its 2024 Best Colleges for Social Mobility category.
Russell Sage President Matthew Shaftel said the partnership with Girls Inc. speaks to the college’s roots, as it is a co-ed institution today but was founded by Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage in 1916 to provide educational opportunities and empowerment to women.
“Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage would be so pleased to know that empowering students is still at the heart of what we do at Russell Sage. She was bold in her own right – determined to lift the voices of women in society when her husband, Russell Sage, did not share her passion. And in a little act of rebellion, she used part of the fortune she inherited after he died to found the college and then named it after him,” Shaftel said.
“Girls Inc. teaches young women to use their voices and to be bold,” he said. “Being a community partner is core to what we do at Russell Sage, and we’re proud to be part of this work.”