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Girl Power! is a national public education campaign sponsored by HHS to help encourage and motivate 9- to 14-year-old girls. Girl Power! celebrated its fourth anniversary in conjunction with Outward Bound's "Girls on the Move" day-long festival in New York City's Central Park. This festival culminates a 10-week, cross-country bicycle ride to celebrate women and to raise awareness about critical issues surrounding young women.

"Today we are seeing Girl Power! in action through the involvement of the women and girls from across the country that made this ride successful," said HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala. "Today is also a celebration of four years of Girl Power! The thousands of groups that are using our products are testimonials of our evolving success."

The assignment book provides a place for girls to keep track of homework and other assignments and has suggested homework tips. The book also provides "tips for success" told firsthand by successful women, including sports figures, journalists, heads of large organizations and other noted women of influence. The book also celebrates cultural diversity, highlights significant health observances and provides health facts and resources. Girls should use the books to build discipline and good habits by planning and organizing school-related deadlines and homework assignments.

"Healthy habits lead to healthy lives," said Nelba Chavez, PhD, administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). "As far back as I can remember I always used, and continue to use, an assignment book to keep track of work deadlines, meetings and personal events. I encourage girls to use the assignment book as a tool to build good study habits and to instill the self-discipline that can only lead to a path for success."

The Girl Power! fourth anniversary also marks the introduction of two new areas of the Girl Power! Web site: Science and Technology and Chronic Illnesses and Disabilities. The focus of the Science and Technology area is to show girls how this exciting and emerging field relates to them and to their future career choices. The area provides homework-help links, job information and featured guests. The Chronic Illnesses and Disabilities area provides constructive information to this population of girls about taking charge of their bodies and their health, essential components to having Girl Power! The Girl Power! Web site has received more than 42 million hits since its launch in 1996.

"These new areas of the Girl Power! Web site were created to address two very specific needs for girls today. These girls now have a safe place to go on the Internet to learn about other girls who share similar interests, challenges and experiences," said Wanda Jones, Dr.P.H., deputy assistant secretary for health (women's health) and director of the Office on Women's Health. "Everyone can help spread the word about these new resources by directing girls who can benefit from these areas to the Girl Power! Web site."

Launched in 1996, the Girl Power! campaign provides accurate health information and positive messages to girls and their caregivers; raises public awareness about substance abuse and risky behaviors; helps girls develop the skills they need to resist unhealthy influences and make positive choices; and supports girls and adults who care about them.

The campaign also challenges caring adults to reach out to young girls at this transitional age when they are forming their values and attitudes, and help them pursue opportunities to build skills and self-esteem through sports, academics, the arts and other endeavors. Studies show that girls tend to lose self-confidence and self-worth during this pivotal age, become less physically active, perform less well in school, and neglect their own interests and aspirations. It is during these years that girls become more vulnerable to negative outside influences and to mixed messages about risky behaviors.

To date, Girl Power! has teamed with nearly 5,000 community-based programs and organizations, more than 400 local endorsers and more than 65 national endorsers, including the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Girls Scouts of the U.S.A. to promote the Girl Power! message nationwide. Statewide events to commemorate the anniversary are being held in both Arizona and Iowa.

The Girl Power! assignment book, developed by SAMHSA, the Office on Women's Health and the Office of the Secretary, is available online at www.health.org/gpower, or can be ordered by calling SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) at (800) 729-6686.

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