IGP, an arm of the Roosevelt Island Youth Program (RIYP) and the Beacon Project, is a new group "designed to address the needs of young girls growing up on Roosevelt Island," according to Island resident Maureen Santella, who manages the program for RIYP. Some 70 girls were present at a first meeting Friday, October 6. A project description provided by Santella says, "The program is an empowerment-focused, educational, and activity-directed to encourage young girls to discover all the positive, proactive choices they have."

IGP has three components, according to Santella: education, community involvement, and "exposure," meaning field trips to cultural events, museums, Broadway plays, restaurants, and other opportunities that might broaden their horizons.

The educational component serves as an adjunct to a girl's schooling. "We expect the girls to maintain a certain grade level and behavioral standard while at school. If a girl is having difficulty with a course, we want to know," says Santella. "We will provide tutorials and extra help," she adds, saying the group is "equipped to assist girls in both general and special education."

According to Santella's press release, "The community involvement aspect of the program requires that girls contribute to their community in measurable ways. This can entail peer tutoring, tutoring younger children, volunteering at local hospitals and senior centers, or working on projects that enhance the community."

The group has weekends planned at Camp Vacamas in New Jersey, and may register as a group for the Domestic Violence Walk October 29 in Central Park. There are three meetings a week, including the Open Gym for Girls Tuesday nights at PS/IS 217. The group also meets Thursdays and Fridays, 3:00-6:00 p.m., in Room 159 at the school.

"We recognize that our urban girls are growing up in an extremely fast-paced and changing environment. Our mission is to provide guidance, to help them process the myriad of external influences, and to see that they develop into strong, independent, thoughtful young women who contribute to their communities, understand and appreciate the 'finer' things in life, work hard to develop from the inside out, respect their minds, recognize the importance of their lives, and the intrinsic value they have within and beyond their own communities."

Santella provides 212 935-3645 as a number for more information.