Meet the new CEO of a nonprofit that mentors young women to be ‘smart, strong and bold’ in Philly

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Erin Elman remembers how access to free extracurricular programs changed her life as a student in New York City public schools decades ago.

“I didn’t have the greatest school experience,” Elman said. “But what got me through and really helped me see a future for myself was the out-of-school programs. It just exposed me to a whole world that I knew nothing about.”

Now Elman, as the new CEO of Girls Inc. for Greater Philadelphia and South Jersey, wants to help broaden the horizon of young women across the region. The organization reaches about 3,000 young women each year.

Girls Inc. already offers science, technology, literacy and vocational trade experiences in addition to mentorship programs. Elman aims to incorporate more arts and culture programming into the lineup.

She previously served as the dean of graduate and professional studies at the University of the Arts until its abrupt closure in June 2024.

Elman said that there’s a difference between reading about history or listening to a lecture and experiencing a slice of the past through music, dance or art, which can help students stay engaged.

“I believe that the arts truly do have the ability to transform society. One of the things that the arts do is that they help individuals see themselves in history that reading about history [doesn’t offer],” she said.

For example, the popular Broadway musical about founding father Alexander Hamilton “allowed millions of Americans to understand the development of our country and the Constitution in a very different way,” she said.

Elman studied painting in college and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in printmaking, as well as a master’s degree in arts education. She also spent two decades running youth arts programs during her tenure at the University of the Arts.

“My passion has always been in supporting youth programs, and while they were through the arts we also dabbled in literacy and other soft skills,” she said. “I really wanted to connect with what was important to me. I’ve been a lifelong feminist and the best way to support women is to support girls.”

While the regional chapters of Girls Inc. focus on free programming, the national organization advocates for the rights of women, such as reinstating abortion rights access, which was struck down federally by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022. Further restrictions on diversity, equity and inclusion in government contracting and hiring, plus a restructuring of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, has further reshaped the political landscape in President Donald Trump’s second term.

To combat that, the national organization plans to advocate for laws that support civil rights while local chapters focus on mentoring young women to be resilient in a chaotic world, Elman said.

The group works with young women on an individual level in often girls-only spaces to become “smart, strong and bold,” which Elman said is needed more than ever.

“’Strong’ focuses on health and well-being, ‘smart’ on academics and intellectual rigor and ‘bold’ focuses on life skills, career and leadership, so it is really a holistic approach,” she said. “There continue to be barriers for girls across our society. And so there needs to be a vigilant sustained core of people that can really help support girls as they grow.”