Regional Industry & News

BRECKENRIDGE — CHI St. Francis Health hosted the BIO Girls Awards ceremony Aug. 30, presenting the CommonSpirit Humankindness and Health Justice Community Partner Award to BIO Girls, a mental health and mentorship program for adolescent girls, which included a $10,000 award from CommonSpirit, the health system's parent organization.

Terry Anderson, president and CEO of CHI St. Francis Health, said hosting the ceremony reflected the hospital's view that health extends beyond clinical care.

"We view the community as our partner and consider investing in the next generation a proactive approach to fostering long-term health," Anderson said. "Hosting the BIO Girls Awards Ceremony was our way of celebrating the 'whole person' — acknowledging that when a young girl builds self-esteem and character, she lays the groundwork for a lifetime of physical and mental well-being."

BIO Girls serves girls in grades two through six, a deliberate choice, according to founder and CEO Missy Heilman, aimed at reaching girls before negative self-beliefs take root.

"The years leading into adolescence are a critical developmental window," Heilman said. "This is when identity is forming, peer influence is increasing, self-esteem often begins to decline, and girls are developing the emotional patterns and coping skills they'll carry forward."

Heilman said the program is built around four protective factors linked to stronger mental health: self-worth, emotional coping skills, resilience and connection. Girls work through friendship challenges, setbacks and self-critical thinking during the 12-week program, culminating in a finale celebration that can take the form of a 5K run, a yoga presentation or an art show, depending on the group.

"The finale event... is really a celebration of growth," Heilman said. "For the girls, I hope it's another powerful reminder that who they are, not what they achieved, is worth celebrating."

Anderson pointed to rising anxiety and social isolation among adolescent girls, citing the 2023 North Dakota Youth Behavior Risk Survey on elevated rates of hopelessness and self-esteem struggles among that age group, as part of why the program matters locally.

"BIO Girls serves as a vital intervention by providing a safe, offline space where participants can detach from social media pressures and rediscover their inherent self-worth based on character rather than external validation," Anderson said.

Heilman said confidence-building at BIO Girls is designed to happen alongside connection, not in isolation. Girls are paired with trained volunteer mentors in a setting intentionally built without competition or ranking.

"There isn't a scoreboard," Heilman said. "They don't have to be the fastest, smartest, most talented or most popular girl in the room. They get to simply be themselves."

Anderson described a similar shift in the girls she's observed through the program.

"You notice it in their body language — they stand taller, they make eye contact, and most importantly, they begin to practice radical kindness," Anderson said. "They move from being competitors to being a community."

Heilman said the program's outcomes are borne out in its data: 91% of participants maintain or increase their self-esteem after completing the program, and 55% maintain or decrease their anxiety. But she said the clearest signs of impact are often smaller moments.

"It's hearing a girl use a coping strategy without being prompted," Heilman said. "It's watching her encourage another girl instead of comparing herself to her. It's seeing a girl who barely spoke during the first few weeks raise her hand and share."

Heilman said the CommonSpirit funding will help bring BIO Girls programming to smaller and more rural communities where access to similar resources can be limited. The funding will support mentor training, program materials and the infrastructure needed to run the program locally.

"Geography shouldn't determine whether a girl has access to tools that can strengthen her self-worth, coping skills, resilience and sense of belonging," Heilman said. "We're incredibly grateful that they see prevention as an investment worth making."

Anderson said the partnership reflects a broader belief that supporting girls' mental health early can reduce strain on the health care system down the road.

"By partnering with BIO Girls, we help girls develop healthy coping mechanisms, strong self-esteem and emotional literacy early on," Anderson said. "We are helping them build the resilience necessary to navigate life's challenges, which ultimately reduces the burden on the mental health system later in life."