Youth Guidance – WOW

Launched 2020
The WOW logo in purple and white with youth guidance lining the bottom.

About

School-based, mental health support for young women

The Youth Guidance Working on Womanhood (WOW)  program provides highly engaging school-based counseling and mentoring to promote social-emotional and mental health strong school engagement, and increased academic attainment for young women in Grades 6-12. WOW counselors work full-time in schools, delivering clinically-based individual and group services to students.

WOW and its companion program for young men – Becoming a Man (BAM) – were selected as GreenLight Kansas City’s first investment based on their proven ability to improve outcomes for young men and women of color through culturally-competent programming. External research has shown that WOW participants experience 73% fewer PTSD symptoms and 70% fewer depression symptoms.

BAM and WOW currently serve students in the Hickman-Mills (MO), Kansas City (KS), and Center (MO) School Districts and by 2025, will serve 1,000+ students annually. 

Launching Opportunity: Youth Guidance Kansas City

WOW’s Impact in Kansas City

721

students reached through BAM and WOW during the 2023-24 school year

86.7%

attendance rate of WOW participants (2023-2024)
An image of WOW participants standing together in front of lockers in a school hallway, wearing matching purple WOW t-shirts.
In Kansas City
600

students are participating in Becoming a Man (BAM) and Working on Womanhood (WOW) in Kansas City this year

Read Karla's Story

What Our Community is Saying

“BAM and WOW are proven, evidence-based models that provide youth safe spaces to share their challenges, find mentorship and access support.”

A headshot of Quinton Lucas with a grey background.

Quinton Lucas

Mayor, Kansas City, MO

“I think being in WOW helped me be more confident in myself and it helps me express my voice more.”

WOW participant

“It feels good to have a therapist in school when I’m having a hard time.”

WOW participant

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