Our Story:

The idea behind Chattanooga Girls Rock! had been brewing around these parts for a few years, but in the spring of 2015 the universe (aka ferocious social media outreach and interest meetings at Sluggo's) brought just the right group of folks together to make it happen!  The support from the community was immediate and enthusiastic.  By the end of summer 2015, the paperwork was filed and CGR! was ready to (rock and) roll.  We are currently preparing for a killer series of fundraisers and other fun events in the months leading up to our first Chattanooga Girls Rock Camp July 18-22nd, showcase concert on Saturday July 23rd!

Our Board is made up of Amy Nelson, Rose Cox, Sarah Morgan, Kristin Stanford, and Amelia Rodgers-Jones.  They each bring a diverse set of skills to the table, and have a common enthusiasm for the CGR! mission and vision. They are stoked beyond belief to bring such a unique opportunity to the girls of Chattanooga this year, and hope you’ll join them!

Mission:

Chattanooga Girls Rock! exists to empower girls in our community to build confidence and celebrate their individuality through collaborative music education and performance.

Vision:

All of us at CGR! look forward to a world in which girls are encouraged to pursue their interests without the notion that some dreams are out of their reach, where support and teamwork replace competition and acrimony, and girls and women are never afraid to rock with abandon!

Diversity, Inclusion, & Non-Discrimination Policy:

We at CGR! value diversity of age, race, economic status, gender expression, size, physical ability, developmental ability, musical interests, learning styles, nationality, religion, citizenship status, and sexual orientation. We promote respect and do not tolerate racism, sexism, homophobia, or other discriminatory behavior or expression.

Chattanooga Girls Rock is dedicated to the inclusion of women in music. The organization exists to give girls, so often excluded or discouraged from playing music, the opportunity to learn to play in a safe, positive, and encouraging environment. Our approach to inclusion is intersectional, so we realize that girls of color, transgender and gender nonconforming girls, girls with disabilities, and other marginalized girls have an even more difficult time accessing music education. Intentionally creating space for these girls is crucial to our mission, and this approach allows all girls at camp to learn about the importance of diversity, acceptance, and inclusion. We intend to accommodate any girl who wants to come to camp, and maintain an environment where she feels safe, included, and accepted by her peers. We want to demonstrate to our campers how every girl can rock!

Safe Space Policy:

We are determined to provide a safe space for all CGR! campers. This includes maintaining their physical safety with background checks on camp staff, keeping a secure location, and enforcing strict sign-in/sign-out policies. We also want to maintain the emotional well being of campers. Girls of all backgrounds will be accepted at camp and encouraged to feel completely secure in their individual means of self expression. Our program is designed to be explicitly anti-bullying, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and classism in policy and practice. Bullying of any kind will not be tolerated. We will address any kind of bullying as an opportunity to educate on the importance of celebrating our differences, not putting them down. We believe approaching these situations through positivity and acceptance is the best way to foster learning. We want every girl to feel great about their experience at camp, and we will be fostering an environment where they can.