Ages 13-15
Balance is part of our strategic plan and will launch by 2028.
While Balance is not yet active, it’s a cornerstone of our vision to create a safe, empowering space for Black girls during one of the most critical stages of their development.
You can help us bring this vision to life. Whether by introducing Balance to your school or adding a Black girl in your life to our waiting list, your support moves us closer to launching a program designed to nurture emotional intelligence, self-worth, and community connection. Together, we can ensure that when Balance arrives, it’s ready to make an immediate and lasting impact.
Balance: Laying the Foundation for a Lifelong Mentorship Journey
Imagine this: A Black girl enters The Collective Identity's Balance program at age 13. She is paired with a mentor who looks like her, understands her, and speaks her language, someone who can help her name what she's feeling, navigate school and friendships, and recognize the subtle and not-so-subtle ways bias shows up in her world. Each year, she moves through our programs Balance, Thrive, and Abound—carrying that same level of care and connection, with a mentor in her corner every step of the way, from middle school through young adulthood at age 26.
Along the way, she learns to identify and resist the forces that too often shape the lives of Black girls:
Adultification bias — being treated as older or more mature than she is, often leading to fewer protections and higher expectations.
Criminalization — being unfairly disciplined or labeled "trouble" for behaviors that would be overlooked in her peers.
The Strong Black Woman Schema — the expectation that she must be endlessly strong, self-sacrificing, and resilient, even when it comes at the expense of her own needs.
She doesn't just learn about these concepts academically; she learns how they operate both outside of her community and within it, and how to spot the moments when those biases are shaping how others respond to her. Most importantly, she learns tools to protect her self-worth and advocate for herself with confidence and clarity.
Why Balance Matters
Ages 13–15 are a turning point in a girl's life—when identity, self-worth, and peer dynamics start to set deep roots. For Black girls, this is also the stage when societal and cultural pressures begin to weigh heavily:
The pressure to appear "unbothered" by gossip or criticism.
The expectation to take on emotional burdens far beyond their years.
The silent demand to be more mature, more capable, and more "together" than their peers..
Balance is designed to disrupt that cycle.
We center emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and authentic connection—helping each participant build an inner compass that values rest, joy, and self-compassion as much as achievement. Through culturally grounded mentorship, intentional dialogue, and sisterhood, we guide them toward:
Naming and understanding their emotions.
Setting healthy boundaries in friendships, school, and family.
Recognizing harmful stereotypes when they appear—and knowing how to respond.
From Balance to Thriving and Abounding
Balance is not an isolated program—it’s the starting point of a larger, strategic vision. Girls who begin with Balance grow into Thrive (high school and early college) and Abound (college and early career), keeping a mentor every single year of their journey. This continuity means:
They always have a trusted adult to call.
They have a safe space to unpack their experiences.
They see women who model what is possible at every stage of life.
By the time they “graduate” TCI at 26, they are not only prepared for professional success but equipped with the emotional, cultural, and community tools to live fully, freely, and on their own terms.