Box United uses boxing as a powerful pathway for Chicago’s adolescent girls to unlock their full potential and become leaders in life. Its flagship program, Fight Like a Girl, is a research-backed, 20-week initiative for girls of color in under-resourced South Side communities which combines boxing fundamentals with a trauma-informed curriculum called The Fighter’s Mindset, building resilience, confidence, and self-respect through mindfulness, stress management, and mentorship.
Box United aims to address critical challenges girls face, including rising mental health needs and increasing interpersonal and self-directed violence. Boxing serves as a structured outlet, reducing conflict and fostering self-discipline while encouraging a lifelong connection to movement and healthy habits. 98% of Box United’s participants are girls of color, and most come from low-income households facing added pressures like limited access to safe recreational spaces and exposure to community violence. Because programming is offered completely free for schools serving these high-need populations, grant funding is essential to sustaining and growing this work.
The Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund will support the expansion of Fight Like a Girl into five new schools on Chicago’s South Side, including South Shore, Woodlawn, and Washington Park, reaching 100 additional girls. Each school will host a cohort of 20 girls for 20 weeks of programming, combining boxing training with mentorship from an all-women coaching staff and lessons in stress management, body positivity, and emotional regulation. With this funding, girls will gain a safe, structured space to build physical strength and emotional resilience, along with the confidence and tools to navigate challenges both in and out of the gym.
For more information about Box United, please visit the organization’s website.
See more projects: United States