GENEVA – Geneva Coalition for Youth, Geneva School District 304 and TriCity Family Services have teamed up to offer Chick Chat, an initiative to help fourth- and fifth-grade girls develop a stronger sense of self.

“The whole idea is really … to give them tools so they can deal with issues beforehand, so drugs and alcohol won’t be a choice in all this,” said Julie Pouilly, coalition president. “We want to catch these girls before they get to middle school and before they hit those ‘mean girl’ years.”

The all-day event is from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 9. Facilitators will aid girls to seek out tools to form stronger relationships, explore strengths, learn ways to make healthy decisions and develop their sense of self. The event includes lunch and healthy snacks.