BIO Girls Is Rewriting the Story for Young Girls Across the Midwest
Young girls often struggle with self-esteem. This Minnesota native is ready to help.
Dan Gunderson - MPR News
In a world that constantly tells girls they need to be “more” — more popular, more perfect, more like someone else — BIO Girls is helping them embrace the truth: they are already enough.
Missy Heilman, founder of BIO Girls, knows firsthand how damaging those early messages can be. Growing up in the small town of Odin, Minnesota, she was aware of how women were objectified in society — but it wasn’t until she became a mother that it truly hit home. “When I saw that through the lens of my little girls, my heart broke,” she said. “And I wanted to do something about it.”
That “something” has become a movement.
What started in a single church in Fargo has now grown to serve over 120 communities across Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.
At every session, girls are asked questions that spark reflection and conversation: What made you nervous this week? What are signs of a healthy friendship? These moments help girls normalize their feelings — and learn they’re not alone.
Dereck Richter, a BIO Girls parent, says that early support is invaluable: “If you can start them out now, and you can curb some of the mental health issues they might develop as they grow older, how can you put a value on that?”
The need for early mental wellness support is growing. According to the 2022 Minnesota Student Survey, nearly half of 11th-grade girls reported long-term mental health or emotional struggles — a staggering 10% jump since 2019. And girls as young as 8 or 9 are already developing that harsh inner critic.
That’s where BIO Girls comes in.
More than a curriculum, BIO Girls is a safe place for girls to be themselves, build real connections, and learn they are valued — not for what they achieve, but for who they are.
“Our world tells girls they’re not enough,” says Missy. “We believe that when they discover their inner beauty, it shines on the outside as well.”
Support BIO Girls as a monthly donor, a volunteer mentor, or simply help us spread the word. Together, we can help every girl believe she is beautiful, strong, and enough — just as she is.
