Girls Athletic Leadership School Los Angeles (GALS) – the only public all-girls middle school in California – prioritizes access at its core. With 85% of its students from low-income backgrounds, the charter school keeps tuition free to ensure access is not limited by cost.

In 2016, GALS opened its doors in Panorama City, California with a small but determined team led by Vanessa Garza and Carrie Wagner. It started with a clear vision: a school that is both academically rigorous and deeply affirming, where girls feel seen, supported, and challenged.

In the decade since, that vision has grown and taken shape, expanding both its reach and impact.

A campus blossoms

When NFF connected with GALS in early 2024, we leveraged our Department of Education credit enhancement grant to support a $4.3 million facility construction loan for GALS to complete its construction of its new permanent campus in Van Nuys, California. The new 1.27-acre site features 17 classrooms, a dance studio, conference room, multipurpose room, and administrative offices. This expansion allows the school to serve up to 330 students – a remarkable 120% increase from its previous capacity.

“NFF was a catalyst for GALS LA’s newly opened and custom-built campus, which provides us with a permanent home optimized for our unique school model. From our first warm introduction, it’s been evident that NFF is tirelessly working for the success of their partners,” says Executive Director and Founding Principal, Vanessa Garza.

Two years later, we’re excited to share an update on how things are unfolding on its new campus.

From partnership to possibility

With a permanent home in place, GALS has been able to more seamlessly integrate movement, wellness, and academics. The campus is quickly becoming a gathering space where families feel welcomed, students feel safe, and community comes together.

Since opening its Van Nuys campus in October 2024, GALS has quickly built momentum. Enrollment has grown from 187 students to 255 students, marking a significant step forward.

“Working with NFF [in 2024] came at a truly pivotal moment as we were building our permanent home. What was once a construction project is now a living, breathing environment where our girls are learning, moving, and building confidence every single day,” Garza shares.

In fall 2025, NFF partnered again with GALS, providing a $500,000 line of credit to bridge timing gaps in public funding. As the school grows, expenses rise in real time while funding often arrives later – making NFF’s flexible support essential to keeping operations steady.

Garza remarks, “NFF’s loan came at a critical time, enabling us to support our growing student body despite funding delays.”

Growth in motion

Throughout its expansion, GALS remains intentional about how it builds and sustains its learning environment through consistent, shared practices that bring the school’s values to life.

The day starts with Morning Movement, as students and teachers participate in activities like dance, yoga, Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and boxing to spark both physical energy and mental cognition.

From there, the school gathers for the GALS Student Pledge. Everyone recites affirmations in unison, including, “I know who I am. I know that I matter. I make choices and decisions that are good for me.” This simple practice builds confidence and sets the tone for the rest of the day.

That same whole-child philosophy carries into the classroom, where movement is woven throughout. Grounded in research linking physical activity to cognitive and social-emotional development, GALS’ learning model emphasizes engaging the body in service of the brain to support students’ social, emotional, and academic success. The results speak for themselves: GALS students consistently show strong academic performance, both in the San Fernando Valley region and compared to statewide averages.

Learning alongside community

Reflecting on the last few years, Garza shares that one of the most important things GALS has learned from the community it serves is that education doesn’t happen in isolation. It is deeply connected to everything else in a child’s life.

“Over time, families helped us see that student success depends on more than what happens in the classroom. Their feedback made it clear that they weren’t just looking for academic rigor alone – they needed a school that could support the whole child and the whole family,” says Garza.

Feedback from families drives GALS’ evolution. In response to feedback, the school has expanded transportation access and created more opportunities for families to stay connected through increased mental health supports and ongoing conversations around student safety. Looking ahead, these insights guide GALS’ path forward as it balances enrollment growth with expanded accessibility.