North Star Girls Groups are now run at elementary, middle, and high schools as well as community centers, mental health agencies and summer camp programs. North Star Girls Groups are designed to be useful for all girls as they are approaching and moving through adolescence.

North Star Girls Groups are designed to have between 8-10 members per group plus two facilitators. Participation in the groups will depend on the setting, but there is no requirement that girls must meet before being able to be part of a North Star Group. North Star Girls Groups are designed to meet weekly, though this can be flexible due to the setting of the group. The curriculum has twelve defined group sessions, but due to the amount of material being covered, an entire group may take up to fourteen sessions. The sessions consist of activities and exercises, some didactic material, and a great deal of discussion. There are also five additional sessions (sessions A-E) that facilitators should review and can substitute in if those topics are more appropriate for their group.

Each session has a similar format. At the beginning of each session, there is a “bead necklace exercise” which helps girls recognize and share their own unique strengths, characteristics, feelings, and experiences. After this introductory exercise, there is a main activity and topic of the week. This may include information sheets, worksheets, role-plays, or other exercises. Then there is discussion and group process. The last ten minutes are reserved for journal writing, which will always signal the end of that session. This is the basic format of a session which will vary slightly depending on the topic and the needs of group members.