On Friday, April 28, the EmpowHer Institute hosted over 500 ladies from 13 faculties at their annual Ladies to Greatness Teen Summit on the Los Angeles Conference Middle. This 12 months’s theme, Leaders At the moment. Changemakers Tomorrow., was a declaration of energy encouraging the women to step into their function with confidence and dedication.
All through the day, ladies loved musical performances, interactive workshops, and particular company like Brenda Olmos of the Metropolis of Paramount, and actress, producer, and author Jessica Marie Garcia.
The summit started with the premiere of the institute’s new theme music, carried out and written by EmpowHer teen Siaira Shawn Harris. Harris is a proficient singer and music author identified for her soothing and soulful voice. Her music “Improper Pace” earned a spot on HBO’s hit collection Insecure, and in 2019 she launched an prolonged play (EP) entitled “Tender”. Her efficiency set the tone for the summit and uplifted her fellow teenagers for the day forward.
Associated Hyperlinks:
EmpowHer Celebrates 20 Years within the Group – Los Angeles Sentinel (lasentinel.web)
EmpowHer Summit in LA readies younger girls for school, careers – Each day Information
The EmpowHer Ladies to Greatness Teen Summit (yahoo.com)
After the morning efficiency, EmpowHer’s CEO and President Daybreak L. Brown, welcomed the women, workers, and volunteers with a short introduction of the itinerary. She reminded the women, “At the moment is a judgement free zone as we have a good time being a woman. At the moment be daring, step out of your consolation zone, permit your self to study one thing new, and have enjoyable!”
Throughout her closing statements, Brown launched the primary keynote speaker of the summit, Metropolis Councilmember Brenda Olmos. Olmos has been a member of the Paramount Metropolis Council since July 2019 and has served one time period as Mayor. She is part of an all girls council within the Southeast L.A. neighborhood, which is the one women-led council in Los Angeles County. As the primary Latina to be voted to steer town, she inspired the women, “By no means be ashamed of the place you come from, it’s aside of your story. There’s no such factor as a problem that you simply can not overcome, generally you want a serving to hand and it’s alright to ask for assist. Look to your left and look to your proper, take a look at these great girls sitting subsequent you, empower one another!”
Earlier than dismissing the women for his or her first spherical of workshops, EmpowHer’s Director of Applications Keyonna Keith shared, “An EmpowHer woman is aware of the facility of her voice, get to know one another, and make new pals. We now have over 500 ladies right here, EmpoweHer is a sisterhood!”
For slightly over an hour and a half, the women had been in a position to take part in a wide range of workshops in two rounds of 45-minute courses. Theses workshops allowed the women to both study new abilities or a brand new passion. With over 15 workshops and a grasp class, the institute tailor-made the tutorial experiences to align with the teenagers and their pursuits. Workshops like Entrepreneurship Boot Camp, Actual Cash Actual Discuss, The Enterprise of Artwork, and Practice Like a Fighter, had been hosted by actual entrepreneurs, monetary advisors, artists, {and professional} athletes, exposing the women to profitable people of their careers.
The afternoon keynote speaker Jessica Marie Garcia, graced the EmpowHer stage along with her thrilling persona and comedic demeanor. Garcia is an American actress, producer, and author from Orlando, Florida. She grew to become a family title after starring alongside Viola Davis in The way to Get Away with Homicide and her efficiency on Netflix’s drama-comedy On My Block. Garcia at the moment has a recurring position on NBC’s hit collection Lopez vs Lopez with well-known comic and actor George Lopez. After sharing her experiences and life-journey to changing into a profitable actress, her presence on the summit left the women impressed and longing for the longer term.
After rising star Jessica Marie Garcia spoke, with good timing, The Rising Star Ceremony started. The Rising Star Award is offered yearly to distinctive younger girls, beneath the age of 25, who’ve challenged systematic limitations to create a path for women and girls to attain greatness. That is EmpowHer’s approach of thanking these inspirational trailblazers for shattering misconceptions and redefining expectations for women in all places.
This 12 months’s ceremony honored robotics inventor, creator, activist, and youth advocate Danielle Boyer, actress Jessica Mikayla, and EmpowHer alumni Xenia Zolano Dorote. The honorees additionally participated in a Panel dialogue with the women, taking questions and sharing tales.
As a segway from the ceremony, the women had been cut up up into teams for 2 rounds of mentoring periods. With entry to greater than 100 mentors, the institute curated mentor conversations with volunteer and partnership mentors to speak to the women about life challenges as a lady, navigating a profession as a lady, and how you can purchase enterprise abilities as a lady. Their motto, “Should you can see Her, you will be Her”, rang true throughout these periods by permitting the women to attach with girls they aspire to be.
To provoke the spirit of competitors, the final phase of the summit was the EmpowHer Social Justice Science, Expertise, Engineering, Arts & Math (STEAM) Pupil Venture Shows. A panel of six judges vote and award a primary, second, and third place winner for the very best undertaking proposal. EmpowHer’s eighth and ninth grade courses had been challenged to establish a social justice concern essential to them and develop a undertaking outlining how a STEAM approach can be utilized to handle the issue. The problem is designed to foster innovation, encourage engagement in social justice, and develop abilities in essential considering, communication, and collaboration. The highest three groups in every grade stage are preselected to current their undertaking proposal on the summit.
After a full day of empowering ladies and younger girls, the institute continues to execute their mission of offering the mandatory sources to marginalized communities by training, coaching, and mentorship. EmpowHer creates a transparent pathway for women to be assured, expressive, and sincere in secure locations tailor-made to their wants. Getting ready them for school and a profession, every woman was in a position to construct neighborhood and community laterally with their friends, and vertically with their idols.
The EmpowHer Institute has a wide range of upcoming occasions scheduled for second half of the 12 months, together with their Black Ladies Non-profit Leaders Discussion board, the Pathmaker Awards Gala, and the Anniversary Thought Leaders Dinner. To volunteer, donate, or develop into a college accomplice, go to Our Applications – EmpowHer Institute or join on-line at Contact Us – EmpowHer Institute.
