Through this, they recognized a problem: the lack of skills based learning designed for girls in schools and a lack of accessibility for programs that did exist. In their educations, there were no spaces or specific curriculum that addressed important topics such as public speaking or leadership (at least not without a hefty price tag); it was only until they experienced a space where, for the first time, they felt empowered to speak up for themselves that they began to develop as leaders. As a result, they went on to develop several free, skill-based workshops, designed for young women, aimed to develop important leadership and confidence skills to propel them to achieve in the classroom and workforce later on. Keeping all of their workshops free became a cornerstone of their mission as such existing programs were not accessible to all women. And so, Empower HerFuture was born.
Since then, the co-founders have facilitated these workshops at countless schools in the Los Angeles area, as well as at LA-based Conferences. Only a few short months after the organization was founded, they expanded to include a mentor program, where college-aged women around the country would join them in facilitating workshops in their local areas. With over 12 mentors and volunteers across the country, the mentor program continues to grow. In November of 2017, Empower HerFuture held their first Summit event in conjunction with Harvard-Westlake High School, hosting over 100 local girls to join in a series of events and speaker series. Recently, the founders have graduated and relocated to the Bay Area, where they continue to expand the organization and participate in events, while growing the mentor program along the way.
Of course, it’s very important that all of this work remains free and accessible to every girl out there. Empower HerFuture workshops are very unique in this way and because they create spaces (in all schools, not just private or all-women’s schools) for women and girls to learn from one another and understand the specific challenges associated with leadership and finding your voice.
Interested in learning more or joining our movement? Email us at EMPOWERHERFUTURE@GMAIL.COM
