Empowerment 4 Girls

Empowerment 4 Girls exists to provide all girls and trans & non-binary youth ages 10-15 with the tools, life skills, and support network to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally in their adolescence and throughout their lives. 

Throughout Washington State, more girls from 6th - 10th grade who are bullied report having no, very low, or slight hope compared to girls who are not bullied (WA Healthy Youth Survey, 2021).

In “Bullying and Suicide: A Public Health Approach,” published in The Journal of Adolescent Health (Marci Feldman Hertz, M.S. Ingrid Donato James Wright, M.S., L.C.P.C., 2013), stated “Several recent studies have found an association between bullying and depression (Wang J., et al., 2010) or bullying and suicide-related behaviors (Kim Y.S. and Leventhal B., 2008), and one study found evidence consistent with a causal link, at least for girls (Klomek A.B, Sourander A., and Niemela S. et al., 2009), (Klomek A.B., Sourander A., and Gould A., 2010).”

In 2020, suicide was the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-14. The rate of suicide for those ages 10 to 24 increased by nearly 60% between 2007 and 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Female suicide rates have declined recently for all age groups over age 25 but have generally increased for those aged 10–14 and 15–24. 

Empowerment 4 Girls' social-emotional learning and comprehensive sexual health education programs align with strategies recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and The Trevor Project to prevent suicide among adolescents. To reduce adolescent stress that can exacerbate depression and anxiety, we integrate art projects, nutrition, movement, breath work, mindfulness, community engagement, and outlets for expression into our programming, while creating space for healthy peer connections. Facilitators and guest speakers discuss topics such as positive body image, social media awareness, food justice, connection to nature, and the importance of implementing self-care habits into daily life. 

Our Programs:

1. Educate youth about what it means to take care of and value one’s self, others, and relationships
2. Nurture youth in the development of skills and habits that support and strengthen their physical, emotional, and mental well-being
3. Empower youth to be advocates for themselves and others, and their community to help build a more conscious, compassionate future

Empowering girls, trans & non-binary youth is a HUGE undertaking and a critical step towards shifting our collective understanding of what it means to be human and value ourselves, each other, and our shared world. We are working with youth to support them in recognizing their ability to participate in this shift in human consciousness and lead the way in bringing about a more conscious and compassionate society. We need all hands, hearts, and minds on board to continue this work to manifest our vision of a just world where all youth are confident, resilient, and resourceful.

Please join us!