August 29, 2021

As families head back into the school year and in-person learning, we want to offer our gratitude and respect for everyone who is working so hard to make this happen in the times we are living through; teachers, school administrators and support staff, parents and the kiddos!

It is a daily balancing act.

Hearing from one mother who's children already are back to in-person school, the lift in spirits is obvious for the kiddos, even as the "normal" challenges of understaffed, over-crowded, under-funded schools and programs become more apparent with each school opening and each school day. Oh for the days of normal challenges.

Meanwhile, weighing the benefits to the mental and emotional health of school children with the potential of community spreading of COVID19 and it's known variants is an everyday risk analysis and management issue for families and school districts everywhere. There's so much to learn, so many ways to grow, change and adapt, so much unknown and unknowable. We hope the resources offered here can provide support and guidance for families in our community, in staying healthy, safe and engaged in learning, growing and rebuilding together the relationships and systems that have suffered since early 2020.

If you know of more resources we'd love to add them to this post, so please get in touch using our contact form or by email to hello@empowerment4girls.com.

note: underlined text links to outside resources

Useful links:

Amaze - Age appropriate discussion resources on the web

Pizza Klatch
Fosters resilience in LGBTQ+ youth in Olympia
360-339-7574

Stonewall Youth Olympia
Events and peer support for youth - listing of doctors and therapists who are supportive of LGBTQ+ youth
360-888-4273 (call or text)

Emergency - Trevor Hotline
24 hour suicide hotline for LGBTQ+ youth
1-800-850-8078

Communication is a lot more work than talking; telling each other how we feel and what we think, expressing our dreams, desires and disappointments. It requires deep listening, observation, personal reflection, and action based on understanding the truth as it is, not how we want it to be. With these practices we begin to open more fully to what others are expressing in conversation, as we strive together for a better understanding of ourselves, each other and the world, that together, we are creating and sharing. This article from Creating The Future offers tips and resources for learning and practicing compassionate listening; a skill we all can use some help with throughout our lifetimes.

Our Week Long Empowerment Camps offer 9-16 year old girls an opportunity to deepen their unique character, cultivate self confidence, develop core life skills and implement daily self-care through an innovative journey toward self-discovery. Empowerment Camps are theme based and have a different theme and Guest Educators each day!

August Empowerment Camp Includes: ice breakers, art projects, yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, positive affirmations, wellness tips, All About Me Collages, self care tools, sound healing, dance, health lectures, talking circles, theme based guest speakers, outdoor activities, organic snacks/lunch, cultivating sisterhood and lots of fun!

Monday, August 16: Self Love
Kristen Rubis: Self Love is an essential part of our wholeness. We will discuss the importance of self love and ways we can incorporate it into our daily lives. We will learn about positive affirmations and other ways to shift our minds towards the positive so we can manifest our dreams and create a balanced, healthy life. We will create our own Self Love Mobile to remind us how awesome and empowered we are!

Tuesday, August 17: Self Responsibility
Kelli Mae Willis: Yoga is a powerful tool to awaken your inner knowing. We will use yoga, mindfulness, and reflection to deepen an inner calm, grow our self awareness, and explore the most true part of who we are. We’ll learn about neuroplasticity and how the mind prefers to hang on to the negative, and practice ways to tip the scales back toward balance.

Kate Steward: Design your own circuit flower that lights up with an LED diode. After designing and wiring your flower, create a beautiful flower pot to take it home in. You are both an electrician and an artist in this STEAM activity.

Wednesday, August 18: Self Expression
Nancy Hull: We will explore self expression and self awareness, how to get out of grabs, and boost our self confidence. I teach traditional taekwon do with an emphasis on self-defense and self-empowerment. I am a 6th degree Black Belt and have been involved in taekwon do for over 25 years. I own and operate a school in Chehalis, Washington. 

Miriam Hathaway: Through playful prompts, we will explore the many ways we can express ourselves! We’ll be making fun lists, doodles, brainstorms, and maybe even an animal or two…We’ll learn what self-expression means and why it’s important in our relationship to ourselves and others.

Thursday, August 19: Self Empowerment
Drea Steele: Learn to connect with your heart through different yoga shapes that will build your confidence and empower YOU to be who you are!

Jennifer Murtagh: Oddly, your brain is not the best decision maker within your body... your gut is. Together we will learn and practice strategies to help us tap into our intuition, tell it apart from fear or doubt, and practice talking in ways that show others (and ourselves) that our gut is worth listening to.

Friday, August 20: Self Accountability 
​Jihan Grettenberger: Where does our drinking water come from? Build an edible aquifer and then enjoy your tasty treat. As we talk about water, start thinking about your role in protecting our local water resources.

GIRL POWER ROCKS!