EIN: 81-4391734
(360) 878-2043
Olympia, WA
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Empowerment 4 Girls
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Blog

7/28/2022

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Self Empowerment and Self Expression Medicinal Plant Workshop for July Empowerment Program!

 
From our Guest Presenter Teasha McCallum:
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naturesdivinebotanica
"What a beautiful and fun experience it was to custom create a Self Empowerment and Self Expression Medicinal Plant Workshop for @empowerment4girls summer camp. This non-profit is cultivating something so powerful, unique and special. The founder and board are deeply and excitingly passionate about sharing knowledge with our youth about equality, kindness, self care, self defense, self worth, self confidence, self expression, self love and all the great things in between. They research and seek out the best of the best professionals in a plethora of areas to present and put on workshops for these kids. These camps are really amazing week long, life coaching and healing retreats for our youth girls, non-binary and those who identify as a girl. Hearing first hand from many of the campers. “This is a really fancy camp”. I sat and listened to their closing circle after workshopping and on day two these kids were open, honest and ready to share how much they loved the whole day and how excited they were to come back the next day.

Together the kids and I explored self expression through plants and medicine making. We went through the steps to start creating plant relationships with four plants by observation and identification, listening with our mind, heart and body, introducing ourselves to the plants, making offerings to the plants, asking permission, receiving consent, touch, taste, smell and nature journaling and sketching. After connecting and creating relationships with each of the plants, we then created intentional bath salts with the plants and essential oils that resonated with us the most. We closed with sharing, and journaling our reflections and a fun movement game where we created shapes with our bodies that represented how we connected with the plants we met today. I left filled with Deep Love and Gratitude and look forward to teaching this workshop/class again."
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Teasha McCallum is a passionate women ethnobotanist, herbalist and mycologist who focuses on medicinal preparation through her company, Nature’s Divine Botanica LLC, a Pacific Northwest Organic Skincare business. We offer organic, ethical, sustainably gathered and scientifically formulated efficacious skin care for non-binary, men and women.  All our products are made with native plants indigenous to The Pacific Northwest that Teasha has organically grown or ethically gathered all over Washington state, dried and processed into potent medicinal oils to benefit ailments for healing and beauty. Teasha has taught medicinal preparation, wilderness first aid and wilderness survival skills to ages K-14 since 2013 and has offered plant walks and preparation to adults intermittently since 2015. 


Teasha is offering her class called “Empowerment through Plant medicine and Preparation” WE will explore Self care and expression through creating an intentional healing bathing salt that is unique to the individual. We will tap into ourselves through observing, touching, smelling and test tasting plants and also through short creative writing, drawing, and learning how we can listen to our intuition and hear the plants call to us.


Website: https://www.naturesdivinebotanica.com/
Instagram and Facebook = naturesdivinebotanica
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7/22/2022

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July 18-22 Week-Long Empowerment Program

 
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July 18-22, 2022 Week-Long Empowerment Program

Monday, July 18: Self Love Day
10:45-11:45 am Michelle Walz
Self Love is an essential part of our wholeness. We will be exploring affirmations, breath, meditation, journaling, and movement to open our hearts.  We will learn how self-compassion & gratitude can reduce our levels of stress & anxiety. 

1:30-3:00 pm Lisa Ostler
"How to Harmonize Your Cycle" Self Love begins with Self Awareness. Together we will discuss Menstrual Cycle Awareness to help alleviate societal stigmas. We will pick an Empowerment Card, Draw Pictures, Share in a Talking Circle and encourage Discussion and Education around Menstrual Cycle Health. We will end with a calming meditation around Self Love.

Tuesday, July 19: Self Expression Day
10:45-11:45 am 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 taekwondo for over 25 years. I own and operate a school in Chehalis, Washington. .

1:30-3:00 pm Teasha McCallum
Teasha is offering her class called “Empowerment through Plant medicine and Preparation” WE will explore Self care and expression through creating an intentional healing bathing salt that is unique to the individual. We will tap into ourselves through observing, touching, smelling and test tasting plants and also through short creative writing, drawing, and learning how we can listen to our intuition and hear the plants call to us.

Wednesday, July 20: Self Empowerment
10:45-11:45 am Martha Eden
Qi gong is an ancient practice that joins movement, breath and focus. This is a very low impact form of exercise that can unwind layers of tension in the body and mind. A classically trained acupuncturist and herbalist, Martha was introduced to qi gong while studying Chinese medicine. It has since become a vital part of her daily practice. Outside her office in downtown Olympia she can be found exploring the natural world with her friends and family.

1:30-3:00 pm Diane Utter
Welcome to the world of engineering! Engineers are practical problem solvers working in all kinds of industries such as factories, medical equipment, parks and sewers. In this session you will learn more about engineering and have a chance to design and build something yourself.

Thursday, July 21: Self Responsibility
10:45-11:45 am Emily Johnson
We'll take time to feel grounded in our own bodies, and prioritize taking care of ourselves first. We'll explore the concept of self care as being foundational to effectively caring for others, and taking responsibility for our own wellness. 

1:30-3:00 pm Chrystal McCoy
“Powers for Good” In this session I will be teaching the group the power of words. Giving them tools to use in social settings to feel empowered to express boundaries and feelings and teach them a better form of communication within the family unit.

Friday, July 22: Self Care
10:45-11:45 am Annette McQueen & Starr Smythe 
Self Care begins with your choices.  Wise personal choices "fuel" us with empowerment.  Bringing mindfulness to what we eat, what we say, and even how we move, create new possibilities for being.  Please choose to join Annette and Starr on an orchestrated Self-Care Yoga Journey of breath work, meditation, and movement.

1:30-3:00 pm Annette McQueen
“What Fuels You?”  Healthy bodies start from the inside out.  What we put into our bodies is the fuel used to create a healthy body and a healthy lifestyle.  How much sugar is too much sugar?  Let's navigate "sugar coated" labels and make our own self-care choices. Get ready to blend your way into healthy and tasty smoothies, using organic power foods and a vitamix blender! 

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5/15/2022

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2022 Call For Volunteers

 
Program Volunteers Needed This Summer
4-8 Hour shifts include snacks and lunch.
We can't do it without you!


We need Event Volunteers for our
1st Annual Solstice Women’s Retreat


6-hour shifts include meals and a bunk if you want to overnight,
​plus access to scheduled event activities.
Join our team!

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4/30/2022

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1st Annual Solstice Women's Retreat

 
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LET'S GO CAMPING!
Empowerment 4 Girls welcomes all women 18 and older to indulge in a weekend of self-care and wellness support in the beautiful Millersylvania State Park Retreat Center, near Olympia, WA.

Get the break you deserve to recharge and relax, while supporting us in our mission to affirm the self-worth of all girls through our social-emotional and age-appropriate sexual health learning programs for all girls ages 10-15.
Event Details & Registration
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3/5/2022

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Pennies from Heaven

 
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​Empowerment 4 Girls came into being in the fall of 2016, when Kristen Rubis and a group of friends and other local women came together to launch the organization to educate, nurture and empower girls in our community. After the success of our first fundraising event at Dockside Bistro we needed to choose a financial institution to work with to start our first bank account. We chose to work with Olympia Federal Savings because of their commitment to their community as an institution, and as individuals who make up their workforce.  They have been a great partner for E4G ever since, from being there to support our banking needs, guiding us through pandemic relief as funding partners with the SBA for Payroll Protection Loans issued through the CARES Act, and sponsoring our online fundraising variety show in 2021.
 
OlyFed as a business contributes 10% of their profits to support local charities and organizations, and their employees participate as private citizens to support fundraising efforts by volunteering for civic events and fundraising drives throughout the community. In 2018 OlyFed launched their 2-Cent campaign and since then has donated more than $100,000 in support to more than 35 local nonprofit organizations. Each month they choose a different charity organization to support through this campaign.
 
Empowerment 4 Girls is deeply grateful to be the OlyFed 2 Cent campaign donation recipient for March 2022. What this means is that for every transaction an OlyFed customers puts on their debit card this month, Empowerment 4 Girls will receive a 2 cent donation. These pennies can add up to hundreds, or thousands of dollars, depending on how many customers use their debit cards during the month of March. This campaign really shows us how much of an impact our individual contributions can have on our community. Please spread the word about this campaign to your families, friends and collegues, anyone who might be, or might know, someone who is an OlyFed customer. Bit by bit, and penny by penny, we can all make a difference in our community because COMMUNITY POWER ROCKS!

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10/4/2021

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Fall Fundraiser: Sound Healing, Yoga and Self Love. Join us online!

 
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Join us for an Evening of Empowerment, a Family Friendly Fundraiser for Empowerment 4 Girls!

We are switching things up this fall and creating an opportunity for self care, relaxation and community building for our virtual fundraising event! Let’s come together in community through sound healing and self-love to support each other in these challenging times and to support the mission of Empowerment 4 Girls to affirm the self-worth of all girls.

Kristen Rubis, Co-Founder and Program Director, will offer a sacred session of breathwork, meditation, and gentle yoga poses followed by a relaxing and nourishing 45 minute sound healing bath with metal Tibetan bowls, crystal quartz singing bowls, bells, planetary chimes, tingshas, a rose quartz alchemy bowl, and a handheld root chakra bowl.

Throughout time and within many cultures, music, and sound have been at the heart of healing. Sound Healing is a technique in which sounds, vibrations, musical tones, and frequencies are used to help restore, maintain, and improve one's state of mind, body, and spirit.
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After a sound healing treatment, most people report a feeling of deep relaxation and an improvement in the function of mind and body. Structural imbalances in the body will often correct themselves during the sound treatment. Join us and experience the benefits of sound healing.

We look forward to sharing some relaxation with you and your family, see YOU Online!
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"If everyone attended Kristen Rubis’ Group Healing Ceremony, our world would be a better place. My experience was profound and remained with me for days afterward. Every cell in my body hummed with the vibrations of the singing bowls and a sense of peace and calm overwhelmed me as I exchanged with the universe my suffering for its healing. Love yourself enough to experience this healing ceremony because it will ultimately benefit those that you love the most." ~Annette M.

Learn more about Kristen's yoga and sound healing offerings: www.KristenRubis.com
Get YOUR Tickets!
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10/1/2021

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October Book Special!

 
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Throughout the whole month of October, author and board member, Bianca A. Smith, is donating all proceeds from the sale of her modern fiction novel, Triangle, to Empowerment 4 Girls!

To learn more about her book and this opportunity, visit
 BiancaASmith.com.

THANK YOU Bianca for supporting our cause!
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8/29/2021

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Resources for Kids and Families!

 
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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

Health and Safety for Families

Useful links:
Washington State Health Department COVID19 Resources and Recommendations for Families
Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction COVID19 Resources to Support Student Well-being and School Safety

Self-Care

Our Empowerment Camp Zine is a resource guide that offers reminders, tips and information about self-care. It's also a fun and quick creative project with a design for playing with color using pencils, pens and crayons and it folds easily into a booklet to keep on-hand. Click the image to download and print on 11x17 paper.

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Puberty, Sexuality and Gender Expression

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Our Conscious Minds Conscious Bodies Camp Zine is a resource guide for:
Self-Care Tools
Tips for Healthy Relationships
Period Self-Care
Period Care Products
Books About Puberty

Click the image to download and print on 11x17 paper. Have fun coloring and folding into a handy booklet!

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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

Compassionate, Effective Communication


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.
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8/16/2021

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Empowerment Camp 8/16-20!

 
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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 
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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! 


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7/12/2021

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Conscious Minds Conscious Bodies™ Week Long Camp

 
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Conscious Minds Conscious Bodies™ Week-Long Camp: Body Awareness for Empowered Choices for girls 9-16 years old. Our Intentional Sexuality Education Camps provide: anatomy/physiology, puberty, menstruation and body changes, consent and boundaries, gender identity and sexual orientation, building healthy relationships, and social media awareness.

CMCB™ Camps Offer:
•Develop Healthy Body Image
•Promote Positive Relationships
•Create Self-Awareness
•Cultivate Self-Respect
•Enhance Social Skills

CMCB™ Camp also Includes: art projects, yoga, meditation techniques, breathing exercises, body awareness techniques, self care tools, sound healing, ice breakers, health lectures, talking circles, theme based guest speakers, outdoor activities, Q & A, organic snacks/lunch, community building and lots of fun!

Monday, July 12: Anatomy, Puberty and Menstruation
11:00-12:00 Dr. Jessica Rose
Campers will learn an embodiment practice that supports rebalancing of the nervous system while amplifying self-awareness, relaxation and presence. This practice supports participants the recognition of the power of their own presence as they directly experience how their body responds.

1:30-3:00 Michele Drake
Girls will learn about the anatomical names and roles of internal and external reproductive organs. We will discuss the journey of the egg and the role of menstruation while we make our anatomy collage.

Tuesday, July 13: Consent and Boundaries
10:45-11:45 Kristen Rubis
Inner Navigation Guide: We will learn to tap into our own intuition as a path towards awareness and safety. We will talk about healthy boundaries and having a clear sense of how to recognize what alignment and trust feels like in our bodies. Where do we receive our intuitive information? In our hearts, minds, guts or somewhere else in our body?

1:30-3:00 Lily Campbell & Simone Symonds
We will be exploring consent, boundaries, and bodily autonomy. We will think about questions like, what is consent? How can we communicate boundaries to those around us? and what do we do if a boundary is broken?"

Wednesday, July 14: Self Image and Social Media Awareness
10:45-11:45 Linda Terry
Grow your garden:  Build your focus, memory, and thinking speed through fun activities and games.

1:30-3:00 Elizabeth Swanson
We will cover various terms in regards to body image; body positivity, body negativity, body neutrality. We will discuss what shapes our body image and how social media can play a part.  There will be a partner activity and then we will have an art project where we decorate mirrors with empowering words and art.

Thursday, July 15: Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation
10:45-11:45 Cindel Tobias is a local high school teacher who is passionate about helping young people develop tools to be advocates for themselves and their greater community.  Through movement practices such as Qigong, we hold our bodies in aligned postures, develop strong stabilizing muscles, and move our joints through their full ranges of motion.  In a world where it is easy to be hunched over a phone or computer for many hours, movement practices are essential for not only our physical health but also our mental health.    

1:30-3:00 Sara Kukkonen
Gender and sexuality are a beautiful spectrum. We’ll explore the difference between gender identity, gender expression, sex assigned at birth, as well as sexual and romantic orientation. We’ll also discuss where our ideas of gender roles come from and how we can all work together to create a safe community.  

Friday, July 16: Resiliency, Relationships and Self Care
10:45-11:45 Amber Jenson
Meditation is a great way to help us calm our minds and tune in to the present. We will start by doing a meditation that engages our senses so that we can let our worries go and be focused on the moment. We will also do an Emotional Freedom Technique meditation, otherwise known as Tapping, focused on self-acceptance. Tapping helps our body move energy and feel more balanced. Tapping actually helps our brains change our thoughts and emotions so that we can move past challenges and see things differently. 
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1:30-3:00 Amber Jenson
We will learn what resilience is and how to build it so you can face challenges feeling empowered and capable. You’ll explore ways to improve your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing so that you can recover more quickly when you experience challenges, focus on problem solving, and keep a positive outlook. You will recognize how positive connections with yourself and others can enhance your resilience and support you through challenging times. By the end of class you’ll have a plan to help you thrive and tackle tough situations and bounce back!

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Empowerment 4 Girls
A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Corporation
​EIN: 81-4391734
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Contacts

Kristen Rubis
​Program Director
360-878-2043
hello@empowerment4girls.com
Jeannine Anderson
​Development Director
360-463-6405
admin@empowerment4girls.com
Phil Hyde
Operations Director​
​
p.hyde@empowerment4girls.com

Mailing Address  

9134 Steamboat Island Rd NW
Olympia, WA 98502

Nondiscrimination Policy: Empowerment 4 Girls does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disabilities, age, status as a veteran, national origin, or any other protected classes, specifically with regard to participants in our programs, employees, board members or volunteers.

We are so grateful for the businesses who generously support us.

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