Enrollment Open for Girl World Peace Academy Course + Coaching Program

Posted on by empoweredflowergirl

Educators, mentors and other purpose-driven professionals encouraged to enroll

Watch this video for a behind-the-scene look at the course

Just ahead of the back-to-school season, Empowered Flower Girl is excited to announce that enrollment for Girl World Peace Academy (GWPA) – our virtual course + coaching program – is currently open. GWPA aims to equip educators, mentors, nonprofit founders and other youth advocates with the necessary tools and resources to create a more empathetic and kind world for youth, especially for our girls, young women and gender expansive tweens/teens.

“In the digital age, girls and young women face unprecedented challenges that demand immediate attention through targeted resources, programs, and initiatives,” said Empowered Flower Girl Founder and Chief Empowering Officer Rasheda Kamaria Williams. “We look forward to working with more educators and advocates who are passionate about making a lasting impact in the lives of young people who need our empathy and support more than ever.”

A 2021 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey revealed a disheartening reality: nearly 3 in 5 teen girls (57%) reported feeling “persistently sad or hopeless,” marking the highest rate in a decade. This trend underscores the urgent need for schools—where more than 95% of U.S. youth spend their days—to transform into supportive environments that prioritize mental health and social wellness alongside academic achievement. 

Girl World Peace Academy offers practical tools and one-on-one coaching to help adult participants address challenges like digital harassment and social exclusion, which are increasingly prevalent among 21st century teens. The program also offers solutions as well as resources and support for individuals to launch new or elevate existing programs/initiatives.

I found the Girl World Peace Academy very helpful in my process of starting my program for girls” said Chantia Thompson of Good Vibz Yoga and Girlz Empowered. “With the help and information Rasheda provided, I feel more confident and motivated to get started. At first I was unsure of how to get start, how to get the kids engaged and keep them interested in the program. My one-on-one call let me ask questions, get tips and information and discuss possible issues that could come up.

For more information or to enroll, visit www.girlworldpeace.com/info. Receive an additional $50 off enrollment when you schedule a free discovery call.

Icebreakers that Engage

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Are you working or aspiring to make a difference in the lives of girls and young women? Do you seek tools and content that complement your current or future SEL, bullying prevention or after-school programming?
 
If so, sign up to receive our FREE Inspiring Sisterhood “Icebreakers that Engage” PDF.
 
Whether you’re hosting an assembly, workshop or kindness club, you’ll want to incorporate entertaining and interactive activities to kick things off. We’ve got you covered.
 
Be sure to connect with us via social media for empowering news, events and course offerings like our upcoming Girl World Peace Academy!
 
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Kindness is Key

Posted on by empoweredflowergirl

For many of us, November has been exhausting. The contentiousness of the U.S. presidential election has kept many who work with children and youth on edge. Our children are like sponges and soak up the good and the bad of our collective behavior. Unfortunately, many have picked up on the not-so good.

But all hope is not lost.

We have opportunities to transform how people relate to one another in our communities and classrooms. I recently attended the International Bullying Prevention Association Conference in New Orleans. The theme was “Getting to the Bottom of It: Bullying Prevention through Empathy and Kindness.”

Kindness is powerful. Author and education expert Dr. Michelle Borba noted in her opening keynote that empathy is “we” not “me.” Instilling a we attitude in our children is vital. This can be done in and out of school through experiential activities.

Sunday, Nov. 13, gave us all an opportunity to turn me into we as the nation observed World Kindness Day, a 24-hour global campaign dedicated to paying it forward and focusing on the good. Empowered Flower Girl encourages you to engage – and engage youth – in activities that make a difference year round!

Make kindness go viral.

Beyond Bullying Prevention: The end of bullying begins with empathy and compassion

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End of BullyingBy Rasheda Kamaria

Empowered Flower Girl aims to inspire, entertain and empower youth, communities and families with our programs and online content. This month, National Bullying Prevention Month, I want to go a little further. I want to challenge everyone who reads this post to reach out to a young person and have an authentic conversation about . . . whatever. But what I challenge you to do more than anything, is listen.

Perhaps you’ve read recent headlines about the 14-year-old Florida boy, who after being “bullied his whole life,” committed suicide. Media outlets across the nation reported that the Greenwood Lakes Middle School student’s lifeless body was found in the school’s bathroom. He and his family had reportedly moved from New York to Florida because of bullying.

My heart aches and breaks. Not only for this young man but also for the countless others that we may know or have read about this year who have taken their lives to escape the agony of being harassed and taunted daily. Perhaps us as community leaders, educators, parents and everyday citizens can listen more to our children (and by our children I mean all children).

I believe it’s time we shift from bullying prevention to encouraging and instilling empathy, compassion and acceptance in schools, communities and families.

Rasheda Kamaria is the chief empowering officer and founder of Empowered Flower Girl LLC, a social enterprise that works with schools, communities and families seeking solutions to cyberbullying, drama, relational aggression and other social/communication challenges facing youth. A survivor of bullying, Kamaria was featured in the article “Being Bullied Changed My Life” in the May 2011 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine and has spoken and written numerous articles on the subject.