Empowered Flower Girl Encourages Youth to Embrace Peer Mentoring During National Mentoring Month

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Listen to episode 23 “Teens Mentoring Teens” of the MindShift Power Podcast on January 16, 2024

Empowered Flower Girl, a social enterprise on a mission to transform the way young people relate to one another and themselves, is urging young people to consider the profound impact of peer mentoring as the nation observes National Mentoring Month. Founder and Chief Empowering Officer Rasheda Kamaria Williams encourages both adults and teens to engage in mentoring, emphasizing the transformative power of supportive relationships.

Empowered Flower Girl champions the idea that everyone, regardless of age, can make a meaningful difference as mentors. Peer-to-peer mentoring is a particularly effective way for young people to provide support and guidance to one another.

“Peer mentoring empowers young individuals to share experiences, offer insights, and create a supportive community,” Rasheda said. “It’s a reciprocal relationship that fosters personal growth and resilience, benefiting both the mentor and mentee.”

Empowered Flower Girl invites youth and youth advocates to tune into the MindShift Power podcast with Fatima Bey on January 16, when Rasheda will discuss the vital role of mentors in the lives of 21st century teens. The podcast episode explores the benefits of mentoring relationships, highlighting the positive impact they have on personal development, goal-setting, and navigating challenges.

Interested in adding mentoring to your program offerings? Empowered Flower Girl offers training for organizations and associations as well as individuals who desire to make a difference through mentoring. Email rkamaria@empoweredflowergirl.com for more information.

Make an Impact with Girl World Peace Academy

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Empowered Flower Girl offers an additional $50 off enrollment Black Friday through Cyber Monday

Empowered Flower Girl, a social enterprise on a mission to transform the way young people people to one another and themselves, wants to help as many youth advocates as possible make a difference in the lives of young people.

The past few years have been challenging for students – in particular, girls and gender expansive youth. Recent reports have shown that they are being harassed online at alarming rates. And their self esteem is being impacted.

Empowered Flower Girl recognizes it can be a struggle for girls to find their place in the world – from social pressures to feeling overwhelmed by emotions. But there are strategies that can help them reach their full potential.

That’s why the company launched Girl World Peace Academy – a virtual course plus 1:1 coaching program providing guidance for educators, counselors and afterschool/non-profit professionals to make a difference in the lives of young people.

“Since launching Girl World Peace Academy, our dedicated alumni have made significant impacts in their communities. Each of these women have grown their companies/organizations, while also empowering girls and young women in a way that is both inspiring and life-changing'” said Rasheda Kamaria Williams, chief empowering officer and founder of Empowered Flower Girl.

“From Michigan and Ontario to South Carolina and Illinois, they are making an indelible mark on the world around them. We want to help others do the same. Our young people need us.”

This Black Friday (Nov. 24) through Cyber Monday (Nov. 27), Empowered Flower Girl is offering an additional $50 off Girl World Peace Academy enrollment as well as some amazing bonuses for the first 10 registrants.

Learn more at www.girlworldpeace.com/info.

About Empowered Flower Girl
Founded by award-winning mentor, author and TEDx speaker Rasheda Kamaria Williams, Empowered Flower Girl is a social enterprise on a mission to transform the way young people relate to one another and themselves. We partner with schools, nonprofits and community organizations seeking solutions to cyberbullying, drama, relational aggression and other social/communications challenges. Visit www.empoweredflowergirl.com.

Empowered Flower Girl to Join Kiwanis International Convention this Summer

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Empowered Flower Girl is excited to travel to Minneapolis this summer for the 2023 Kiwanis International Convention, June 21-24. EFG Founder and Chief Empowering Officer Rasheda Kamaria Williams will join the roster of national speakers who will explore this year’s conference theme: Nurture the Future — exploring all the ways members can prepare young leaders for the future — and the impact they’ll make in the world.

Rasheda will present “Empowering 21st Century Teens” during the Kiwanis Launchpad session focusing on nourishing relationships and facilitate a workshop, “EmPOWERing 21st Century Teens: How to Inspire Intergenerational Empathy & Understanding.”

Additionally, Empowered Flower Girl will have a table in the convention exhibit hall. Learn more about our workshops and programs and purchase a copy of “Be Empowered: How to Live Above & Beyond Life’s Drama.”

If you’re going, be sure to stop by for swag! Visit the conference website at https://www.kiwanis.org/convention/2023-convention.

Mentors Urgently Needed: You can make a life-changing difference for youth

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January is National Mentoring Month

According to MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, 1 in 3 young people will grow up without having a mentor. This means that they may face growing and developing without positive resources and reinforcement outside of the home. 

Life-changing impact

Mentoring has the potential to profoundly transform the lives of young people in our communities. By providing guidance and support, mentors are able to open up new opportunities and broaden horizons for their mentees. However, despite this potential, mentors are still urgently needed in many areas across the country.

Learn why mentorship is so important and how you can help make a difference in the lives of young people today.

What is mentoring?

Mentoring is a process whereby an experienced individual provides guidance, support and advice to a less experienced person. The aim of mentoring is to help the mentee develop their skills, knowledge and confidence so that they can reach their full potential. 

Mentors can come from any walk of life and don’t necessarily have to be in the same field as their mentee. What’s important is that they have experience and knowledge that the mentee can benefit from. A mentor relationship is built on trust and mutual respect, and should be entered into willingly by both parties. 

Mentoring can take many different forms, but typically involves meeting on a regular basis (either in person or virtually) to chat, offer advice and support, and answer any questions the mentee might have. The frequency and length of meetings will vary depending on the needs of the individual involved. 

If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, there are many organizations that can connect you with someone who would benefit from your time and expertise. Alternatively, you may know someone in your personal or professional life who could benefit from having a mentor – if so, why not reach out and see if they’d be interested in starting a mentoring relationship with you?

Long-lasting impact

A mentor can provide guidance, support and advice that can help a young person make good choices and achieve their goals. Mentoring is an important part of helping young people grow and develop into successful adults by:

  • Raising aspirations and confidence
  • Developing new skills
  • Overcoming adversity and setbacks
  • Achieving potential

Mentors can play a vital role in supporting young people through difficult times and helping them to progress towards their goals. 

Read: How Mentorship Supports Young People in Difficult Times

Become a mentor today!

It takes a special person to be a mentor. One who can give of their time, energy and resources to help another individual grow and develop into their best self. If you have the passion and commitment to make a difference in the life of a young person, then becoming a mentor may be the perfect opportunity for you. You can do it!

Still a little unsure? Here are a few tips on how to get started with mentoring:

  • Determine what type of mentoring you would like to do. There are many different types of mentoring programs available, so it is important to decide which one is right for you. Do you want to work with children, teens or young adults? Would you prefer one-on-one mentoring or group mentoring?
  • Consider your skills and experience. Do you have expertise in a particular field that could benefit your mentee? Are you good at listening and providing support? Think about what assets you can bring to the table as a mentor.
  • Complete any necessary training or certification. Some mentoring programs may require you to complete specific training before becoming a mentor. Others may provide training as part of the program itself.
  • Sign up to receive Empowered Flower Girl’s FREE Mentoring Guide to learn how you can fit mentoring into your busy schedule.

Girl World Peace Academy gives youth advocates tips, tools and templates to engage and empower girls

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Countless articles, polls and reports have shown that girls are being adversely impacted by digital harassment and cyberbullying. Additionally, a 2020 study revealed that we are in the middle of a teen mental health crisis – and girls are at its epicenter.

Now is the time for us to come together to help our girls. 

You may have been thinking of launching a girls mentoring program or youth-focused nonprofit but not sure where to start or how to engage students. 

Or perhaps you already have an established program but need additional help and resources to grab the attention of potential participants, media and funders.

If either of these describe you, consider Empowered Flower Girl’s Girl World Peace Academy! 

“Our course graduates are making an impact and a difference in their communities,” said Rasheda Kamaria Williams, EFG chief empowering officer and founder. “Our girls need positive role models, mentors and advocates. They need women like you.”

Make a Difference this Year!

Girl World Peace Academy is a self-guided online course + coaching for youth advocates of all backgrounds – from teachers and counselors to after-school program professionals and mentors.

This course is especially for you if:

  • You aspire to make a difference in the lives of girls and young women. 
  • Girls in your school or community face social or emotional challenges (bullying, peer pressure, trauma, etc.) that impact their ability to thrive.
  • You seek empowering and interactive tools and content that complement your current or future SEL, prevention or after-school programming.
  • You can use help getting the word out about the good you’re doing (to media, sponsors and potential participants)

Questions about the course or general questions about the youth empowerment space? Book a free discovery call with Rasheda. 

Enroll at https://rashedakamaria.com/girlworldpeace.

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EmPOWERing 21st Century Teens series addresses challenges and opportunities for youth and youth advocates

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Empowered Flower Girl wants to support families and those who work with teens with a space to discuss the issues, challenges and opportunities their young relatives/students face in the 21st century.

In observance of May’s Mental Health Awareness Month, Empowered Flower Girl is hosting a FREE 3-week conversation series. If you’d like to participate as a guest panelist or if your organization provides resources to families of teens and preteens, email rkamaria@empoweredflowergirl.

The series will be streamed via Zoom and Facebook. Follow Empowered Flower Girl at www.facebook.com/empoweredflowergirl.

Schedule:
May 11, 18, 25 – 6 to 6:45 p.m. EDT
Zoom link: http://bit.ly/21stcenturyteens

Topics:
5.11 – Mentoring teens to live above bullying
5.18 – Intergenerational empathy
5.25 – Collaborating to support youth

The Transformative Power of Mentoring

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After all they experienced in 2020, children and young adults across the globe can use an extra helping of support and empathy. 

Twenty-first century students face a number of challenges – from societal pressure and family obligations to financial hardships and mental health crises. 

Coping with all of this, especially for those who lack support, can be difficult. 

That’s why mentors are needed. 

As a mentor, you have the potential to change the trajectory of someone’s life, including your own. 

My life was forever changed when I responded to an ad an organization placed in the local newspaper seeking mentors for girls in its after-school program. I was a college senior at the time facing numerous challenges myself. 

I became a mentor as a way to shift the focus from my pain and trauma to help others. I was healed in the process. At the time, I was experiencing depression and PTSD after losing two close relatives. While meeting with my mentees had a positive impact for them, the experience saved my life. 

A big heart and a little time

Whether formal or informal, your mentoring relationship can have a tremendous impact, even if you spend just an hour a week connecting with your mentee virtually.

Young people who need mentors:

  • First generation college students
  • Youth in or aging out of foster care
  • Youth with an incarcerated parent
  • Low-income/homeless youth and young adults
  • Refugees
  • LGBTQ youth

MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership found that students who have a mentor are more likely to stay in school, attend college, volunteer, hold positions of leadership and become mentors themselves.

If you’re interested in becoming a mentor but not sure if you have what it takes, answer these questions: 1. Do you have a big heart? 2. Do you have a little time? If yes and yes, then you’ve got this. 

At the end of the day, you don’t need a fancy job title or curio cabinet full of plaques and medals to make a difference for young people. 

Still unsure if mentoring is right for you? Download Empowered Flower Girl’s FREE Mentoring Guide for busy professionals. Ready to become a mentor? Check out the MENTOR search tool to locate a program near you.

Rasheda Kamaria Williams is an award-winning mentor, mentoring consultant and chief empowering officer for Empowered Flower Girl, a social enterprise that empowers youth and youth advocates to live above life’s drama to make a difference. Connect with her at www.rashedakamaria.com.

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!
 
Help us help you. Take the poll:

Be a mentor in 2018

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If you’ve resolved to make a difference or dedicate your time to worthy causes in the new year, I encourage you to consider mentoring.

You may have thought about it in the past but weren’t sure if you’d have the time or qualifications. But chances are – you do!

January is National Mentoring Month – a time for individuals and organizations across the country to bring awareness to the need for caring adults to serve as role models for youth.

I’ve been inspired to mentor for the past 16 years. While I have no biological children, I am dedicated to positively impacting the young people in my family and in my community.

According to MENTOR, the national mentoring partnership, 1 out of 3 children will grow up without a mentor.

There are many benefits for children and teens matched with mentors. These young people are less likely to engage in risky behaviors and activities such as truancy, drugs and gangs. They also are more likely to graduate high school and attend college.

Consider this.

It only takes a few hours a month of face time and a phone call a week to help increase a child’s self-esteem. In addition to the mentee’s development, the mentor benefits in many ways. My mentees have helped me aspire higher in my career and in life. And knowing that they’re looking up to me, keeps me living in integrity.

Still not sure about mentoring?

Visit www.rashedakamaria.com to download your copy of my FREE mentoring guide. 

Rasheda Kamaria Williams is an award-winning mentor, author and chief empowering officer for Empowered Flower Girl LLC. Check out her TEDx talk to learn how mentoring makes a difference. 

Empowered Flower Girl to facilitate Mentoring Girls & Inspiring Sisterhood workshop

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Cat fights, drama, gossip. While some of us cringe at these behaviors, they’ve become normalized in popular media.

But how are reality TV and social media shaping girls’ relationship realities? Empowered Flower Girl will examine this and how educators and parents can help transform the way girls relate to one another.

As part of the 2017 MAMSE (Michigan Association of Middle School Educators) Conference, EFG will present Mentoring Girls & Inspiring Sisterhood: In the Age of Bad Girls, Housewives and Frenemies.

This year’s conference is scheduled Friday, March 10 at Swartz Creek Performing Arts Center, 8427 Miller Rd, Swartz Creek, Michigan.
Learn more about the conference and register here.

In addition to engaging more online, girls are twice as likely as boys to be victims of cyberbullying. Mentor Girls & Inspiring Sisterhood examines how role modeling and mentoring can combat relational aggression and encourage positive relationships in and out of the classroom.