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.

Make an Impact with Girl World Peace Academy

Posted on by empoweredflowergirl

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.

Helping Kids Manage Their Unique Pressures Starts by Being a Healthy Role Model

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By Amanda Henderson

Being a child isn’t always easy. While it’s true that there are few decisions to make in the early years, children learn to make decisions later on by watching their parents. If you are a positive role model, you will empower your kids to be healthy and independent adults.

The Pressures of Today

Kids today are under more pressure than ever. Our youth — especially teenage girls — deal with issues that we never did. Social media is an especially difficult hurdle for young girls to handle, and it unfairly puts ridiculous expectations on how they should look, act, and befriend.

Be EmPOWERed is a great book to read as a parent and to share with your daughter. It will walk you through Rasheda’s heart-wrenching journey through her victory of how she learned how to embrace all of the beautiful things that made her different.

It is not just girls that have to live up to an unrealistic standard either. Once young people enter college — and even before — they may experience what the Child Mind Institute calls “duck syndrome.” This is essentially a way to describe the turmoils that people are dealing with individually without letting the world see. It references how waterfowl seemed to glide without obstacles on the water while, under the surface, they must kick violently to stay afloat.

How You Can Encourage a Healthy Reality

As a parent, teacher, camp counselor, or other type of caretaker, you can model behaviors that will serve as a life-long example for the children in your life. Doing things, such as refusing to live up to social media standards and embracing your own reality will go a long way toward encouraging kids to do the same.

The online world is not the only place that you can model a healthy adult life. In the real world, talk to your children early about the future. Let them know that there is nothing stopping them from pursuing the life they desire. To do this, however, you need to live your own reality and take your own advice. If you are stuck in a go-nowhere job, look inside for the courage to go back to school.

Let’s say that you wanted to be a software systems architect in high school but chose an easier path. You can take an online computer science course now and earn a degree so that you can master your professional earning capacity. Plus, you’ll be following your dreams, and your children will see that you face your fears and overcome them.

Other ways to encourage healthy habits in children include:

● Get plenty of sleep. Teenagers are especially prone to forgoing bedtime so that they can finish homework or stay up late to chat with their friends. While both academics and socializing are crucial to their development, teach them that their health is also important by creating an environment that encourages everyone to go to bed at a reasonable hour.

● Don’t bow to peer pressure. We tend to think peer pressure is something that only affects those under 18. This is absolutely not true, and adults are often faced with decisions to make based on behaviors by their friends and acquaintances. Remember, you don’t have to go out every weekend even if your divorced friends are. By prioritizing what’s important to you and not bowing to everyone else’s whims, you show your child that it’s okay to be independent and follow their heart instead of the crowd.

Obviously, this is not a full guide on how to be a role model for your children. But living your own reality and encouraging healthy habits are a great start. Remember, everything you do now will be embedded in your children’s brains and will become the map for their own adult life. Children will do as you do, not as you say, so make the most of your behaviors. All eyes are on you.

About the author

Amanda enjoys writing in her freetime, and recently decided to create safechildren.info

Empowered Flower Girl Launches Girl World Peace Academy

Posted on by empoweredflowergirl

Empowered Flower Girl (EFG), a social enterprise on a mission to transform the way young people relate to one another and themselves, is evolving and expanding its mission after 10 years of service. Founder and chief empowering officer Rasheda Kamaria Williams announced the company will focus on building partnerships and facilitating programs that support North American schools and youth-serving organizations.

“We understand that there’s enormous pressure to not only ensure that young people are academic achievers but to also equip them with skills to be responsible citizens,” Rasheda said. “This may be challenging when also dealing with social and emotional challenges they face.”

This summer, EFG is launching Girl World Peace Academy, a self-guided virtual course that provides teachers, after-school professionals and other youth advocates tips, tools and strategies to inspire sisterhood, increase self-esteem and encourage empathy among middle and high school girls. The course includes one-on-one coaching as well as video lessons covering topics ranging from empowering 21st century girls to no-cost tools to promote your programs.

Why focus on girls?

After facilitating bullying prevention and empathy boosting programs for a decade, Rasheda has observed:

  • Girls often exclude each other because they really don’t know each other.
  • On and offline conflict can adversely impact classroom dynamics and student performance.
  • Educators, who often are overwhelmed with conflict and drama in the classroom, may lack additional support and resources to address and solve it.

Additionally, the National Center for Education Statistics reports that girls are three times as likely as boys to be victims of cyberbullying and online harassment.

“At the end of the day, most girls actually want positive, friendly relationships with one another. However, some don’t feel confident enough to break the ice. They have a desire to create lasting bonds, but sometimes lack the tools,” Rasheda added. “Our goal is to help youth advocates breakdown barriers, build trust and develop an authentic connection with students that ultimately inspires peace in classrooms and communities.”

Learn more and register at www.rashedakamaria.com/girlworldpeace. The first individual or organization to register for the course will receive an Empowered Flower Girl swag “bag” valued at over $50.

Back to School Series: How to inspire an emPOWERed school year

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Educators and parents, mentors and coaches all care about the wellbeing and livelihood of young people in our communities.  We are well aware that twenty-first century tweens and teens face unprecedented challenges that many of us may have never imagined, from cyberbullying, drama, trauma and immense societal pressure. 

 But to combat these challenges, I was inspired to do something.

Nearly 15 years ago, I was a mentor and youth advocate who wanted to do something to make a difference for middle and high school students – who like me – were teased, bullied and ostracized by classmates and even relatives.

In 2010, I launched Empowered Flower Girl. Since we started, we’ve been on a mission to transform the way young people relate to one another. Through workshops and programs that address and combat cyberbullying, relational aggression and other social/communications challenges facing youth, we work to empower the next generation of leaders.

So as students prepare for a new school year, we want to remind the adults in their lives of the importance of collaboration aka the Village approach.

It takes parents, educators, community members and youth themselves to truly make a difference.

Let’s work together to ensure that every young person has a successful and safe school year!

Bullying Prevention #Tips4Teens: Stand up for yourself (and others)

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From teasing and bullying to hazing and stalking, many teens across the country have experienced some form of harassment.

While nearly 30% of U.S. 6th-12th graders report being bullied at school, others are suffering in silence.

Empowered Flower Girl LLC, a social enterprise with a mission to transform the way young people relate to one another, encourages students to stand up for themselves and others as the school year kicks into high gear.

Chief Empowering Officer Rasheda Kamaria offers the following tips to help students handle conflict:

Speak up: Even if you lack confidence or feel afraid, speak up and out against harassment and bullying. Let the person know that you do not approve of his or her actions. No, means no.

Get help: If the teasing, bullying or harassment persist, tell a trusted adult at the school (in addition to a parent or caregiver). School counselors are a great resource and can help you get through the conflict peacefully.

Keep records: Be sure to keep track of any and all incidences and attempts to get help. This will come in handy during any mediation meetings.

Be the change: Hurt people hurt people. Often, bullies have been victims of bullying themselves at some point in their lives. If you’re feeling down and out, find a way to express your feelings (minus the mean). Giving compliments, volunteering or doing something nice for others can brighten your day.

Have more tips to help young people overcome teasing, bullying and other conflict? Share your thoughts with us using #tips4teens. Twitter: @efgempowered

 

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.