The Character & Empowerment program is for Club girls ages 7-10 (capped at 50 participants) consisting of 6 classes that run during the summer and are taught by community partners and Club staff.

The classes in the program cover a variety of topics including healthy self-esteem (confidence and empowerment), positive values (showing respect, being kind to others), healthy lifestyles (exercising and eating well), setting goals (working hard in school, dreaming big), as well as celebrating differences and self-expression.

The goal of the program is to instill good character, leadership and healthy life skills in young girls. We want them to feel empowered to be their best selves and reach for their dreams.

According to Dove’s Real Girls, Real Pressure: A National Report on the State of Self-Esteem conducted in 2008, “Seven in ten girls believe they are not good enough or do not measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with friends and family members.” The Club seeks to encourage girl members to embrace that who they are as people matters, that their voice needs to be heard and that with hard work and determination they can achieve their dreams and make a positive difference in this world.

Through the programs’ classes, the girls learn to care for themselves both inside and out and to know that they should respect what’s on the outside but that there is a higher premium on who they are on the inside.