‘When you see her, you can be her’
EmpowHer Institute helps Black and Brown girls pave their own path to success.
For many, the path to high school followed by college and a career seems clear. But when you’re a young girl living in cycles of poverty, housing insecurity and social injustice, that path comes with many obstacles. EmpowHer Institute, a nonprofit serving girls ages 11 to 20 from marginalized communities in Los Angeles, is on a mission to give those girls the necessary skills and support to overcome those challenges and realize their dreams.
EmpowHer currently brings its curriculum to 13 schools throughout Los Angeles in addition to offering Saturday sessions at a local Chase Community Center Branch. Their staff and mentors teach the girls emotional health, financial literacy, social justice, STEAM academic disciplines, and college and career readiness. But EmpowHer’s work goes far beyond what’s taught in the classroom.
“We take a holistic approach with our girls,” says Dawn L. Brown, President and CEO of EmpowHer. “During the pandemic, so many of the burdens our students already face were exacerbated. After receiving a grant from the Tyler Perry Foundation, we were able to set up our Family Emergency Fund to help financially support our girls and their families. Whether that’s giving parents gas money so they can make it to work, helping with rent, or buying an EmpowHer graduate a winter coat after moving to the East Coast for college — once an EmpowHer girl, always an EmpowHer girl.”
JPMorgan Chase has partnered with EmpowHer to not only share its space for Saturday sessions, but has also designed financial heath curriculum for the students. From lessons on budgeting, saving and building credit— all the way to real life application like how student’s will pay for college or making their first investment with EmpowHer’s support.
“What I love about our Saturday sessions in a Chase branch is that our girls get to see the business running,” says Brown. “And their parents are also able to come in and learn from the Community Manager. We had one parent who has his own business come in and get help opening his first bank account. Now he’s able to grow his business to support his family.”
Outside of the classroom (or Chase branch) the girls get real world experience through paid internships. The nonprofit partners with a variety of corporations to offer four-week, paid-internships to EmpowHer high school students where the girls learn job skills and get to shadow different professions. The nonprofit also works with these organizations and professionals to bring in mentors for each EmpowHer student to meet with monthly.
“I had a student tell me she didn’t know what she wanted to be when she grew up,” says Brown. “But during her internship she met a Black woman who was an aeronautical engineer. Up until this point she didn’t know this was something she could be, but seeing a reflection of herself really made an impact. We always say, ‘If you can see her, you can be her.’”
It’s that declaration, “if you can see her, you can be her,” that makes EmpowHer’s mentorship program so critical to the mission. Providing exposure to different careers, involved mentors and job shadowing opportunities allows the students to find their passions and see that they can pave their own way to success.
Another way companies and professionals can get involved is through EmpowHer’s Girls to Greatness Teen Summit. The summit, coming up in April 2023, brings about 600 girls together for a day of empowerment, education, mentorship and recognition.
“We couldn’t put this summit on without our great partners from the business community and so many others who support us,” says Brown. “It’s also another great opportunity to mentor for those who may not be able to make a monthly commitment.”
Learn more about EmpowHer, the upcoming Girls to Greatness Teen Summit and ways to get involved here.
