Adolescent girls from low income families are in need of positive role models and extracurricular activities. That’s defined as earning less than $23,625 a year for a family of four. In all, about 541,000 Miami-Dade residents live in poverty, out of a population of 2.5 million. With so many families not meeting the basics, it is extremely hard for young girls to be involved in extracurricular acti
vities. Besides being fun and a great way to socialize with peers, extracurricular activities can enhance students’ time and stress management skills, improving overall productivity. According to the CDC, Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese. According to PRB.org, teen pregnancy rates correlate with those coming from low income families. When adolescent girls are not involved, they tend to have lower grades, low self-esteem, and with little guidance from parents working to make ends meet, have a higher chance of becoming pregnant. THE SOLUTION
I AM A JEWEL
We have created a nonprofit geared towards mentoring at risk adolescent girls between the ages of 13-18. The program will focus on teaching key lessons which can be applied to everyday life, and ultimately prepare these young ladies to leave home in pursuit of a college degree. We feel important lessons to be touched upon are, finances, health, abstinence, self-esteem/self-worth, etiquette, and professional development. Benefit #1: Building solid relationship skills
Young girls need to get involved in social activities and learn how to appropriately act in social situations. Our program will provide them a chance to do this outside of school, amongst their peers, while still being supervised by adults. Benefit #2: Grade improvement
Due to increased self-esteem, motivation and better time management, the adolescent’s overall grades will improve. They become better organized in the classroom, demonstrate a reduction of at-risk behavior, and adopt a heightened sense of belonging. Benefit #3: Sense of commitment to a cause or purpose
This program is a commitment. These young ladies will have to commit themselves to those participating in the program for an ongoing amount of time. If they do not hold up to their end of the deal, they will hear about it from their peers as well as volunteers. Learning to take on a commitment is important, and this program will no doubt teach this lesson. Benefit #4: Will assist in college admission
Universities are interested in recruiting students who have something to offer besides academic qualifications. They seek out students who can make a contribution in other areas to the university and the society as a whole. CONCLUSION
Our nonprofit was brought to life with the idea of creating and maintaining academic and life skills. Including discipline, goal-setting, teamwork, accountability, self-esteem, and responsibility. Our girls will discover that the lessons they learn within our program may be applied to all aspects of life, ultimately helping to mold a well-rounded successful young woman.
