Watch Jameelah's Digital Story: Being Authentically Feminine

Jameelah's Digital Story: Being Authentically Feminine   After one year of learning and growing as a teen mentor, I was able to make a strong individual assertion that yes, I am worth it. This statement is in the form of a digital story, a short film that teen mentors in the summer create to reflect on their experience in a meaningful way. My digital story is about being authentically feminine.  One of the biggest takeaways I have from my experience as a teen mentor is that it takes courage to be authentic, but taking this positive risk is important because when we are authentic we are the best version ourselves. As a woman,it is especially important to be true to myself. Others would have me believe that there is a certain expectation for womanhood that ought to be met or a set standard for femininity. I have watched so many girls grow into themselves and each of them had a unique journey, just as I have. I now know that being authentically feminine is not only important, but necessary for authentic change to happen. My digital story outlines this very important journey that I was fortunate to be led onto by my mentors at Girls' LEAP. At the end of my journey I was able to say that I am worth it. ~ Jameelah

All season, we have been sharing the story of Jameelah, one of our former Teen Mentors. Working with Girls' LEAP had such a positive influence on her, and she has grown into a strong, confident young women.

Your gift by midnight tomorrow will ensure that Girls' LEAP can work with more girls like Jameelah to help them discover their strength and self-confidence. 

Girls' LEAP Provided a Safe-Space for Jameelah to become a Leader and Role-Model

 

Teen Mentors Jamie and Jameelah

"When Jameelah started at LEAP in the fall of 2014 she was shy to share her opinions.  We watched her grow more and more confident.  When she set her mind to accomplish something she achieved results on the highest level.

By summer of 2015 her peers were drawn to her as a leader and aspired to master the curriculum like her.  She created true group cohesion and inspired her peers.

At LEAP she learned to value her own perspective and gained the confidence to share her voice and become a leader and mentor to others.  Jameelah is an awesome Teen Mentor."

~ Katjana, Executive Director

At Girls' LEAP we know it is important for girls to have safe spaces to explore their identity, to enlarge their vision of what they are capable of, and to develop empathetic and powerful relationships with each other and with women.

Jameelah age 17, one of our Teen Mentors, has worked with many girls in our programs empowering them with the strength and courage to grow up safe and strong.

Jamie, age 17, joined the summer Teen Mentor Program and bonded with Jameelah. We saw her strongly impacted by having the opportunity to learn from an experienced powerful young role model like Jameelah. 

I learned how to connect with myself and find my purpose and then shared my purpose by connecting with other girls that I was teaching, and unknowingly inspiring. Physically I am strong, but emotionally I am stronger.

 ~ Jameelah, Age 17, Teen Mentor

Jameelah's Mom Has Seen Her Confidence Grow and is Proud of Her Daughter

Jameelah reads her poem at our Spring Gala

 Girls' LEAP seeks to empower "the whole girl". We teach girls and teens, like Jameelah, both physical self-defense skills and self-reflective, socio-emotional skills to help them to discover the power of their bodies and voices.

Jameelah's mother, Alicia, has seen the positive influence that Girls' LEAP has had on her daughter's self-confidence and well-being. Jameelah has learned how to use her voice to speak her mind and to advocate for herself and for others. She has become a strong and confident young women.

Can you help more girls like Jameela find their voice?  We need your support to empower over 1,000 girls and young women in 2016. Please make your 2015 tax-deductible donation by midnight December 31!

We know that when we empower girls and young women to value and champion their own safety and well-being; in turn, they will improve our community for everyone. 

Jameelah's journey has been a gift to Emily

Emily Welden, Program Manager

"I started at Girls' LEAP as a Team Leader working with Teen Mentors in fall 2014. Jameelah was one of the teens in my group, and over the course of that semester I was able to witness her intelligence, her humor, and her warm heart. 

When I first met her these qualities were sometimes held back, but over time Jameelah's confidence and influence with her peers has grown in LEAPS and bounds. 

Knowing Jameelah has made me a braver and more compassionate person. Seeing her develop such a sophisticated relationship with her authentic self has been a truly life changing gift."

                              ~Emily

Girls' LEAP is lucky to work with strong, confident girls and young women through our self-defense programs and Teen Mentor Program. We are proud to work with such inspiring young females and play a part in their learning and development as women.

Jameelah, one of our Teen Mentors, is no exception. Girls' LEAP Program Manager, Emily, has supervised and worked with Jameelah over the past couple of years. She has watched her blossom into a bright, strong, and confident young woman. 

Participating in Girls' LEAP has definitely helped Jameelah become who she is today. 

Jameelah will inspire you to keep girls safe & strong

Our girls are growing up in world where violence is common and even seen as normal. Peer pressure, bullying, and sexual harassment lead to low self-esteem. 

At Girls' LEAP, we interrupt this cycle of violence by empowering girls with the strength and courage to thrive.

Jameelah is one of these girls. At age 16, she joined us as a Teen Mentor. She was experiencing low self-esteem from peer pressure and media images. She felt she was losing her identity and voice while trying to fit in.

At Girls' LEAP, Jameelah found the confidence speak up for herself and find her purpose.

Jameelah, former Teen Mentor

Girls' LEAP helped me discover who I am and then gave me the confidence to share who I am with the world. Before joining Girls' LEAP as a teen mentor, I was stuck inside of myself. Although I knew that I had something worth sharing, I wasn't yet sure what that something was and I definitely was not bold enough to let it out.

I learned how to connect with myself and find my purpose and then shared my purpose by connecting with other girls that I was teaching, and unknowingly inspiring. Physically I am strong, but emotionally I am stronger. I am confident, empowered, and equipped with tools to both handle difficult situations in the present and create meaning for my life in the future. 

I no longer allow the pressure from the media or from other people stop me from being myself. I use my voice to speak up for myself and to speak out about the issues I care for. Girl's LEAP is about starting a reaction within young girls. We learn to value ourselves and our community and then we go out and change it. 

                                                 ~Jameelah

Will you give by December 31st to help girls like Jameelah build their self-esteem?

$1,000 - Leadership Level            $500 - Empowerment Level

$250 - Partnership Level           $100 - Advocate Level     

$50 - Supporter Level              $___ - Other Amount     

We are counting on your support to reach over 1,000 girls in 2016. Please make your 2015 tax-deductible donation by December 31st.  

We know that when we empower girls and young women to value and champion their own safety and well-being, in turn, they will improve our communities for everyone.

Yamilhee's Story

Girls' LEAP is empowering girls who discover a community of women and female peers who support them. 90% of program graduates believe there are women and female peers who care about them and are invested in their success.

Meet Yamilhee: She is super excited to become a Teen Mentor this Summer.

I was just finishing 10^th grade this spring when I first heard about the Teen Mentor Program at Girls’ LEAP through a friend.  She told our whole group of friends that it was an experience we wouldn't want to miss out on!  I love learning new things and then teaching them to other people because sharing knowledge is a very significant thing to me. 

I am very interested in self-defense; I believe it is a skill that is crucial to anyone, not just women and young girls. It's empowering and a lesson that is definitely very valuable.  I thought mentoring younger girls would be awesome!  No matter the age, self-defense is something all must be informed about, and I know I can work very well with kids younger than me.  This is my first real job, learning and imparting my knowledge and getting paid, it doesn't get any more awesome than that!

I am definitely interested in building my own confidence because in this cruel world that will swallow you whole, confidence is key, and it's important to stick up for yourself and what you believe in.  I would really like to hear stories of girls from everywhere and share my stories.  I like digging deeper and getting a lot of questions answered.  

I am in my school’s Drama Club and I am a triple threat, I sing, dance, and act.  I also love to write and read stories.  I love watching South Korean or Taiwanese dramas, and listening to their music, because I love learning about new cultures and experiencing them.  Last year I hosted a Japanese student here and soon I hope to go to China to study as part of my high school’s exchange program.  I enjoy just learning about other cultures and having them learn about ours.  It’s a beautiful thing.

I am super excited to work as a Teen Mentor this summer and I'm looking forward to a lot of new information, lessons and memories.  I was asked if I was nervous about starting the program and being a mentor to younger girls.  I believe it'll be a thrill!  I've sung in front of a crowd of over 200 people, I still get nervous but it has become easier to handle, and slowly to myself I begin to ask "what is being nervous?"  Young girls have so much energy and so much fun, and it'll be easy for me to relate to them since I am someone close to their age.

Part of the interview process for this job was to go through an intense training program.  Although it was a lot of time and took a lot of strength, the process was very insightful, and I loved the experience.  Having this job prepares me for many things, one being able to be on time, have a responsibility and following through with all of that.

This summer as a Teen Mentor at Girls’ LEAP I hope to grow and develop within myself and help empower other girls to do the same.  I want to help them stand up for themselves and what they believe in.  With the support of my family who are constantly pointing me in the right direction this is another step in getting me to follow my dreams thoroughly and wholeheartedly. 

I think Girls’ LEAP is program that helps empower young women and I cannot wait to hopefully be a part of the chain to change lives even if it's in the smallest way possible.

You can donate to Girls' LEAP so more girls like Yamilhee be part of this community.

Our Mission, Our Vision

The Girls' LEAP mission depends on long-term commitments, and, to guarantee success, demands room to grow. Part of the focus of our organization is to foster in girls a sense of devotion to a project larger than themselves, about which they can care passionately. That is to say, the lessons that our younger participants learn during our 20-hour program schedule are only one half of the Girls' LEAP picture: just as crucial to our mission are the dozens of young women and teenagers we employ to conduct programs and implement our powerful curriculum.  As these women teach skills to build confidence in participants, Girls' LEAP Teen Mentors and Teaching Women experience tremendous personal growth themselves, recognizing their own power to act as effective catalysts for change in their communities. Ultimately, by inspiring girls and young women to value their safety, champion their well-being, and think critically about the messages they receive from the media and their peers, Girls' LEAP challenges its beneficiaries to resist systemic violence, and embrace a network of empowerment: participants, inspired, return years later to become Teen Mentors and Teaching Women, and train girls in the skills which once transformed their own lives.

 

And so, Girls' LEAP does more than empower girls and young women to face daily challenges with self-respect, confidence, and compassion—it offers them a supportive community of women, and teaches girls to value the power which an organized and respectful approach to social challenges can have on neighborhoods. “Girls' LEAP,” says one Teen Mentor, “feels like a family to me . . . . We all share a power ful belief in what we're doing. When I teach a program, the girls help me learn. Every girl should have that chance.”  This dream, however, depends on Girls' LEAP’s continued growth. The more girls we reach, the larger this family grows—and the less isolated, more empowered girls in this family will become.

Click here to be a part of this vision by contributing  to the growth of Girls' LEAP Self-Defense (through the secure Girls' LEAP Paypal account).