В Киллине пройдет бесплатный семинар для девочек, направленный на развитие уверенности и характера

A Central Texas mentoring organization is preparing to bring local girls together for an afternoon focused on building confidence, character and resilience beyond outward appearances. Intelligent & Talented (IT) Girls, Inc. will host its P.R.E.T.T.Y Principles workshop from 2 to 5 p.m. Sept. 12 at 4901 W. Stan Schlueter Loop in Killeen. The free, half-day workshop is open to girls from Bell County and the surrounding Central Texas area and is designed to introduce participants to lessons they can continue developing through the organization’s yearlong mentoring program. IT Girls President Tamika Payne said the organization wants participants to gain experiences that help them grow personally while connecting with others. The goal is for girls to “experience, meet new friends and build their confidence and build their character,” Payne said. “We can do it as a team.” More than appearance The P.R.E.T.T.Y Principles program takes its name from a book by author Tonee Shelton, who is scheduled to kick off the workshop in person. Despite the name, organizers say the program is not centered on physical appearance. P.R.E.T.T.Y is an acronym representing six qualities organizers hope participants will develop: Persistence, Resilience, Excellence, Tenacity, Transformation and You. Each principle will serve as the foundation for conversations intended to encourage girls to recognize their abilities, strengthen their resilience and understand their value. Aya Fubara Eneli, founder of Intelligent & Talented Girls, said the workshop comes as young women navigate pressures ranging from social media comparisons to bullying and anxiety. “Our girls are growing up under more pressure than any generation before them — social media comparison, bullying, anxiety, a constant message that their worth is tied to how they look or how many people approve of them,” Eneli said in a news release. Eneli said IT Girls sees mentoring as one way of giving young women consistent support while they navigate those challenges. “When a girl has successful, committed adults checking in on her every week, showing her what success actually looks like, she doesn’t have to face those pressures alone,” Eneli said. “That mentoring doesn’t end after one Saturday — it carries on for a full year. P.R.E.T.T.Y Principles is where that support starts.” Support beyond the workshop The Sept. 12 event is intended to serve as an entry point into a longer relationship between participants and IT Girls. Every girl who attends will receive a free copy of the book used for the program and will have access to monthly in-person mentoring and weekly check-ins with program mentors. Participants will also have an opportunity to earn a spot on an upcoming out-of-town trip. The continuing mentorship reflects the organization’s broader mission of providing girls ages 10 to 18 with sustained support rather than limiting its programming to individual events. Through workshops, mentoring and other community programs, IT Girls works to equip young women with confidence, character and life skills while encouraging them to determine what success means for themselves. For Payne, that includes creating an environment where girls can form relationships with one another while developing individually. “Meet new friends and build their confidence and build their character,” Payne said. “We can do it as a team.” Registration limited Participation in P.R.E.T.T.Y Principles is limited to 25 girls. Parents and guardians interested in having their children participate are encouraged to register in advance through the IT Girls registration portal. The free workshop will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at 4901 W. Stan Schlueter Loop in Killeen. More from this section Inside Killeen Podcast