Leading Ladies
Girls’ Empowerment Groups
Who We Are
The Leading Ladies are two girls’ empowerment groups, established as a group mentoring component of Be A Mentor’s mission to enable youth to develop positive relationships with caring adults who empower them to reach their full potential. Meeting weekly at St. Julian Devine Center, the groups do a variety of hands-on activities and monthly outings throughout the community with focuses on the areas of leadership, exploration, and service.
Established in 2020 and born of a need for a sense of belonging and community during the height of the pandemic and virtual schooling, the Leading Ladies have evolved to include two groups (age-dependent), weekly meetings, and monthly outings. Most importantly, our Leading Ladies have grown in their confidence, kindness, and self-worth to be true leaders in every sense of the word.
The Groups
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Middle School
Middle School can be a confusing time for many girls- it’s a time of constant change. We are here to help navigate those changes, with activities focused on themes of identity, communication, self control, healthy habits, conflict resolution, and community service.
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High School
High school is a time to discover and develop your interests and skills, with the intention of finding a future career path that is at the intersection of these qualities. Our high school group focuses on lessons that will prepare them for a future professional career as a well-rounded individual, with activities such as resume building, elevator pitch development, healthy relationships, mock interviews, exposure to leaders in various fields, and community service.
Focus Areas
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We believe in giving our girls exposure to different leaders and styles of leadership. WIth every lesson and activity, we want to give them opportunities to shine and step up, especially in the presence of community leaders. This past year, we focused on how to present oneself, honing elevator speeches, and growing self confidence.
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We believe in exploration “with-out and with-in”. We want to introduce and expose our girls to all that their backyard of Charleston has to offer– restaurants, museums, parks, art, etc. In addition, exposing them to a variety of activities, in the hopes that they find something that “sparks” their interest and pushes them to expand their horizons. This past year, our girls were inspired by musical theater, local sports teams, exploring new parks, and activism. We are excited to see what they will be inspired by this year!
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It is important to us that our girls have opportunities to give back to their community and act as “givers” instead of only “receivers”. We do community service throughout the year, and have included activities such as trash pickup, St. Julian Devine Library organization, and cooking/serving dinner at a Mother’s Day Event.
“This group showed me that people care about me and love me for who I am.”
— Jasmine, Current Leading Lady
Want to Help Support our Programming?
Now you can through monthly donations,
with various levels and perks!
Help Lead our Ladies to Success Today!
Community Partners
Throughout the year, we are fortunate to have leaders throughout our Charleston community come and share their experiences and expertise with our girls. Thank You to everyone on this list for your time and commitment to our girls and their future.
Emily Cruse- Group Leader
Allison Miller- Group Leader
La’Shon Horton- Group Leader
Kim Mills- Group Leader
Janet Vanderhorst- Group Leader
Jameelah of Cozy Kitchen Cafe
Lisa Klaric
Louise
Meredith Orton
Miranda Burton of Marion’s House
Nadia Klincewiecz
Women on a Mission