Young Women Rock! FREE Mentorship Program To Start 2nd Year in The Bronx

Attention young ladies and women seeking to mentor our future: The Women Worldwide Initiative‘s ‘Young Women Rock!’ is set to begin their yearlong mentorship program on Saturday, October 17th at St. Mary’s Community Center.

The program runs every Saturday from 1PM-3PM and is seeking Bronx girls ages 14-18 to participate in this program (click the link to apply to become a mentee) where these young ladies will be paired up with a mentor for these weekly one-on-one sessions. (Mentors are also needed so make note-click link to apply to become a mentor!)

According to the press release issued by The Women Worldwide Initiative:

“We encourage their ambition and empower their confidence, but most of all, the mentees and mentors in our program are shown the power of sisterhood, community and self-love,” says Founder and Executive Director, Uraidah Hassani. The philosophy behind the YWR! curriculum is to empower young women by having them think critically about themselves, their identity and their goals, while breaking down negative messages fed to them by society and the media.

A curriculum based, group, and one-on-one mentorship program, Young Women Rock! (YWR!) is dedicated to strengthening the lives and communities of adolescent girls in impoverished neighborhoods. Following the length of the academic year, the program provides participating girls with one-on-one matches with screened and trained mentors in addition to benefiting from weekly group sessions and monthly culturally-enriching outings. YWR! sessions foster self-respect, leadership skills, creativity, critical thinking and collaboration while discussing curriculum topics, including: Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence Building; Sexual Health and Decision-Making; Broader Women’s Issues and Future Options; and Community Service and Global Citizenship.”

Bronxite, Jani Rosado, who is an organizer and intern for the program told us that, “As a young girl in The Bronx, my potential was recognized. I received a stellar education from a Manhattan private school via Prep for Prep. But I didn’t live up to the challenge. I lived in a psycho-social box. I slammed against the glass ceiling. I couldn’t envision myself becoming anything more than what the streets told me I was and that internal discord didn’t allow me live up to the challenge. I had no role models to guide me.”

“When I saw what Ms. Hassani was doing I leapt at the chance to provide assistance, performing at a fundraiser for WWWI. THIS program was exactly what I needed 20 years ago. I believe that this was the factor that would have allowed me to achieve my goals. 18 years after leaving high school I’m completing my Bachelors degree in Human Services and was asked where I’d like to do my internship and this was where I thought my efforts would be most useful. I know their story. I was these girls. It makes the struggle I went through as a girl worth it. Every single Young Women Rock! mentee has graduated from high school and gone on to college. It’s a dream come true to be able to accomplish my goals, while uplifting young women from my community in the process.” added Rosado.

This is a wonderful opportunity for our young ladies, especially those that are underserved, to participate in a program that will enrich their lives and forge relationships with their mentors to help them every step of the way so please take advantage and thanks to Bronx Works for sponsoring the program.

Once again:

To apply and become a mentor and make a difference in a young woman’s life, click here (there’s still room for more mentors!).

To apply and become a mentee and become connected with a mentor, click here.

St Mary’s Park Community Center is located at 595 Trinity Avenue