We Are Beloved! is a leadership development program for middle school girls that uses a retail boutique service model as a platform to create an experiential learning opportunity to increase proficiency in math and reading, but more importantly general business operations with a focus on entrepreneurship. We will recruit 24 girls to participate in the program for 6 weeks - Our target audience is girls going into the 7th, 8th & and 9th grades. We recognize that not enough girls are on track academically or have strong social emotional and relational skills to be successful in high school. We also know that these challenges will impact their preparedness for graduation and post-graduation. It is important to provide them with positive experiences and support that encourages learning and growth opportunities. We know and understand that: ·High School Grades Matter – especially if college bound ·High School Experiences Matter – preparing girls for the next phase ·Distractions are real – girls are bombarded with messages that are not supportive, empowering or helpful. Girls are making decisions that could have a long-term effect on their lives – we want to help them navigate during challenging times.
We present We Are Beloved! as an offer to help address these challenges and provide girls with mentoring, personal development and support to guide them through and prepare them for success in high school. Frequently Asked Questions When does summer school start and end? The summer school program starts on Monday, June 9th and ends Friday, July 18th, however Beloved! will be open until August 31st. Girls will have the opportunity to work in the boutique beyond July 18th. An additional stiped, based on total numbers of hours, worked will be provided to girls extending their participation after July 18th. What is the schedule? The schedule is 22 hours per week. Everyone will attend a weekly professional development workshop on Monday from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p .m. The remainder of the week, girls will select 4 additional days to work either 10-2 or 2-6. We are happy to work with girls should they need to make adjustments “in advance” of the workweek. Are weekends required? We would like all participants to plan to work at least two scheduled weekends throughout the 6- week period. It is not our expectation for participants to work every weekend – unless of course, that is a preference and works for your summer schedule. When will the stipend pay out? The $250 stipend will be paid out on the last day of the program, Friday, July 18th as long as attendance and participation requirements are met. Students missing 3 or more days, but no more than 5 days, may be eligible for a reduced incentive. What is the dress code? The dress code is Plaza casual - meaning we want you to look your best and welcome you to explore and have fun with color, style, and theme. To ensure you are on brand, halter tops, low-cut tops, and strappy tops are not appropriate. Additionally, most shorts, mini-skirts, leggings, flip flops and slippers are unacceptable, You will note that we say “most” because we recognize many of these things can be appropriate. Don’t be afraid to ask! Fashion and appropriateness can be tricky – however, our goal is to stay on BRAND! Will meals be provided? Meals will be provided on Monday due to the full program day. Meals will not be provided Tuesday – Sunday because of the reduced schedule. Will we have any fun, we didn’t notice any field trips or activities? You can’t have a summer school program without any activities and field trips! Yes, we will have field trips and fun. We are still finalizing the details and will share the schedule prior to orientation.
We are Beloved! – Notes from 2024
"We are Beloved" Summer School Program for Middle and High School Girls is a wrap!
It has been an incredible 8 weeks! We learned so much from the girls and hopefully imparted information that they will take with them for a lifetime. Our focus was personal leadership, civic engagement and entrepreneurship. We had over 54 applications, 36 starts and 28 girls making it over the finish line! Here are a few highlights:
We did it! As we looked across the community, we weren't aware of any other organization creating opportunities and experiences for girls. We believe, and summer camp confirmed, girls need a unique and customized approach. We had our ups and downs, however, overall, we expanded the village for these girls, and we hope expanded their view of what is possible. We are developing a network to help ensure girls have access and opportunity and parents have additional support. A membership only website and monthly meet-ups, along with an improved and enhance summer program in 2025. If you are interested in joining us, please reach out. We'd love to have you.
In partnership with Lora McDonald, Thomas James and More2, our girls identified gun violence as a number one concern in the community. They researched and prepared and on July 22nd, several of them had the opportunity to testify and be interviewed regarding their concerns. This experience helped them to understand the power they have in collective voice and what it means to stand up for an issue or concern that is important to you.
Beloved! A Resale Boutique for Women was opened on June 9th at the beautiful Crown Center! We had a team of 5 girls committed to the boutique all summer to learn the in's and out's of running a small business. We are thrilled that our Kauffmann Prox interns won 3rd place for a presentation on their experience at Beloved! and why representation was so important. One of our participants was featured on KSBH41 about her own bakery business and how this experience was beneficial.
