This program impacted me because I learned to love myself and know my worth, feel empathy, learn to communicate better in relationships, and more! I have enjoyed being with my friends and talking I didn’t like somethimes not wanting to go to GRS because of laziness and being tired I would recommend this program to other girls because you can learn to be a better person while just being yourself!

GRS has helped me choose better friends and strengthen and deepen my relationships I have enjoyed our activities and the food: (boba, snacks, pudding) I would recommend this to other girls because it helps you connect with a new circle of other girls and also helped restore my confidence, in both me and my image

My name is Carmen Bessant, LMFT in Marietta, GA. As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I see many people who have trouble learning who they are and knowing with a certainty who they want to be in character and community. This leaves them feeling worthless, empty, and unable to connect with others emotionally and often leads to depression, suicidal behaviors or other forms of self harm. The program Girls Rising Strong offers young women and their parents skills, information, and training in how to become a grounded and rooted core value person. This program allows young girls to develop in their character, self love, confidence and ability to accept and appreciate their peers while not looking down at themselves. My endorsement for the program is because it takes what most women want to learn about themselves and breaks it down into small sections and allows the youth to grow into their best self while still giving them opportunities to participate in something bigger than themselves. Young women today are bombarded with so many negative influences that they are given the wrong impression of what a woman is. They do not develop the skills to be able to have a core value system, empathy for others, and a sense of community. This program gives them all the tools they need to succeed at knowing who they are and how they want to show up in the world around them. From asking them the tough questions to providing a way for them to demonstrate their skills and what they have learned through the experience of community service this program offers a different perspective to a much needed learning experience for our young women today.

Girls Rising Strong has truly been a game-changer for our family! In today's world, where social media and peer pressure can feel overwhelming, this program has been the perfect solution for reinforcing the values we want to instill in our kids. The focus on teaching girls about self-worth, identifying real friends, mindset, and the important distinction between fitting in and belonging has been invaluable. My 10- and 12-year-old daughters not only look forward to every workshop, but they also love meeting new friends who share the same positive energy. The lessons they've learned from Girls Rising Strong have given them confidence and clarity in navigating friendships and understanding their own value. I’ve noticed such a positive shift in their outlook and the way they handle challenges, thanks to the guidance they receive in this program. It’s empowering, nurturing, and exactly what today’s girls need. I highly recommend Girls Rising Strong to any parent looking for a program that truly supports and uplifts young girls in a meaningful and lasting way!

The Girls Rising Strong Program is an essential character building program for young tweens. During this crucial age for girls, it’s helped my daughter understand and reinforce her self confidence, self worth, and help give her tools to value her thoughts and opinions. In today’s society many young girls transform themselves and their opinions to please others which puts them at risk for self image issues. Building the mindset that you are worthy, your opinions matter, and self acceptance is necessary for our girls. Don’t hesitate to sign up for this program and help your daughter build a strong foundation.

As a Muslim mother of four young daughters, I have invested considerable effort into researching effective parenting strategies. My journey began with a wealth of resources: books on various parenting methods, psychology, and prophetic parenting, along with workshops and seminars. I even acquired my husband’s great uncle’s renowned book, “Parent-Child Relationship,” available in many languages tailored to different cultural contexts. With a background in education and ongoing graduate studies while teaching middle school, I have attended numerous conferences and seminars. However, nothing truly prepares one for the challenges of raising children, especially in today’s rapidly evolving world marked by technological advancement and moral degradation. When I first learned about this program, I was thrilled. Youth programs in the U.S. are relatively new and often short-lived, particularly those for younger children or pre-teens. I had seen workshops organized by Sister Sana and expected something similar. To my delight, I was profoundly impressed by the program’s structure and the depth of research behind it. From the introductory session for parents, I knew I had stumbled upon a rare and valuable opportunity. I found myself reflecting on the potential for Sana to expand this program nationally. Working with younger youth and raising my own children, I resonated with nearly all the insights provided by Sana. I encountered new concepts and fresh perspectives on familiar ideas. The seminar was engaging and rich in content. The parent booklet is a high-quality, fully colored reference guide filled with practical activities, conversation tips, and resources. It’s a unique toolkit designed to enhance communication with children and support our parenting journey. Instilling confidence, self-esteem, and strong character in young Muslims is challenging, especially when these values are not always taught or modeled effectively in society. This program addresses these needs and is vital for both parents and children. I am grateful for the year-long commitment to fostering a stronger, smarter, and more confident generation, God willing.

The Girls Rising Strong program has been amazing for my daughter. She started out anxious and nervous but soon gained confidence. The supportive environment, along with the friendships she formed with the other girls, had such a positive impact on her. It’s been wonderful to see her grow and believe in herself.

Girls Rising Strong is allowing me to finally have some peace of mind that there is a program out there that is finally solely focusing on helping our girls understand key nuances of self and how it relates to character. According to my own daughter, "They aren't really teaching us this anywhere else, not in school or Sunday school". Going there feels therapeutic, so It feels like going to therapy without going to therapy.

I really enjoyed looking through the materials and just want to underscore what a fantastic resource the Facilitator Handbook is. It is so comprehensive that I wouldn’t want to suggest to the facilitator that they need to do anything beyond implementing the lessons as written. From the community building activity to the suggested prompts for facilitating conversation and debriefing responses to the closing ritual, the handbook already creates a structure that, if followed, will equip the facilitators to create a welcoming environment, meet the participants where they are, and create the space for growth, learning, and connection. I definitely want to acknowledge that when I used to train people on general facilitation techniques as preparation for delivering our curricula, the most common feedback we received was that the content was interesting, but they didn’t feel prepared to facilitate the courses. When we shifted to providing a robust guide, similar to the facilitator handbook you created for Girls Rising Strong, that enabled people to facilitate the sessions successfully.

Girls Rising Strong is a beautiful program thoughtfully curated to grow resilience and connection among the girls who participate. The program uses evidence-based research to sensitively teach social and emotional skills such as self-awareness, courage in the face of adversity, and relationship building. Each activity is carefully designed to put these skills into practice while promoting connection within the group. Girls Rising Strong is a unique opportunity for Middle and Upper Elementary School girls to deepen their values of kindness, bravery, and integrity while creating meaningful friendships with others who are doing the same. The program provides toolkits for parents that include resources to deepen parents' understanding of the values and skills being taught during sessions. The toolkits also include activities for parents to help strengthen their connection with their daughters in their home environments. The pre-teen age is a stage that often gets overlooked when it comes to young girls' development. As access to media has widened and social pressures have reached younger groups of adolescents, this stage has become a critical one for forming positive and meaningful connections at home and with peers. Girls Rising Strong fills an important gap in our communities by creating an environment where our young girls can create meaningful connections and build strong character; both of which make them more apt to resist and stand up to harmful social pressures and stay true to their values. As a therapist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I would recommend this program to any parent with adolescent daughters and I look forward to the day my daughter is old enough to participate herself!