Empowering Girls with Legal Life Skills

Recently, Street Law, Inc. conducted workshops at the All About Girls Summit 2017 hosted by the PACE Center for Girls in Orlando, Florida. The event was exciting and inspiring!

The Summit convened an array of the country’s leaders and influencers in government, social justice organizations, community and civic groups, and philanthropy to enhance and support girls to reach their full potential in life.

Program Director Yolanda Johnson led two workshops entitled, “Empowering Girls to Engage in Civic Life.” The workshop focused on three major areas:

• why civic education is important for girls
• the basic principles of democracy
• steps for advocating for change in public issues

Yolanda reports, “It was an honor to be a part of such an educational and inspiring event! I believe that Street Law’s Legal Life Skills Program can be a launching pad to provide girls and young women with the civic education needed to safeguard their rights and provide them with the tools needed to become powerful voices in their communities and in government.”

When workshop participants were asked whether they thought that the Legal Life Skills Program could be useful to the girls of their agency, one responded that girls need to feel safe and valued. The curriculum could help girls protect themselves by knowing the laws related to issues they are facing and giving them a way to get involved and effect change in their communities.

Jessmynda Dosch-Evangelista, who participated in one of our workshops, is a winner of the PACE Center’s Bossgirl Awards and a former foster youth who now advocates for young people in the foster care system. After the workshop, Jessmynda stated that, “Civic education changes the definition of when you leave foster care from . . . surviving to thriving.” She also said, “Democracy is not a destination but a series of journeys that come together.”

If you are interested in learning more about our Legal Life Skills Program and curriculum and how it can be applied to special populations, contact Yolanda Johnson.