Know An Empowered Doylestown Girl? Award Nominations Now Open

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Dawn Haaz created the nonprofit Girls Empowered, Inc. because she saw a need in her community. Working on her hours to become a licensed psychologist, she said she was seeing girls and women of all ages struggling with the same issues: self-esteem problems, unhealthy relationships, lack of confidence, and body image.

"That’s kind of where Camp Girl Power started," she told Patch in a phone interview.

What began as a half-day camp is now a full-day one, providing workshops to young girls to proactively cultivate their confidence and self-knowledge. When Haaz started partnering with other community organizations, she started Girls Empowered in 2015 — and registered the organization as a nonprofit in 2017.

Now, one of the organization's proudest initiatives is the Girls Empowered Award, for which 2022 nominations are open through the end of March.

Eligible girls are elementary, middle, or high school students in southeastern Pennsylvania who act as a positive role model for their peers, demonstrate involvement and leadership in school and extracurricular activities in the community, and emulate Girls Empowered's definition of the word empowered: "Possesses the knowledge, skills, confidence, and resources to stand up for one's self, make positive choices, and be in control of one's future."

The winning girls will be chosen by a panel of local sponsors, usually community businesses and agencies. One winner will be selected from each grade level, and will receive:

• An engraved plaque with the recipient's name.
• $500 donation made in the recipient's honor to a charity/cause of her choice in line with her passions/interests
• Scholarship in the recipient's honor given to a girl in financial need to attend a summer empowerment program in 2022
• $100 gift card to a local, small, female-owned/run business of their choice
• Recognition on social media
• Girls Empowered apparel

Runners-up and honorable mentions will receive honors as well.

Haaz said that each day at camp is themed around a different topic, many of which translate as well into the organization's workshops with Girl Scouts, the YMCA, and other community organizations.

"We cover self esteem, healthy relationships, self identity, diversity, leadership, team building," she said. "We do a mix of some interactive discussion, some educational activities. We do some crafts, role plays, we’ll have different guests in the community come in."

Action Karate and The Yoga Gnome teach classes for the girls, too.

Scholarships are also an important part of Girls Empowered's work, and the organization offers several options for those with financial or circumstantial need to attend its programs, Haaz said. The scholarships endowed through the Girls Empowered Award are one such example.

"Our belief is that all girls should be empowered, it shouldn’t be limited to those of any socioeconomic status," she said.

Click here to nominate an empowered girl and learn more about the organization.

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