As part of a program organized by the Youth Service Center at Camp Ernst Middle School in Boone County, hundreds of students were inspired recently by best-selling author, Emmy nominee, and international speaker Julie Carrier.
In a gymnasium filled with more than 500 middle school girls, Carrier, led an interactive, leadership development experience that addressed important topics for the girls including goal setting, body positivity, self-esteem, overcoming challenges, and building healthy friendships.
Carrier is a girls’ success coach who has been featured on MTV’s Emmy-award winning goal-setting show MADE, and is the bestselling author of BeYOUtiful and Girls Lead. She is also CEO of Girls Lead Worldwide, a global consultancy that supports leading girls’ schools, organizations and programs with the incorporation of leadership development best-practices.
Camp Ernst Middle School Youth Service Center Coordinator, Kristen Kaliin, worked to organize the presentation with the support of the school. The half-day BeYOUtiful conference was brought in through the Family Resource Youth Service Center grant.
“The program was so much that every girl needs to know and understand about themselves…that they are beautiful, valuable, and deserve respect,”Kaliin said. “I believe every girl in that gym took something away from the experience.”
The event leveraged Carrier’s background as a former senior management consultant in leadership training and development for the Pentagon and her specialization in brain-based learning and interactive leadership education.
Stephanie Hagerty, Principal at Camp Ernst Middle School said, “We really wanted to show our girls what they can do, how they can set goals to reach their potential and not let the distractions of life get in the way. Bringing someone like Julie in to help them and be inspirational will motivate them and…will be sustainable for them so we can continue down this path.”
“As someone who travels all over the country as a leading authority on confidence, character and leadership development for teens and girls, I am especially impressed with Camp Ernst Middle School, the principal and their youth service director,” Carrier said. “One program just like this changed my entire life when I was struggling as a teen—and it’s the reason I decided to do this type of work that has gone on to reach millions. The principal and staff at Camp Ernst understand what research shows us to be true: when you prioritize a focus on leadership and character development…this naturally impacts their abilities to perform their best in school and also in life.”
Camp Ernst also had a program for the boys in the school presented by Jim Bisenius.
The mission of the Family Resource and Youth Service Center at Camp Ernst Middle School is to reduce non-academic barriers for the students so they are able to succeed at school.
For more information on the Camp Ernst Middle School Youth Service Center, contact:Kristen Kaliin at Kristen.Kaliin@boone.kyschools.us 0r (859) 534-4000.
Julie Speaks, Inc.