In the Fall of 2011, Kaitlin helped launch a non-profit
that is changing the way children prepare for their futures.
Project Empower is an education revitalization initiative
that helps students visualize career goals and develop skills for success
in the modern international economy and life beyond the classroom.
Miss America Organization and Project Empower share the same core values: educational empowerment, youth leadership and civic involvement. As Miss New York, Kaitlin's team chose her to represent as Co-Head of Communications for the organization as well as Executive Director of IMPACT!, one of the program's main initiatives. She is also part of the executive development team and played a key role in recruiting board members from the world of international finance. The program launched in November and plans to role out globally in the coming year. Watch new coverage from the press conference.
Project Empower aims to help develop leadership, enrich communication and relationship skills, enhance classroom learning, increase students' professional prospect by exposing them to new trades and occupations,
provide world-class mentors, develop social skills through team activities, help students realize the ease with which one can impact their community, build resumes with real-world experiences, teach financial and business skills, provide scholarship opportunities, and reduce peer aggression through self esteem development.
There is no cost to bring Project Empower to your school, as the entire program is fueled by partnerships with top universities and corporations.
The following four programs are brought to
schools and youth programs participating in Project Empower:
- LifeLaunch - Web-based educational games for students that simulate real-life career and personal challenges, instilling skills and knowledge relevant to achieving meaningful success in the real world. The games simulate school, college, and adulthood with challenges related to time-management, socializing, finance and citizenship. Career games simulate real-life career paths and job-training, exposing students to increasingly complex activities encountered on the job. All games are interactive, allowing students can play with their peers.
- BOSS - Interactive business competitions to teach students the fundamentals of business development, marketing and innovation. Working in teams, students are tasked with a real-life business scenerio featuring a major corporate sponsor. Each team will role-play as the "boss" of the company as they create a new product to market and sell. Students will be guided by coaches from the professional world and leading universities as they work for several weeks to develop a solution and presenation of their work. Prizes are awarded to the team that demonstrates the strongest grasp of business tactics and invention.
- OUTREACH - Ongoing community service and civic engagement program for middle and high school students through interactive non-profit competitions, exposing students to charitable endeavors and civic involvement. Working in teams, students are tasked with launching a non-profit initiative in their community. After authoring a brief essay on a need in the community and a strategy to bring positive change, students go into the community and run a trail of their proposed program over the course of several weeks. Results are presented to a panel of judges who will award prizes to the team that demonstrated excellence in development, execution, innovation, impact and leadership.
- IMPACT! - Prepares young adults to be leaders in the non-profit and for-profit world through board placement, entrepreneurial experiences, and leadership guidance. Participants gain the opportunity to effect real change in their industry and community through hands-on experience and mentorship, learning business skills and strategies while broadening their professional network. Your school or youth organization will be matched with an IMPACT! partner whose skills and passions align with the needs and interests of your programs. You will benefit from the addition of the unique, pioneering perspective of youth which, when leveraged against the experience of seasoned industry professionals, can unleash a new level of innovation within an organization. Your young partner will develop their own committee of peers who will lead all of the Project Empower programs at your school.
Project Empower is putting the spotlight on students to make them the stars of their own future. We are changing the way students think about their success. By bringing together corporations, universities and educators, we can all do our part to enable the next generation to thrive.
Read more about Project Empower:
Students Cheer Career Program in Ozone Park Queens Chronicle
Project Empower Launched at St. Elizabeth's Academy My BQ Catholic Schools
Miss New York Helps Students Wave Off Bullying The Forum
Introducing: Project Empower!! Life Under the Crown
Miss New York Kick's Off Outreach Ave Maria Catholic Academy
To find out about bringing Project Empower to your school or youth organization,
please send your information to: contact@proempower.org