Powerful Voices

History

For over a decade, Powerful Voices has been improving the lives of adolescent girls in Seattle through innovative evidence-based programs in public middle schools and in the juvenile justice system. The organization was formed to address issues at their root, by instilling leadership skills, fostering the development of critical thinking, and promoting the individual potential in adolescent girls. Our mission is firmly rooted in our belief that strong girls become strong women.

Since completing its first assignment in 1995 – a county-wide needs assessment on behalf of the King County Women’s Advisory Board – Powerful Voices has become recognized for its valuable work in the area of supporting adolescent girls during a crucial period in their lives. The organization has been spotlighted on the front page of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer; in 2000 it was a recipient of a National Juvenile Justice Award and in 2004 was recognized as an exceptional organization by the City of Seattle.

We believe that all girls deserve opportunities to grow into strong women. We recognize that many girls face adolescence without the resources that will help them grow and thrive. We work in public middle schools and in the juvenile justice system -- places where girls benefit from our unique, positive, all-girl programs.

By focusing on girls’ strengths, helping girls to define their personal goals and introducing them to new and challenging concepts of opportunity, equality, and responsibility, Powerful Voices supports girls to build strong lives and strong communities. The work that we do has a lasting impact, particularly when sustained by adults—parents, mentors and older peers- – who offer guidance and support. Girls learn to stand up and face the challenges they will encounter. They become advocates for themselves and activists in their communities.