WEB Conference!

WEB stands for Women's Empowerment Breakthrough.

The girls of the 2014 WEB Conference!

What's WEB? In 2003, a group of students from Prescott College created a conference for teenage girls in response to high rates of teen pregnancy, sexual assault, and drug use among the young women in Yavapai county. Courtney Osterfelt helped the conference evolve in to Women's Empowerment Breakthrough, an organization that helps young women explore, define, and achieve their goals! WEB just recently celebrated its 11th birthday this year! 

This year's Annual WEB conference took place from April 17th-19th at Mingus Springs Camp on Mingus Mountain. Over fifty teenage girls and counselors came together to grow and learn about themselves, each other, and how they can make a difference in the world! For three days, the girls participated in team-building initiatives, fun recreational activities and their choice of workshops facilitated by local professional women and community members who volunteer their time and support to WEB. The workshops cover such topics as women’s health, using your voice, self-esteem and positive body-image, family dynamics, safe relationships, substance-abuse prevention, creative expression, leadership skills, sexual-assault awareness, self-defense, cultural diversity, breaking barriers, and even basic auto-mechanics.

Learning how to change oil!

Why WEB? The aim of the annual conference is to provide young women with the knowledge, community, and support that they need to gain self-confidence, develop their sense of self, and build community. WEB also strives to introduce the participants to a network of supportive women, educational activities, and resources to build confidence and develop leadership skills.

This year’s conference theme was “I Believe”. Two inspiring and nationally recognized female hip hop artists, Chalease and Olivia, provided a performance and workshop at the WEB conference this year. Both their performance and their workshop addressed self-expression, empowerment, and the importance of standing up for what you believe in. We also got to be a part of their premier music video about women’s empowerment for their song titled “I Believe." 

A group of Prescott College students volunteer as counselors for WEB every year. This year, I got to be a part of that group. The seven teenage girls who slept in my cabin were from two different middle schools in Yavapai county. They reminded me what it is like to transition into a teenager in this generation.. It's tough. I remember how harsh middle school and high school were for me. I wish we all could have had a program like WEB to empower us and help us meet other empowered women, too. I'm so glad WEB exists for these girls. I know that it is making a difference in their lives.

For more info, visit http://womensempowerment.wordpress.com/
Get involved! email WEB at womensempowerment@prescott.edu
or Courtney Osterfelt at costerfelt@prescott.edu

Jenna Trizzino