What began with five girls and one vision has grown into a movement that is empowering the next generation of confident, resilient, and purpose-driven leaders.
Who We Are
Founded in 2014, Manage Emotions Avoid Negativity (M.E.A.N.) Girls Empowerment™ is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering girls ages 8–18 across Chicagoland.
What began with just five girls has grown into an organization that has empowered more than 3,500 girls through mentoring, leadership development, social-emotional learning, violence prevention, and life-readiness experiences.
We create safe, supportive spaces where girls build confidence, strengthen their mental wellness, overcome bullying, and develop the leadership skills needed to thrive at school, at home, and in their communities.
Today, M.E.A.N. Girls Empowerment is recognized for helping girls discover their voice, believe in their potential, and become confident leaders who create positive change.
Our Mission
To empower girls ages 8–18 to prioritize their mental wellness, avoid negativity, build self-confidence, and pursue their goals through perseverance, courage, and creativity.
Our Journey
M.E.A.N. Girls Empowerment was founded by Shatina Edwards, whose own experience with bullying inspired her to create the program she wished had existed when she was growing up.
Determined to better understand the challenges girls face, Shatina spent two years researching bullying and youth development while partnering with the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana. Through that experience, she recognized that many girls were navigating low self-confidence, peer pressure, unhealthy relationships, and a lack of positive support systems.
In 2014, that vision became reality when M.E.A.N. Girls Empowerment welcomed its first five participants.
More than a decade later, that same vision continues to guide everything we do.
Our Vision
To create a world where every girl is seen, heard, valued, and empowered to lead with confidence, embrace her purpose, and create positive change in her school, family, and community.
What Makes M.E.A.N. Girls Empowerment Different?
We believe confidence changes everything.
By combining mentoring, bullying prevention, mental wellness, leadership development, violence prevention, and life-readiness experiences, we empower girls with the tools they need not only to overcome today's challenges—but to lead tomorrow with confidence, purpose, and resilience.
Because when girls believe in themselves, they don't just change their own lives—they help transform their families, schools, and communities.