2024 Leadership Event for Girls - In Person!

April 20, 2024

Are you ready for the 2024 empowHER Leadership Retreat? We are!

We’re looking forward to seeing you at the 2024 empowHER Leadership Retreat!

This year we are ready to have an amazing day with you at the on the beautiful campus of Michigan State University at Breslin Student Events Center on April 20, 2024!

Follow us on social media for updated information. 

More about the April 20, 2024 event:

Join us for an entertaining, exciting and informative LIVE event. We’re prepared to celebrate YOU in empowHER Leadership Retreat fashion. On April 20, 2024, we will meet as past, present and future empowHER Leadership Retreat participants for our in-person event.

This event is designed to empowHER young women in 4th – 9th grade with fun and engaging content. Whether you’ve participated in the past, or this is your first time, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to interact with an exciting group of presenters AND mentors AND other participants

2023 Retreat Forms

Optional/Special Circumstances

Giving Back to Our Community​

Friends of the Children–Detroit is part of a national network of Friends of the Children chapters across the United States. Friends of the Children connects children – all of whom have unique talents – to a paid, professional mentor called a Friend. We hire and train Friends whose full-time jobs are to support our youth to succeed, despite the extremely challenging situations most experience, from as early as age 4 through high school graduation – 12+ years, no matter what.

Our model is distinct, courageous and proven. We redefined youth mentoring by creating the first and only long-term professional mentoring program in the country. Friends are experts in building sustained and nurturing relationships with youth. Our model is evidence-informed and research-based, and we have proven long-term outcomes to show it works. This is at the core of what we do. Each day, our Friends advocate and help amplify the voices of our youth and their families who often become voiceless in the midst of the systemic failures.

By challenging the status quo, we also help shift the way institutions and systems view and treat our youth and their families. Friends also create meaningful experiences that teach youth to build life skills and make informed decisions while exploring the child’s diverse talents and interests.​

Please Consider Donating Needed Items on April 20, 2024!

For Makers Space:
  • Craft Items
  • Paint
  • Brushes
  • Cricket machine + supplies
  • Canvas 
  • Press machine
  • Clay 
  • Costumes
  • Props for puppet show
  • Building blocks 
  • Instruments if possible 
  • Camera 
For Hygiene Kits: 
  • Body wash
  • Deodorant 
  • Tooth brushes
  • Tooth paste
  • Nail polish 
  • Lipgloss 

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsorships and grants make this event accessible to all girls.

Support comes from corporate and individual gifts, as well as grants from charitable foundations.

Thank you to our amazing 2024 Sponsors!

Title Sponsor ($15,000)

Empowerment Sponsor ($10,000)

Confidence Sponsors ($5,000)

Resiliency Sponsors

Retreat Sponsors

In-Kind Sponsors

empowHER is a retreat for 4th through 9th grade girls - Join us in 2024 on April 20!

In celebration of our seven years of reaching young girls with empowerment and inspiration, and in order to improve our ability to reach an even more diverse group of young women, we are pleased to announce our in-person event for 2024 Leadership Retreat!

On April 20, 2024 we will have an exciting, entertaining and event! 

With the help of sponsors, we reach girls from the 4th through 9th grades with support and education through our interactive workshops. empowHER girls embrace their strengths and differences, build their self-confidence and participate in giving back to their communities

Thank you to our 2021 & 2022 Sponsors! We cannot do this event without our sponsors. They are critical to the success of our event every year.

In addition to being a part of empowHERing 450 young girls, and the promised logo placement and sponsor recognition listed in the sponsorship packages below, your logo and empowHER sponsorship is promoted through the following outlets (as shown as actual media and digital coverage in 2019).

Mentoring Opportunities

Looking for an uplifting and exciting mentor opportunity?

We need women 18 – 30 years of age to mentor small teams of approximately 10 young women in 4th – 9th grade.

Mentoring for the empowHER Leadership Retreat means:
• Being a role model,
• listening ear, and
• facilitator for your group 

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Volunteer Opportunities

Are you looking for a fun-filled, fulfilling and active volunteer opportunity?

Volunteer to help empowHER 450 4th – 9th grade young women!

We are looking for individuals who are available to volunteer with upcoming events. The biggest thing you can do to help now – Share, Donate and Recommend! Like us on social and share our posts. Let’s spread the word. 

Past volunteers have shared how fulfilling the experience is and the overwhelming sense of gratitude in being able to help potentially change the trajectory of so many young women’s lives!

2024 Itinerary/Schedule

9:45 – 10 amRegistration
10-10:30 amTeam introductions
10:30 amOpening ceremony
10:40 – 11:10 amYoga and mindfulness
11:20 – noonWorkshops
12:15 – 1:15 pmLunch and team activities
1:15 – 1:30 pmReturn to seats for Keynote
1:30 – 2:15 pmKeynote Speaker
2:30 – 3:10 pmWorkshops
1:30 – 3:00 pmCaregiver Session (i.e. intended audience is parents or guardians)
3:10 – 3:20 pmReturn to arena floor
3:20 – 3:30 pmClosing ceremony and dance party
3:30 – 3:45 pmParents pickup

Sign up for our mailing list

Fill out the form below to be notified when registration opens each year, and more information about the leadership retreat!