2022 Leadership Event for Girls - In Person!

June 25, 2022

Did you miss being together as much as we did?

We're looking forward to seeing you at the 2022 empowHER Leadership Retreat - Registration opens to the public on April 21, 2022 - join our mailing list to stay informed!

Join our mailing list below!

This year we are back in person* and ready to have an amazing day with you at the on the beautiful campus of Michigan State University at Breslin Student Events Center on June 25, 2022!

Registration for the June event begins on April 21, 2022 – follow us on social media and check back!

More about the June 25, 2022 event:

Join us for an entertaining, exciting and informative LIVE event. We’re prepared to celebrate YOU in empowHER Leadership Retreat fashion. On June 25, 2022, 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 (incoming 4th – 9th graders) 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!

*subject to change on university protocols

2022 Retreat Forms

Optional/Special Circumstances

Skylar at work helping others with Suitcases 4 Kids.

Giving Back to Our Community

Suitcases 4 Kids was founded in 2014 by Skylar Medes! The Medes family has been a foster family for ten years and has had 15 foster children during that time. When Skylar was in the 6th grade she noticed that most of the foster kids that came into their home had very little clothing, personal care items, or a suitcase/bag to carry their items. Some children would have clothes and other items they brought with them that they carried in a garbage bag or a paper box, but most of them came with only the clothes they were wearing. This made her realize that when children come into a new foster home, they would not have many essential items they need right away. So, Skylar started to collect gently used clothes, suitcases/bags, and personal care items to give to her foster siblings. Eventually, she expanded her donations and has been able to offer a suitcase full of belongings to over 300 foster children. When she won the 2017 Y-PIF (Youth Passing It Forward) Award, with the help of Give-A-Kid-Project in Holt, and their team of volunteers they are helping Foster Care workers and Foster Parents get needed items for children in foster care, along with all the other amazing projects they offer the community. We are asking empowHER participants to help Skylar and her organization! If you can please bring a donation for children in foster care, you will be helping kids in your community. Personal care items are always needed: diapers, wipes or pullups, socks, underwear, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo/conditioner or lotion, or gently used suitcases/bags. Skylar will make sure that these donated items are given to children in foster care so that they can have items of their own! Thanks for your help!

Visit the Suitcases for Kids Facebook page

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 2021 & 2022 Sponsors!

Empowerment Sponsors

Confidence Sponsors

In-Kind Sponsors

empowHER is a retreat for 4th through 9th grade girls - Join us in 2022 on June 25!

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 2022!

On June 25, 2022 we will have an exciting, entertaining and event!

With the help of sponsors, we reach girls from the (incoming) 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 with an expected increase in 2020).

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

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!

Looking for the amazing session schedule?

Tentative Itinerary/Schedule (9:00 am - 3:30 pm)

8:45 am	Doors open and registration begins!
9:00 am	Mentor Welcome & Light Breakfast (Concourse)
9:30 am	empowHER Welcome (Arena)
9:50 am	Keynote with Molly Kennedy (Arena)
10:30 am	Breakout Session 1
11:30 am	Breakout Session 2
12:30 pm	Lunch & Activities (Concourse)
1:30 pm	Breakout Session 3
2:00 – 3:15 pm	Parent Session
2:40 pm	Closing (Arena)
3:15 pm	Participant Check-Out (Concourse)