Our Girls Empowerment Network staff is thrilled to share this carefully curated list of our favorite Black-owned businesses across Dallas, Houston, and Central Texas. These hidden gems, often cherished as best-kept secrets, showcase the incredible talent and entrepreneurial spirit within the Black community. In celebration of Black History Month, we are thrilled to share this collection and encourage everyone to join us in supporting and uplifting these remarkable individuals and their businesses! Greater Houston Area Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC) – HMAAC seeks to uplift t ..read more

  We’re thrilled to share the exciting rebrand of our self-efficacy curriculum – a transformation that symbolizes a radiant new era for our organization. Formerly known as Girl Connect, our flagship program has served as a tool for girls to increase self-efficacy (their belief in their own abilities to succeed) across the areas of our SixC’s. Our curriculum comes to life through various adaptations including programs in schools, conferences, workshops, virtually, and in summer programs. However, recognizing the evolving landscape of youth empowerment and the importance of inclusivity ..read more

  This blog post is an adapted for print from Interim Executive Director, Ami Kane’s, speech at Julia Cuba Lewis’ Radiant Goodbye Celebration, held in Austin on Friday, January 26, 2024. It is being published by request from attendees! If you would like to join Ami and the whole Girls Empowerment Network in celebrating Julia’s legacy, you can make a donation at our Julia Cuba Lewis Future Feminist Fund campaign page here! All donations given to the Future Feminist Fund will be matched 2:1 by a generous donor through International Women’s Day on March, 8th, 2024! (L to R) Interim Deputy D ..read more

Written by: Chloé LaPorte, LCSW, Senior Program Director Each fall at Girls Empowerment Network we get the opportunity to live one of our organizational values, “Ring the Bell,” where we prove our impact and celebrate our successes in the gender justice movement, we are so a proud part of! In the 2022-2023 school year, Girls Empowerment Network served 4,889 girls through school-based workshops (2722), groups (1857), camps (148), and conferences (76). We served 76 girls through the Spark Change Project, 9 girls in our Youth Ambassador Council, and piloted our newest initiative to serve 12 girls ..read more

AUSTIN, TX – October 30,2023 - Girls Empowerment Network announces a momentous leadership transition with the departure of CEO Julia Cuba Lewis, who has dedicated 17 years to the organization as its driving force. Julia's last day with the organization will be on December 31, 2023.  Julia joined Girls Empowerment Network in 2006, after what she describes as 'love at first sight' with the agency’s mission of igniting the power in girls. Under her leadership, the agency established its signature self-efficacy curriculum, expanded services across key service regions in Austin, Houston, Dall ..read more

We are thrilled to introduce the remarkable individuals who have been selected as the Girls Empowerment Network Volunteers of the Year by our dedicated staff. These exceptional volunteers have gone above and beyond in their commitment to empowering and uplifting girls and young women in our community. Whether serving as board members, providing invaluable guidance and strategic vision, engaging in our signature one-on-one sessions with girls knows as Power Chats, or supporting with direct service, these volunteers have made a profound impact on the lives of our participants. Their passion, ded ..read more

Girls Empowerment Network is thrilled to share exciting news with our supporters, partners, the girls* we serve, and the people who care about them. After a challenging hiatus caused by the pandemic, we are overjoyed for the return of our signature conference. Adding to the excitement of the anticipated comeback, we are proud to unveil that our event has also undergone a significant transformation, emerging as the all-new ‘Radiant G Conference’.   Reimagined, Revamped, and Empowering as Ever!  The pause in our conferences, necessitated by the pandemic, was an opportunity for ou ..read more

Pride month doesn’t have to end on June 30th. With the 88th Texas Legislative Session and the US Supreme Court presenting relentless attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community, it is more important than ever that we as a community vocally support and stand with the LGBTQIA+ community year-round, not just during June. Whatever you were doing during Pride month to celebrate and uplift the queer community, carry that energy into the other 11 months of the year. Whether that be increasing books read by queer authors, buying from LGBTQIA+ owned businesses, or donating to local organizations that are activel ..read more

Written by: Danielle Jackson, Community Engagement VISTA We are so excited to honor and celebrate our July Volunteer of the Month: Mili Patel. “Mili began volunteering with Girls Empowerment Network in 2019 and has been a phenomenal champion and supporter of our work since then! Mili consistently engages in our Volunteer Nights and Power Chats, and was a huge source of support during COVID when we launched Spark Kits. Additionally, Mili is a longtime member of Girl Advocacy League and has selflessly given her time, talent, and treasure to support our organization. Mili is an absolute joy to kn ..read more

The Texas 88th legislative session (22-23) which convened on January 10th and and adjourned on May 29 2023, was monumental for Girls Empowerment Network regarding both the level of investment in advocacy as an organization and bills that will deeply impact the life of youth across Texas. Girls Empowerment Network is proud of the ways our policy team and Spark Change Project Teen Peer Facilitators used the power of advocacy and showed up for a better Texas for the youth we serve. Together, they took action on 53 bills related to our policy priorities of mental health, safe and supportive school ..read more