About the Project

Did you know that over 5.7 million youth in the U.S. are estimated to be involved in bullying as either a bully, a target of bullying, or both? The cycle of aggression can be interrupted earlier by providing children with the appropriate tools at a younger age.

Project Empowerment provides tools and resources to help young children address the growing issue of bullying. Its free interactive workshops are designed to foster empathy and courage in young children. The idea is to catch children at the prime age preceding middle school and have them examine issues on multiple levels: self, family, school/community, and the world at large, to see how their actions impact others.

Participants in Project Empowerment workshops are called Care Agents and engage in an array of interactive activities and discussions, respond to scenarios to gauge their response to bullying and empathy levels, receive tips and tools to deal with bullying, build a support system, and perform acts of service to see beyond the bounds of one’s privilege.

Why Does It Matter?

Almost 49% of children in grades 4-12 reported being bullied by other students at school at least once.
More than half of bullying situations (57 percent) stop when a peer intervenes on behalf of the student being bullied.
One in 5 students between the ages of 12-18 years has experienced some form of bullying.
Girls tend to be more passive-aggressive in bullying, which makes it harder to confront.
Social cruelty, alienation, and relational aggression are more common among girls.
Multiple researchers, psychologists, and educational experts report a crisis in empathy among adults and youth. Douglas LaBier, Ph.D., a business psychologist, identified the lack of empathy as the “Empathy Deficit Disorder.”

Through Project Empowerment, we aim to build a community of caring individuals who recognize that one empathetic heart is all it takes to preserve another, and a safe space where no one is marginalized or ostracized, and where anyone can soar high on the wings of courage.

Free Interactive Virtual Sessions

Project Empowerment consists of five virtual sessions in which students participate in discussions, activities, and develop service ideas with the instructor. Participants use the Circle of Compassion (shown on right) to learn how to bring about changes in self, family, community, school, and ultimately the world.

The program’s foundation rests on identifying the individual’s role at the various levels of the world, understanding the significance of the issues present there, and what they can do to make a difference at that level.

Participants in Project Empowerment engage in an array of interactive activities, some of which include questionnaires in which they are provided with various scenarios testing empathy to gauge how one would act in the given circumstance, acts of service to kindle the spirit of generosity and to see beyond the bounds of their privilege, and open discussions to convey the theme of consideration for individuals at all levels to encourage them to embody these values. Through cultivating a sense of understanding and compassion by thinking beyond themselves, these individuals will act with an increased level of compassion as they consider how their actions affect others and be inspired to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Information About the Sessions

Sessions take place on a rotating basis throughout the year
Five sessions, 30-40 minutes long, are held on weekends
Classes occur virtually on Zoom
Class size is 5-7 kids
Sessions are free of cost
All the materials and worksheets are provided

How do I sign up?

Please reach out to us via our contact form, and we will direct you to the sign-up process.