Working nine years in a local pediatrician's office gave Joyce Watson an up-close view of the developmental divide between children with lower economic backgrounds compared to children who had more resources. Watson started a mentoring program to fill the gap.
"This is something Chattanooga needs," Watson says of the program. "What we really need to do is come together with all of these knickknacks and do one big thing together."
Ja'Lyah Griffin gets a pedicure. (Photo from Joyce Watson)Young Ladies of Power starts its sixth back-to-school season in September. Girls ages 4-18 are encouraged to participate. The group meets twice a month. Watson asks parents to regularly bring their daughters to meetings and pay $20 a month to help fund lunches and outings. She seeks donations and hosts fish fries to fund other expenses.
Young Ladies of Power exposes girls to career opportunities, other mentors and places they may not normally go. They've studied science at the Tennessee Aquarium, participated in citywide volunteer projects and visited government landmarks in Washington, D.C.
The girls will attend the 100 Black Women's health expo at Erlanger hospital on Sept. 8.
"We have mentors come and talk to them. That's mostly what the group is about and just exposing them to things they wouldn't normally do," says Watson.
The girls participated in cooking and etiquette classes this summer.
Watson is a grandmother and great-grandmother with children in their 40s and 50s but says she's committed to helping the next generation and has no intention of slowing down. She started Young Ladies of Power in 2012. About a dozen girls participated this summer. She'd like to have about 20.
In Young Ladies of Power, founded by Joyce Watson, right, adult volunteers mentor girls ages 4-18. (Photo from Joyce Watson)"Our mission," wrote Watson, "is to educate and empower young ladies focusing on self-improvement, high self-esteem and self-respect to become the best leader she can be."
Participant Adrian Parks, 12, says her favorite activity was seeing the Washington Monument in the trip to the nation's capital.
Her grandmother, a retired housekeeper who has raised Adrian almost since birth, says she wouldn't have had the funds to take her without Young Ladies of Power.
"She does a lot with those kids," says Marlene Moore about Watson.
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Young Ladies of Power is among several programs seeking to support students this school year.
» The Chattanooga Urban League National Achievers program starts Sept. 18 with an open house at the Urban League from 5:30 to 7 p.m. It's a college readiness initiative that teaches life skills and leadership. It's available to all Hamilton County Schools students with a GPA of at least 3.0. The group meets 5:30-7 p.m. every other Tuesday. Parents or students interested may contact the Urban League's education coordinator, Enjelica Reid, at 423-756-1762.
» Boys to Men, a male mentoring model, is also accepting new students. Parents of boys ages 7-14 may apply by contacting Book McCray at 423-316-0858 or visiting the website at iysfinc.net.
» The Bethlehem Leadership Unit at Howard School trains a small group of ninth-graders to be mentors to incoming freshmen the following year. The peer mediation program, which includes about 20 students, was started in 2016 by Bethlehem Center Executive Director Reginald Smith. Interested students should contact Demetrius Morgan at 423-266-1384.
» East Chattanooga Improvement Corp. meets monthly with the group When Healing Meets Hope, a group of middle-school students who have suffered loss or trauma. Middle-school students battling depression or those concerned about bullying are also invited to attend. Professional counselors and youth leaders counsel youth while engaging them in games and activities. Parents with students they want to attend may call Monica Burke at 423-504-6260.
"We want to see the lives of our children be better," she says.
Contact Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6431.