MIAMI — Girls from the Embrace Girl Power After School Programs and Camps recently arrived at Miami International Airport to board an American Airlines flight to Washington, D.C. It was an end of school year trip for which the girls had prepared for months.
"I was a bit hesitant, it was my daughter's first time on a plane and her first time traveling so far without me,” said Sandra Boone mother of Embrace Girls member Tiyra Boone. “But it was yet another experience of a lifetime offered by the program that I could not let her miss out on.”
The three-day, two-night trip included a VIP tour of the Capitol, a meet-and-greet with District 17 Congresswoman Rep. Frederica Wilson, plus visits to the King Monument, White House, Botanical Gardens, Smithsonian American History Museum, Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and a tea party at American Girl Place in nearby Virginia. That was the third tea in as many years following their visits to the Los Angeles and New York stores.
The Embrace Girls Foundation, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization celebrating ten years of service offering elementary age girls daily afterschool programs, as well as its Embrace Girls & Boys Summer Fun Camp, and special social and cultural projects designed for teens.
“My daughter has been exposed to more in the five years she’s been in this program than I have in my lifetime, and more than I could offer her without the support and dedication of Embrace,” said Cheryl Cason, mother of member Deja Delevaux.
The sentiment was echoed by longtime member Gabrielle Michelle-Johnson. “I’m a different girl. I've learned self-confidence, social etiquette and understanding that my education is my priority and not friendships,” said Johnson, an eighth-grader this fall.
Each girl received a personal journal and expense report sheet and tracked their daily spending and experiences. Velma Lawrence, the program director, said writing and math skills are a key component of the Embrace academies based in several Miami-Dade County public schools.
Visit embracegirlpower.org or call 305-779-3780.
Photo Courtesy of Embrace Foundation
No Comment