It’s been a decade since Carla Scott-Strickland and Dr. Ladadriel Eastman initially teamed up to make a difference for young women, and their creation has been doing just that ever since.
The JEWELS Foundation is a nonprofit organization taking aim in providing guidance for at-risk girls ages 7 to 18. The group is dedicated to equipping the next generation with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to excel in every area of life through education, mentorship, and community engagement. Strickland and Eastman, the president and vice president of the organization, respectively, look to cultivate leadership, ignite ambition, and inspire a commitment to lifelong success.
The two women established the nonprofit from a shared belief that there are too many young females in need of guidance, and they wish to lend a helping hand. And Strickland said that the fact that they’re going strong 10 years later and have been able to help countless girls is extremely rewarding.
“Just pouring into the girls in our community,” said Strickland, who is a teacher at Luling Elementary School. “We want to help as many people as we can. Even if it’s a matter of just showing up – you don’t have to feel like you have to be inducted into the organization, you can just come in and allow us to mentor and possibly make a positive difference for you in your life.”
Strickland said that it can be difficult for young women to maintain a positive self-image given what is portrayed in so much of the media.
“You have this image cultivated of what someone should be, or should look like – we want them to understand it’s OK to have your own identity. We want them to have their own identity and have different experience than someone you see on a screen. You don’t have to be like that person, you just can be yourself,” Strickland said.
JEWELS offers its guidance through many forms, including panels with teachers, doctors and others as guest speakers taking questions and offering their experiences, opening a back-and-forth dialogue.
This month will offer one such event, called Heart to Heart, centered around mothers and daughters. Other panels have been and will be centered around health and hygiene awareness, fitness, nutrition and health and STEM among other subjects.
Encouraging young women to become involved in community service is another key part of JEWELS. Establishing that for women at a young age makes it more likely the girls will stay involved later on.
All events are completely free of charge – something Strickland said is very important to Eastman and herself. Donations have been a big part of keeping that aspect viable, but the founders have also covered costs themselves when needed.
“We never want it to be something where they need to pay for it and then feel like they can’t come,” Strickland said.
This year the foundation will implement its first scholarship to an active senior who participates in JEWELS events and is involved in the community.
She added that they thank everyone who have donated to the organization, volunteered time and resources, spoke at events and St. Charles Parish Library for offering its facilities to host events – all of which, she said, have made it possible for JEWELS to reach the 10-year mark.
For more information on attending, participating or donating, email info@jewelsfoundationinc.org.
