This International Women's Day, we recognize the importance of supporting girls and young women to embrace the courage, kindness, and perseverance it takes to become the next generation of leaders who lead with heart and purpose.
At Perfectly Me, we believe that every child has the capacity to be a leader by embracing what makes them unique and by using their voice to make a difference in the world. There are many ways to develop leadership, but experts say that instilling leadership at a young age helps children develop a sense of responsibility, sharpens their ability to solve problems, and lead with empathy and kindness. When I was a kid, my own struggles with self-esteem and bullying hurt my confidence and made me feel like anything but a leader. I was teased for my weight and often made to feel ashamed of who I was and what I looked like. Despite good grades and having a close circle of friends, I suffered during those hard days on the schoolyard being made to feel ‘’less than.” Today I can recognize that I was a great kid with a lot of talents – but struggling with low self-esteem was something that stayed with me for a long time. Girls who are bullied experience a lot of internalized pain – which can lead to depression, anxiety, and other health problems.
Finding Self-love and Acceptance
Over time as a young adult, I started to see how I could step into my own power and began a journey to find self-love and acceptance. I learned to heal the wounds from my childhood bullying by creating Perfectly Me to help girls (and eventually boys too!) develop strong self-esteem to embrace their true selves as kind, supportive, and caring friends and neighbors. The Perfectly Me Girls program launched in 2007 with a mission to confront bullying and promote kindness and connection between kids. The curriculum helped give girls the tools to identify and discuss their feelings, encourage honesty, and embrace their own talents and unique gifts. These powerful tools helped hundreds of girls develop leadership and empathy, two essential traits that all leaders must have in order to succeed.
Creating a Universe of Superheroes with Superpowers of the Heart
Over time, I developed the Awesome Perfectly Me Girls, a comic book series of superhero girls who band together to promote confidence, friendship, and genuine care for others – while reinforcing positive behaviors and combating bullying. The Awesome Perfectly Me Girls have become a core part of our program curriculum, expanding into new and exciting superhero characters including the Perfectly Me Squad, as well as Captain Kid Kindness. To date, our programs have helped thousands of kids become the superheroes of their own lives while becoming leaders in their communities.
Empowering Kids to Lead
Since our founding, we’ve seen firsthand how leadership isn’t just something you’re born with — it’s something you develop. It starts with embracing HeroValues, which are positive traits like kindness, courage, empathy, resilience, and integrity (just to name a few), and encouraging kids to see themselves as "heroes" capable of making a positive impact on the world. Some HeroValues that are essential to showing leadership:
Courage: Leaders take risks, speak up, and stand for what they believe in. Teaching kids that courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the willingness to act despite it, is crucial for developing strong leaders.
Empathy: The best leaders understand and care about others. When kids learn to see the world through different perspectives, they become better problem-solvers, team players, and changemakers.
Perseverance: Every superhero faces challenges, and every leader faces setbacks. Teaching resilience—how to get up after a fall and keep going—helps girls develop the strength to lead even in difficult situations.
Kindness: Leadership isn’t about power—it’s about service. Whether it’s in the classroom, on the playground, or in the boardroom, true leaders uplift those around them.
Join Us in our Mission
At Perfectly Me, we’re committed to helping kids discover their inner superheroes. Whether through after-school programs, summer camps, or our superhero universe, we’re creating a world where every child feels empowered to lead. Want to be part of the movement? Learn more about how we’re inspiring the next generation of leaders and join us!
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