CLEVELAND — By grade school and middle school, many people’s accomplishments may include performing at a school talent show, winning a spelling bee, or taking home a little league trophy. But for some girls who participate in the group Gem-N-Me, “published author" is already on their resume before they’re even teenagers.
Gem-N-Me is a program for girls in Northeast Ohio started in 2014 and aimed at building self-esteem, providing support and teaching skills, and encouraging character building. The group was created by Penny Willis and Kristiaun Copez-Minor, sparked by the death of Willis’ young niece by suicide.
“It was her mental health,” Willis said of her niece. “As I learned and became a therapist when she was young, I was learning things about her that I didn’t know. And so learning [about] her mental health, I realized a lot of girls go through this, and they have issues different than boys.”
As a therapist who works with young people, Willis has seen firsthand the importance of mental health, and fostering communication and support systems for kids and teens.
“I would say our biggest thing is focusing on the girls' self-esteem. We realize as an adult, your self-esteem pretty much shapes who you are. If your self-esteem is low and you're at a job, you might be scared to ask for a raise,” Willis said. “So we want to give the girls the confidence to ask for things that they need or that they want. And our mission is pretty much just to encourage, enlighten and empower girls to kind of be who they want to be.”
Gem-N-Me does this through programs and conversations, and quarterly events. Willis said each quarter, they host five to six sessions of a certain program. For example, through the pandemic, Gem-N-Me taught girls how to apply makeup, how to braid hair, and how to decorate cakes, skills they could one day use and grow into a “side hustle” or full-fledged business to help support themselves.
While initially Gem-N-Me was intended for girls 11-17 years old, Willis and her business partner saw a need to serve more young women. Now, their youngest participant is seven, while their oldest is 21.
Willis also emphasized the importance of engaging with young people and truly listening, something she said doesn’t always happen between adults and kids.
“I'm currently working in an elementary school as a school social worker, and the way that the kids express themselves, I see adults still don't understand,” Willis said. “I think if adults took time to listen to what it is that their child wants or what it is that kids enjoy, I think that will help a lot because we're telling children what to do and not really asking them what they want to do.”
While engaging in conversations with the participants of Gem-N-Me, Willis said they cover topics such as relationships, talking about what makes a friend, and who they receive support from in their lives.
To continue empowering these girls and encourage communication and learning skills, Willis has also helped a few young women become published authors. According to Willis, in the last two years, six participants have published books, all of which are grant funded and at no expense to the girls.
The books range in topics from bullying, to the impacts of COVID, to challenges in the classroom. Many of the books, pulling directly from the lives of the young women who wrote them.
For example, sixth grader Ja’Vae Williams-Hunt remembers being bullied in school, and decided to write books about how she coped with the situation.
“This could also help other kids that deal with bullying, and help them [with] how they can cope with bullying and tell their parents or teachers or someone who they really like to express their feelings to,” she said.
Zenise Adams, a first grader, also wrote about a personal experience, helping that a time she experienced challenges in the classroom could inspire others. Her book is called “I Can Do All Things.”
“I know some girls can have a hard time learning and I wanted to just share it with them to know that you can get better,” she said.
Nine-year-old Jackie Hull’s “Ava Breaks the Rules” is about a little girl who breaks the rules, then learns more about controlling her emotions.
Willis said being able to see a physically published book can give these girls a confidence boost and the ability to share what they have to say.
“Our overall goal is to boost confidence in everyone,” Willis said. “Just letting them know that whatever they want to do, whenever they want to do it, it's possible.”
In the near future, Gem-N-Me is hoping to host an annual tea party fundraiser, which they haven’t been able to do since the start of the pandemic. Through the event, Willis said they’re hoping to get more funding to continue publishing books, as well as provide more free programming, and ultimately purchase a house to establish a safe space for girls.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above previously aired on 3News on April 9, 2023.