New Teen Girl Summit Aims To Help Young Girls Create Promising Futures
By Hadas Kuznits
CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) -- About 150 young women, ages 12 to 18, participated in the first ever 'Women of the Dream Teen Girl Summit' at Rutgers University in Camden.
Leslie Morris, founder of 'Women of the Dream,' said the goal of the first ever Teen Girl Summit was to inspire and motivate the young participants.
"To really get them to thinking about their lives." said Morris. "Setting their standards just a little bit higher, thinking about their future, setting some goals."
Morris said she wanted to reach out to more than just the honor students, "I want your pregnant teens, bullies, girls with mental health issues."
The summit consisted of workshops, discussions and mentoring opportunities.
Keynote speaker Susan Taylor, editor-in-chief emerita of Essence Magazine, said young women are not who they see themselves portrayed in media.
"We retouch pictures, so that everything looks flawless and more beautiful and it really in many ways holds women prisoner."