Empower the Girls

An interactive, real-life readiness program that helps young women recognize risk, trust themselves, and respond with clarity—in the moments that matter.

When it comes to safety, self-trust comes first.

Empower the Girls is built on three core pillars.

Awareness

Learning to recognize and trust the subtle signals, social pressure points, and environmental cues around her

Preparation

Building mental readiness through practical tools, guided discussion, scenario-based learning, and real-life role playing.

Action

Practicing clear, confident responses so young women don’t hesitate when every moment counts.

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“This is where we empower girls to become young women who trust themselves — equipped with the self-trust, confidence and decision-making skills to navigate whatever comes next.”

— Ellen Claire

Speaker, Educator, Advocate
Founder of Empower the Girls

Pink flower with six rounded petals on a black background.

Practical skills for real-world readiness

With tools young women
actually use.

Empower the Girls combines practical safety awareness with confidence-building exercises that help young women think clearly, trust themselves, and respond effectively under pressure.

Through decision-making strategies, applied practice, and real-world examples, students learn tools they can use immediately—in school, on campus, and throughout everyday life.

Work through the kinds of situations young women encounter every day—from social dynamics and boundary testing to moments that simply feel “off.
Learn how to identify physical and emotional warning signals, stop second-guessing, and respond with greater clarity and decisive action.
Set boundaries and respond with confidence under pressure by practicing what it’s like to respond to risks—out loud.
Develop tactics for handling manipulation, peer pressure, uncertainty, and high-emotion moments that cloud your judgment.
Practice slowing down reactions, assessing options, and making deliberate choices in real time.
Recognize patterns that may signal unhealthy dynamics, coercion, or escalating behavior that can quietly erode confidence and safety.

Bright pink flower with eight petals on a black background.

Confidence isn’t built by avoiding difficult moments.

It’s built by preparing for them.

SEE THESE TOOLS IN ACTION

Safety is only
the beginning.

These skills do more than prepare her for difficult moments.
They shape how she moves through the world.

Empower the Girls helps young women build confidence, awareness, and trust in themselves — because the same skills that help them recognize risk and respond under pressure also shape how they:

Set boundaries and communicate clearly—in relationships, at work, and beyond.

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Navigate relationships with greater self-trust

Create opportunities that align with who they are and what they want.

Handle uncertainty without shutting down

A blue butterfly-shaped graphic with rounded wings.

Simple illustration of a four-leaf clover in green.

When young women feel prepared, they stop shrinking—and start showing up more fully as themselves.

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A group of four young women smiling and holding a large blue frame with the text 'Empower the Girls' and the hashtag '#EmpowertheGirls' along with the phrase 'Courage Looks Like This!'.

Ellen Claire van Olden on stage speaking to an audience in a large auditorium. The audience includes many women, and the program is Empower the Girls.

Ellen Claire and a volunteer audience member on stage exploring aspects of the Empower the Girls program through the physical metaphor of a beach ball.

Empower the Girl audience members engaging with a beach ball to teach them the power of confidence.

004 Photos by Max Duckworth January 05, 2020.jpg

Ellen Claire van Olden on stage presenting Empower the Girls, a program that combines practical safety awareness with confidence-building exercises that help young women think clearly, trust themselves, and respond effectively under pressure.

Ellen Claire van Olden on stage. She believes through decision-making strategies, applied practice, and real-world examples, students learn tools they can use immediately—in school, online, socially, and throughout everyday life.

Empower the Girls is designed to help young women move through life with greater confidence, awareness, and trust in themselves.

Empower the Girls is a program by Ellen Claire that helps young women Set boundaries and communicate clearly—in relationships, at work, and beyond, Navigate relationships with greater self-trust, and Handle uncertainty without shutting down.

Through Empower the Girls Ellen Claire van Olden offers Interactive presentations and workshops that prepare young women for real-world challenges—and real-life potential.

Fearless by Design is the signature keynote of Ellen Claire van Olden. This interactive, confidence-building presentation gives young women the tools to recognize risk, respond to pressure, and trust themselves to navigate real-world challenges.

Ellen Claire van Olden delivers engaging, in-person presentations that help young women recognize risk and respond with confident clarity in real-world situations

Ellen Claire van Olden offers interactive presentations and applied skills labs that help young women build confidence, navigate risks, and respond decisively in real-world situations.

“Self-defense isn’t just about physical protection. It’s about the thought process, confidence, and knowing what to do before it happens.”

—CHELSEA, COLLEGE STUDENT
“I feel so much more prepared for college.”

JAMIE, HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR
“This may be the most important class my girls will ever take.”

PAM, PARENT

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