A Program for Every Girl They Tried to Leave Behind

RISING begins here.

A year-long mentorship and life skills program for young women, starting in 10th grade. For the girls navigating systems that weren't built for them — and building futures anyway.

See the Program Request a Proposal
6×
More likely to be expelled — Black girls versus white girls in the same school
40%
Of teen girls report persistent sadness or hopelessness with no support in place
75%
Of girls aged 13–24 have experienced harmful content online — often daily
0
Of these outcomes are inevitable — if we show up before it's too late
The Reality
Black girls suspended at 3× the rate of white girls 50% of girls in conflict zones miss critical education 1 in 10 girls face online harm daily Foster youth face housing instability at 4× the national rate School pushout begins as early as preschool Adultification bias begins at age 5 Resentment without a voice becomes self-destruction Black girls suspended at 3× the rate of white girls 50% of girls in conflict zones miss critical education 1 in 10 girls face online harm daily Foster youth face housing instability at 4× the national rate School pushout begins as early as preschool Adultification bias begins at age 5 Resentment without a voice becomes self-destruction
What Is RISING

This isn't a program.
It's a relationship.

RISING is a year-long, group-based mentorship and life skills initiative designed for young women beginning in the 10th grade. It runs as an elective course — two hours per session, alternating within the school schedule — up to 15 young women per cohort.

"These girls don't need another assembly. They need someone who will still be there next month — and the month after that."

With particular focus on young women of color, those navigating foster care or group homes, and girls from high-stress home environments — RISING provides the kind of sustained, honest, culturally grounded mentorship that research consistently shows changes outcomes.

This is not therapy. This is not a lecture. This is a room where a young woman can be fully human — ask real questions, name real fears, and leave with real tools.

01
Knowing Yourself
Identity, self-worth, cultural pride, and separating who you are from how the world has treated you.
02
Navigating the Noise
Social media literacy, digital safety, online harm, and the mental cost of comparison culture.
03
Moving Through the World
Budgeting, housing, credit, legal rights, healthcare — the survival skills nobody taught them.
04
Healing What Hurts
Trauma, foster care, resentment, grief — what lives beneath the surface, and what to do with it.
05
Building Your Future
Goal-setting, career exploration, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and learning how to want something for yourself in a world that has underestimated you.
Why This Work Matters

What this program actually does

Six specific ways RISING intervenes in the systems and cycles that derail young women — before those cycles become permanent.

🧠
Addresses the Mental Health Crisis Head-On
40% of teen girls report persistent sadness or hopelessness — and access to culturally competent care remains deeply unequal. RISING doesn't replace therapy, but it creates the sustained human presence that can catch a girl before she falls through the floor. Sessions in Pillar 4 specifically address unprocessed trauma and emotional dysregulation in a structured, respectful way.
Pillar 4 — Healing
📱
Breaks Down Social Media's Psychological Hold
Three full sessions unpack the algorithm, the dopamine loop, comparison culture, and online harm — not with shame, but with information. 75% of young women aged 13–24 have faced harmful online content. Nearly half have received unsolicited sexual images. These girls need the language to name what's happening to them and the tools to respond — not another adult telling them to put the phone down.
Pillar 2 — Digital Literacy
🏠
Teaches Survival Skills the Curriculum Ignores
In a country where nothing feels affordable — housing, healthcare, college — young women are entering adulthood without a map. RISING dedicates an entire pillar to the financial and legal literacy that was never offered in their schools: budgeting, credit, housing rights, healthcare access, and how to navigate a system that was designed by people who don't look like them.
Pillar 3 — Life Skills
⚖️
Confronts the School Pushout Crisis Directly
Black girls are 6× more likely to be expelled than white girls — punished for the same behaviors their peers are coached through. RISING gives girls the context to understand what is happening to them, the language to advocate for themselves, and the connection to a trusted adult who will show up consistently. Belonging reduces pushout. This is documented.
Pillars 1 & 3 — Identity & Rights
💔
Creates a Safe Space for Resentment and Rage
Resentment in young women is not a character flaw. It is information — a signal that something important was not protected or honored. The problem is not that these girls are angry. The problem is that no one has given them a place to put it that doesn't destroy their futures. RISING does. Session 11, "What Anger Is Really Telling You," treats this with the respect it deserves.
Pillar 4 — Healing
🌱
Gives Foster & Group Home Girls a Seat at the Table
Session 13 is dedicated entirely to girls in the system — emancipation planning, legal rights as a ward of the state, post-secondary support for foster youth, and the specific emotional weight of institutional care. These girls are often the most overlooked. RISING makes them a priority, not an afterthought — and the entire year is designed to earn the trust of young women who have learned the hard way that adults don't stick around.
Pillar 4 — Special Session
20
Sessions across the academic year
2 hrs
Per session — as an elective class
≤15
Girls per cohort — intimate by design
5
Pillars covering every dimension of her life
Laurissa
[Last Name]
Founder & Lead Facilitator · RISING Program
"I have worked with every level from Kindergarten to high school. I have sat inside the systems — the schools, the public health agencies, the housing divisions — that shape what is possible for young women. That is exactly why I know what they need, and what they have not been given."
About the Facilitator

More than credentials.
A life's work.

The Curriculum

20 sessions.
One year. One cohort.

Bi-monthly sessions, 2 hours each, structured as an elective course with up to 15 participants.
Pillar 1 — Identity
Session 01
Who Am I, Really?
Session 02
The Stories We Carry
Session 03
You Are Not Your Circumstances
Pillar 2 — Digital
Session 04
What Social Media Is Doing to You
Session 05
Your Digital Footprint Is Forever
Session 06
When the Internet Becomes Unsafe
Pillar 3 — Life Skills
Session 07
Money Is Not a Mystery
Session 08
Credit, Housing & Survival
Session 09
Your Rights in This System
Session 10
Healthcare Is a Right
Pillar 4 — Healing
Session 11
What Anger Is Telling You
Session 12
When Home Isn't Safe
Session 13
For the Girls in the System ★
Session 14
Grief, Loss & Moving Forward
Pillar 5 — Future
Session 15
What Do You Actually Want?
Session 16
Pathways: All Options
Session 17
Your Voice Is a Tool
Session 18
Community & Sisterhood
Session 19
Letters to Our Younger Selves
Session 20
RISING: Graduation
Who We Serve

Every girl.
Especially the ones
no one came back for.

RISING is designed for all young women beginning in 10th grade — with dedicated attention to those who have historically received the least.

🫶
Girls of Color
Navigating adultification bias, racial trauma, and institutions that were built to serve someone else. RISING sees them fully and builds curriculum grounded in their actual experience — not a sanitized version of it.
🏠
Foster Care & Group Home Youth
Session 13 is dedicated to their realities: emancipation, legal rights, post-secondary support for foster youth, and the profound weight of institutional caregiving. Trust is earned slowly and methodically here — because it should be.
🔥
Girls Carrying Resentment
Resentment is information — a signal that something important wasn't protected. RISING treats this with respect, not pathology. Pillar 4 gives structured space to name it, understand it, and decide what to do with it.
Investment & Partnership

Transparent pricing.
Real investment in real girls.

Year-long contract. One cohort up to 15 young women. 20 sessions at 2 hours each. Everything included.

Annual Contract — One Cohort
$12,000
per academic year · up to 15 students
  • Curriculum design & materials$4,500
  • Facilitation (20 sessions × $250)$5,000
  • Student workbooks & resources$750
  • Capstone ceremony & certificates$250
  • Travel, prep & administration$1,500
Annual Total $12,000
Additional Cohorts
A second cohort on the same campus in the same academic year is available for +$7,500. Multi-campus expansion rates available — contact for district pricing.
Payment Terms
50% at contract signing, 50% at mid-year (Session 10). District purchase orders accepted. Grant-funded contracts welcome.
Sliding Scale Available
No cohort should go unfunded due to budget constraints alone. A sliding scale is available for districts serving high-poverty student populations.
Qualifies as an Elective Course
RISING meets standards for SEL, college & career readiness, and life skills elective credits in most school districts.
Let's Talk

Ready to bring RISING to your school?

Whether you're a school administrator, counselor, district official, or community partner — if you believe these young women deserve more, let's have a real conversation about how to make it happen.

✉laurissa@[youremail].com
📱[Your Phone Number]
📺The People's Reporter — YouTube

📐 Website Layout Guide

This section shows the full structure of the site for your reference. Remove before publishing.

01
Hero / Above the Fold
Full-screen impact. Stats on the right communicate the urgency immediately. The headline "RISING begins here" establishes the brand. Two CTAs move visitors toward information or contact.
First Impression
02
Crisis Ticker
Scrolling data banner that reinforces the urgency of the problem. Keeps the energy moving. Visitors who may have been skeptical now see the evidence streaming past them.
Social Proof / Data
03
About RISING + 5 Pillars
Two-column layout: the program description on the left, the five pillar cards on the right. This answers "what is this?" and "what will it cover?" in one scroll.
Program Overview
04
★ THE WORK — Highlight Section
Dark, high-impact grid of 6 cards — each addressing one of the program's six core interventions, with citations from research. Data strip below with the four key numbers. This is the most persuasive section of the site.
Core Selling Section
05
Facilitator Credentials
Left: sticky facilitator card with quote. Right: five credential blocks — B.A., M.P.A., educator experience, SF DPH work, journalist platform. This answers "why her?" in a format that decision-makers can skim and trust.
Trust & Authority
06
20-Session Timeline
Five columns — one per pillar — showing every session title. Decision-makers and parents can see exactly what will happen over the year. Builds confidence. Session 13 is marked with a star for foster youth.
Curriculum Detail
07
Who We Serve
Dark purple section with three population cards: girls of color, foster/group home youth, and girls carrying resentment. This section speaks directly to the communities this program centers.
Target Audience
08
Fees & Investment
Clear breakdown on the left, four notes on the right (additional cohorts, payment terms, sliding scale, elective status). Transparent pricing removes friction for administrators doing budget planning.
Conversion
09
Contact Form
Dark closing section. Contact details on left, form on right. Role selector helps you qualify leads. The tone shifts from informative to inviting — "let's have a real conversation."
Lead Generation