Lemon Aide Society in the Schools
Lemon Aide in the Schools is a free, weekly afterschool program for girls in grades 3-6. According to youth.gov, “high-quality afterschool programs promote positive youth development and offer a safe space where youth can explore their potential.” By collaborating with at-risk schools, we are able to effectively reach girls who may otherwise not have the opportunity to participate in a female empowerment and mentorship program. Our vision is for every girl to have the self-confidence, self-esteem, and life skills to reach their full potential and give back to future generations of female leaders.
What does the program do?
Our leadership development program empowers girls to actively learn about themselves and their ability to make a difference in our community through mentorship, project leadership, teamwork, and community service. In addition to increased self-confidence and self-esteem, our program promotes life skills such as goal-setting, effective communication, problem solving, informed decision-making, project planning and implementation, and relationship building.
Positive female mentorship is a key component of our leadership program. In a school environment, teachers and staff are in a unique position as campus role models to lead the program. In addition, as the students grow in the program, they will become mentors to their fellow Lemon Aides and role models throughout the school. This tiered approach promotes self-confidence and self-esteem and helps our girls gain the tools to advocate for themselves, work collectively, build relationships, and give back to their community.
What does each meeting entail?
Balanced Snacks: At each meeting, Lemon Aides learn to make a balanced snack. This interactive and communal experience is an opportunity to teach girls about healthy eating and refueling their bodies. Snacks are easily replicated at home and the girls take great pride in teaching others.
Team Building: Team building activities focus on bringing the group together, effective communication, and problem solving and leadership skills.
Self-Care: A strong leader understands the importance of self-care. Our curriculum includes lessons on healthy habits such as nutrition, hygiene, mental and physical health.
Leadership Training: Throughout the year, girls gain self-confidence and self-esteem by growing and discovering their unique personal strengths and understanding those of their peers. Service projects throughout the year allows the girls the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in areas such as program planning, decision making, and project implementation. Our girls have a greater understanding of their community’s needs and how to make a sustainable impact.
Service Projects and Implementation: In the fall semester, girls focus on making a difference on campus and implementing programs such as reading to kids participating in afterschool care and acts of kindness for teachers and administration. In the spring semester, our girls form small groups in which they select a beneficiary agency from the broader community. These groups educate their peers through a slideshow presentation and through planning a service project from start to finish.
What teachers are saying
The investment is minimal, but the results are astronomical!
Interested in having our program at your school?
If you have any questions about our afterschool program or would like to learn more about what we do, please do not hesitate to reach out! You can contact us at admin@lemonaidesociety.org.