Wonder Girls Foundation aims to empower young women, teach them life skills
Nearly 10 New Jersey schools have joined the nonprofits efforts.
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A New Jersey-based foundation is centered on women empowerment and finding their best selves.
The Wonder Girls is a foundation that kicked off in 2020 during COVID-19. Since then, nearly 10 New Jersey schools have joined the efforts.
"I actually brought Wonder Girls to our school. I worked with them for a while and realized my friends need to be a part of this and realized why it's so great and helped me in my life," said Lyndhurst High School student Caila Barreirous.
"It encourages me so much I'm kind of a shy person, an introvert, but it helps me engage and make friends, interact. It's really amazing. I love it," said Michele Boinitte, also of Lyndhurst High School.
Community and camaraderie are the pillar of the nonprofit. That community is growing by the minute, now upwards of 300 girls.
"Wonder Girls is an after-school program for middle and high school girls. It focuses on building leadership, confidence, community and professional development skills," said Irene Zervoudis, cofounders of the Wonder Girls Foundation.
"Absolutely volunteer. They're here because they want to be here. What I always say is the mentors and us, actually, get more out of this or equally as the girls do. In turn, they're really feeding us and our self-esteem too," said cofounder Natalie Maniscalco.
The conversations are real and raw. The goal is to help prepare the girls for real life situations.
For more information on the organization or how to get involved you can visit the Wonder Girls Foundation website.
