The Kickoff, the Mentors, and the Pitch
Presentation Pitch Winners: Eimy, Bri’Nyah, Carol
“This program really helps you find yourself.”
That is how one of our girls summed up a year she began as a stranger in the room.
Last November, this year’s Power Hour cohort walked in not quite knowing each other, or exactly what they had signed up for. Ten sessions later, they walked out as brand designers, event planners, marketers, and confident public speakers who had pitched their own campaign ideas to a room full of people.
Power Hour participants at Session 2
Power Hour is the career-readiness program for high school girls at Girls Inc. of Greater Miami. Across the year, the girls moved through a full arc of hands-on skills: branding and marketing, global event planning and budgeting, creative design with Canva and AI tools, media and broadcast, leadership identity, and one-on-one career conversations with women working in the fields they dream about.
They set the pace, and they set it high. Session after session, the girls rated how well they understood each activity and how comfortable they felt sharing their ideas with their peer groups above four out of five. But the numbers are the smaller story. Here is the bigger one, in their own words:
“I realized that I have bigger ideas than I give myself credit for.”
“Rejection is just redirection.”
“Girls Inc made me feel that I was truly a part of something greater and the best version of myself.”
Power Hour Mentor, Monica Nguyen: Multidisciplinary Designer, Boll & Branch: Digital Design Director
For many girls, the turning point was meeting their mentors. By our Leadership Identity session, time with these women was the single thing girls named as the most valuable part of the entire program. They left carrying advice they intend to keep, like “the career path is a walk, never a sprint,” and “don’t be afraid to ask questions and try new things, because what you put out will be returned.”
And it did not stop at inspiration. By the final session, girls were already reaching out to the professionals they had met. One had secured an internship. Another had secured a meeting in the field she hopes to enter. That is a career door opening in real time.
This year also opened a door to the world stage. Through our partnership with Coca-Cola’s Future Careers Academy, Girls Inc. of Greater Miami high school girls are earning industry certifications, taking part in real-world experiences, and building skills that connect them to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ coming to Miami.
The Future Careers Academy is Coca-Cola’s career development program and Power Hour is ours, but both share the same promise: our girls belong in every room, including the biggest ones.
When we asked the girls what they want to do next with GIGM, their answer said everything: come back to Power Hour, become Peer Leaders, and mentor the younger girls coming up behind them. That is the mission in motion, inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.
Kasidy Brown Program Coordinator , Marlena Candelario Director of Programs
A year like this does not happen on its own. Our deepest thanks to Marlena, our Director of Programming, and Kasidy, our Program Coordinator for middle and high school, who designed and led every session with real care. And to every volunteer and mentor who gave their time, their stories, and their belief in these girls: you are the reason this year mattered. Thank you.
Mentors are the heart of Power Hour, and next year is already on the horizon. If you would like to walk alongside a girl as she explores who she wants to become, we would love to have you.
