23
Successful Moms are Raising Tomorrow’s Leaders What do you see when you picture success in your future?
Successful Moms are Raising Tomorrow’s Leaders
What do you see when you picture success
in your future?
A CLIENT’S STORY… Single mom of four, Dress for Success Austin client and PWG member Chinara rushed to the grocery store after a nap to purchase ingredients for dinner, unaware
that her 9-year-old son had tied a cape around her neck while she
was sleeping. When a customer commented on the accessory, her son beamed at his embarrassed mother and explained,
“I put it on her because she’s Super Mom!” Chinara, a Nigerian refugee, was referred to Dress for Success Austin by
SafePlace, where she fled with her children after enduring years of domestic abuse. Through Dress for Success and the PWG, she has developed her confidence, independence, skills and profession. How remarkable that
today her son views his mom as a superhero, not a victim,
demonstrating the positive influence a mother’s accomplishments have in her child’s life. How could we cultivate and raise awareness of this powerful association?
We received this opportunity when YSC provided $1,000 seed money with a
challenge to turn a hypothetical project into a sustainable program.
With additional sponsorship from local supporter Dell, we were able to set our goals for far reaching impact even higher.
61% are mothers81% are heads of householdThe mission of SMART Leaders is to break the cycle of generational poverty by encouraging children of Dress for Success Austin clients to identify with their mothers’ success and recognize their own unlimited potential for leadership and achievement.
of Dress for Success Austin clients
A drawing contest for children ages 5 to 13 of Dress for Success Austin clients, SMART Leaders promotes family dialogue and early planning for future success.
The contest provides a creative format for children to express their understanding of success and to illustrate their personal goals.
SMART Leaders steps
• Contest brochures were mailed to every client served within the last year with eligible children.
suc•cessnounThe achievement of something desired, planned or attempted; One that is successfulfrom YAHOO! Kids dictionary
• Follow up calls and emails were made to encourage every mom to discuss the meaning of success with her children and encourage them to share their “pictures of success” with us.
• In order to raise awareness of the broader impact our service to women has in families and communities, all entries were posted online for voting by the community. Voting was promoted via Facebook and email.
Connecting with the community…
• We also wanted to establish a physical presence and engage directly with the community, so we set up a voting table at the local mall.
Over 1,000 ballots were
received!
Choosing the winners• Winning drawings were selected based on originality,
creativity, and consistency with the theme
What do you see when you picture success in your future?
• The collective public decision counted as one vote on the judging panel. Two successful moms in the community also served as judges:
Kendra Scott and Donna Howard Jewelry Designer Texas State Representative, and Entrepreneur 48th District
• The winner in each age group received a $1,000 College Savings Fund scholarship and a new Dell computer and printer. Three honorable mention winners received VTech Learning Laptops.
Celebrating success!• The first annual SMART Leaders
drawing contest culminated at the finale Kids Fun Fair and Awards Ceremony, which was open to the public and took place at a local middle school.
Star Achievers
Celebrating success!• The first 50 children to arrive
received SMART Leaders goodie bags which included: • Success-themed word search and
crossword puzzle• Star shades• Friendship bracelets• Buttons• Stickers
• Raffle ticket sales helped us recoup some of the cost of the event
• Capital One Bank informed parents of college savings options
• Toys• Pencils• Book covers
Celebrating success!•We served hot dogs and local
favorite Jim Jim’s Water Ice
• Guest speaker Rep. Howard encouraged families to strive together for success and later congratulated the winners
Celebrating success!
Kids jumped for joy in the
moonbounce!
Celebrating success!They enjoyed an early taste of stardom singing karaoke, which was hosted bya Dress for Success Austin PWG member!
Celebrating success!
They sported painted faces – some wild, some pretty, some funny!
Celebrating success!
And they made new
friends in the petting zoo!
And now for the winners…
Successful Moms are Raising Tomorrow’s Leaders
Jeremiah, age 7
Age Group 5-7 Honorable Mention
Noel, age 8
Age Group 8-10 Honorable Mention
Elijah, age 11
Age Group 11-13 Honorable Mention
Age Group 5-7 GRAND PRIZE
Jessica, age 7
Vennicio, age 8
Age Group 8-10 GRAND PRIZE
Age Group 11-13 GRAND PRIZE
Natalie, age 13
A big THANK YOU to the following affiliates for their input and support!
IndianapolisMidwest
Palm BeachesShreveport-Bossier
and Dress for Success Worldwide
Fostering a legacy of success for future generations
