Fighting the Silent Epidemic -- Author/ Philanthropist Dr. Cheryl Saban Speaks with Compton Unified’s Whaley Middle School Students

Compton, CA, March 13, 2010 --(PR.com)-- EmpowHer Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to impacting the ‘silent epidemic’ of high school dropout rates among young women, will present a special engagement with Dr. Cheryl Saban on Tuesday, March 16, 2010. Over 160 girls from the Compton Unified Whaley Middle School will meet with the revered author and philanthropist to discuss the importance of self-worth and how to value themselves as detailed in Dr. Saban’s latest book WHAT IS YOUR SELF-WORTH: A Woman’s Guide to Validation.

EmpowHer Institute believes that when girls and women are empowered, families and communities are empowered. Every 26 seconds a teen drops out of school or fails to graduate on time-- more than half of whom are from minority groups. “If these young ladies can understand early that their circumstances don’t determine their destiny, they will be on a path they can be proud of,” said Betty LaMarr, CEO of EmpowHer Institute.

“The EmpowHer sponsored program provides students with practical life skills, while inspiring them to envision a brighter future,” said Mrs. Renee Cobb, Principal of Whaley Middle School in Compton. The partnership between EmpowHer Institute and Compton Unified’s Whaley Middle School brings together ‘real life’ learning and relevant education to the school’s young students. EmpowHer has fostered a strong relationship with Whaley Middle School in partnership with Network for Training Entrepreneurs (NFTE) through its entrepreneur program Building Entrepreneur Skills for Tomorrow (BEST) – a proven approach to inspire participating students to stay in school and enhance the development of entrepreneurial skills that will help them achieve their dreams.

To learn more about EmpowHer Institute and their programs and partnerships please visit their website at www.empowher.org.

###