Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Coffey. She and her team share their story with us below:
Olivia Coffey has been creating mentorship programs and pouring into the lives of children and families for 30 years as a Professional School Counselor. A product of Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland, she obtained a Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) from Howard University and a Master’s degree in Education and Human Development (M.A. Ed & HD) from George Washington University in Washington, DC. She started her career as an Elementary School Counselor in the District of Columbia. There she coordinated the annual Developing our Girls and Boys for Tomorrow conferences, developed peer mediation and mentorship programs and parenting workshops, and implemented dynamic Career Day programs for her students.
She remained in DCPS for almost a decade before becoming a Professional School Counselor in Charles County Public Schools (CCPS). In this county, she is well known for her passion for empowering youth by implementing gender-based mentoring programs, the Boys to Men program, Gentleman of Character Mentor Club and Girl Power Mentor Club, and an awesome Career Awareness Program. She has been a counselor in CCPS for 22 years. Mrs. Coffey is also the Founder of a 501 (c)(3) Youth EmpowerMe Foundation and Creator of the EmpowerHer EmpowerMe Mother Daughter Summit (EHEM), which is a premiere one-day conference for mothers (and mother figures) and their daughters ages 8 – 18. These mother-and-daughter summits were offered during Women’s History Month virtually during the pandemic and are scheduled at The Hotel at the University of Maryland on March 25, 2023.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We originally scheduled our inaugural EmpowerHer EmpowerMe Mother Daughter Summit on March 2020 at Fairmont Heights High School in Hyattsville, MD. Because of the Covid19 shutdown, we had to cancel this event. But we were determined to continue to support our community. Our first virtual EmpowerHer EmpowerMe Mother Summit was held on June 2020 on Zoom. We had our second EHEM Virtual Summit on March 2021 on Hopin. The theme for each summit was “Beyond Beauty.” We offered virtual breakout sessions, a Vendor Marketplace, a Pretty with Purpose Mother Daughter Panel Discussion, Mommy and Me Yoga Flow, Live Cooking Demonstrations, and a Mother and Daughter Dancing (into Our Destiny) session. Our goal was to help the moms and daughters strengthen and restore their relationships and cope with the societal challenges in our nation.
During the pandemic, we continued to support our community virtually on social media and Zoom. We conducted Facebook and Instagram Live sessions on topics such as Domestic Violence Prevention, Sex Trafficking Prevention, Holiday Cooking, and Back to School Cooking sessions. On Zoom, we held virtual family activities such as Family Date Night Dancing, a virtual Mother-Daughter Paint Party, and a “Navigating the “New Normal” seminar to help moms cope with the stressors of the pandemic.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
I started my career as a Guidance Counselor in the District of Columbia at the historic Stevens Elementary School. I served as a counselor there for almost a decade. I created and implemented two annual programs, Developing our Girls for Tomorrow and Developing our Boys for Tomorrow. These programs were designed to strengthen parent-child relationships and form mentorships for my students. I also developed a dynamic peer mediation program, conducted parenting workshops, and implemented impressive Career Day programs. I have been a Professional School Counselor in Charles County Public Schools for over 22 years. In this county, I am well known for my passion for empowering youth and parents by continuing to implement gender-based mentoring programs, parenting sessions, and an awesome Career Awareness Program.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
My mom and I are survivors of domestic abuse. My passion for helping children and parents comes from this childhood experience. Growing up, I had a strong bond and relationship with my mother. I was viewed as a “daddy’s girl.” I grew up in a two-parent middle-class family. No one knew about the abuse that I witnessed as a child. My father was physically and emotionally abusive toward my mother. It took “a village” consisting of grandparents, Godparents, and close family friends to help me through this challenging time.
Pricing:
- EmpowerHer EmpowerMe Mother/Daughter Pair Early Bird Ticket $150
- EmpowerHer EmpowerMe Mother/Daughter Pair Regular Ticket Price $175
- EHEM 2nd Daughter Ticket $50 additional
- EHEM 3rd Daughter Ticket $30 additional
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.empowerherempowerme.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empowerherempowerme/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empowerherempowerme
- Youtube: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCYr8ZF7DDqgty2hsxsKu7KQ
- Other: https://www.youthempowerme.org/
Image Credits
@creativeexcellence.photo
