CINCINNATI — The Bridge Program is a 45-minute trauma-informed facilitated weekly program at Gamble Montessori High School.
An uplifting mantra is recited at the beginning of each session. The girls say, "Today is the day I changed my life. My ears are open to hear what it is I need to hear. My eyes are open to see what it is I need to see. My mind is open to a new way of thinking. I open my heart for transformation. I am worthy. I am empowered. I am more than enough."
Each girl is taught the value of releasing emotions, especially by putting pen to paper. Everyone is given a guided journal to walk them through the program.
Watch to see how the Bridge Program is transforming the lives of teen girls at Gamble Montessori High School:
"We can come here and open up about things we thought we would never open up to somebody else," Demaria said.
She said after their meetings on Wednesdays, she physically and mentally felt lighter.
"This is really like a safe place," she said, smiling.
The founder of From Fatherless to Fearless Candice Crear said the Bridge Program is an extension of that organization.
"Our organization is very unique in the United States," Crear said. "When it comes to focusing on teen girls, I've only been able to find five other nonprofit organizations."
She shared some of the serious challenges facing girls who have participated in the program.
"A little girl who just had her boyfriend cheat on her," Crear said. "We've had girls who talked about themselves and the fact that they had to deal with so much life stress that they were cutting themselves."
Crear said she understands the pain some girls have shared with her. She was raised in a single-parent home, was raped in high school, and fell into alcoholism in college.
Her team goes into detention centers and Cincinnati Public Schools to seek girls struggling in silence.
"You never know what somebody is really going through," Demaria said.
Crear said she has now made it her mission to help young girls overcome tremendous challenges and guide them to strengthen their mental and emotional muscles for the bright futures ahead of them.
"We focus on that resilience factor, but also understanding your value, increasing your confidence so that you can make better decisions," she said. "But also bridging that gap where these girls feel like they don't have that support system."
More information on this program can be found onthis website.
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