PAWTUCKET – Gail Ahlers and her city-based Empowerment Factory are set to mark 12 years of, as she explains it, inspiring more than 10,000 local youth through art-based social and emotional learning.
There’s a lot of chatter about workforce development for high school and college-age youth lately, Ahlers told The Local Insider, and she’ll tell anyone who will listen that The Empowerment Factory provides the foundation for that future.
“My point is our programs are at the very beginning of workforce development,” she said.
That includes increasing their self-esteem and the way children feel about themselves and are empowered to dream bigger, she explained. No one wants to work with a confrontational person, and these young people are learning now to get along with others, the “very fundamental layer of workforce development, when kids are starting to dream.”
On May 6, The Empowerment Factory will host its annual fundraiser at The Met, 1005 Main Street. in Pawtucket, “to support equitable access to art-based social emotional programming. Click here for tickets and information on sponsorships and other ways to help.
The Empowerment Factory is based near The Met within the Hope Artiste Village complex.
For those who can’t attend but want to help, they can donate or bid on an online auction.
“Enjoy a night of groovy people, yummy food, raffles and live music with The New Providence Big Band,” states Ahlers in a news release.
While 250 people in the room would be ideal, Ahlers said they’ll be happy with their goal of 200. The 10-year anniversary event typically has a little more cache than years immediately following, she noted, but they’re still hoping to take in some $50,000 to continue their programming. It’s not just about attending, she said, but about sponsoring, donating, and purchasing items in the online auction.
“There are ways to participate without having to attend,” she said, listing off some of the items up for auction, including hotel stays, restaurant gift cards, rides on private planes, and VIP tickets to Rhode Island FC soccer games.
Looking back at how they ran programs 12 years ago compared to today, Ahlers said, there are many similarities, but today they’re more intentional about everything they do, with lesson plans connected to the social emotional core and everything more focused and refined.
Because she doesn’t have a degree in psychology or education, said this woman who introduces herself as a Rhode Island School of Design graduate, creative thinker, and designer, she’s always relied on wonderful people, including experienced educators, coming alongside her to help.
“I started this work because I’ve seen firsthand how creativity can change a child’s sense of what’s possible,” she said.
All children, regardless of background, are provided with free art-based programs and the opportunity to express themselves and develop valuable skills, said Ahlers.
“When a child feels empowered, it ripples out, to their family, their school, and their future,” she said.
This event isn’t just a fundraiser, she said, but a celebration of what’s possible when a community comes together for its children.
She said in addition to workforce development, she also sees what they’re doing as potential suicide prevention, giving children the tools they need to understand and manage their feelings and effectively community and ask for help.
Of the fundraiser, she said “there are a lot of different things for different people,” mentioning as an example a partnership with the Center for Dynamic Learning and its camps.
“Whether you join us on May 6, bid online, or simply help spread the word, you’re helping us reach more kids who deserve these opportunities,” she added.
The Empowerment Factory exists to ensure that every child, no matter their circumstances, has access to creative tools that build confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging, Ahlers said.
“For 12 years, we’ve provided free, art-based social-emotional learning programs to kids across Rhode Island, helping them express themselves and develop skills they’ll carry for life,” she explained.
There are many donation options, said Ahlers, including a monthly PayPal option on their site, empowermentfactory.org, or contributing via a donor-advised fund through Fidelity or the Rhode Island Foundation, where someone can choose to give their organization a portion of their annual large contribution.
