Empowering young girls in our community who come from diverse backgrounds

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Empowering young girls in our community who come from diverse socio-economic, racial, and academic backgrounds is the mission behind a Tucson non-profit.

Mini Poderosas, meaning “powerful” is the name behind the movement, looking to impact girls all across our community.

KGUN9 sat down with Azucena Bravo, who used to work with Title 1 students in the area, who recently created Mini Poderosas after she noticed a lack of confidence and resources for girls ages 8 to 18 in our school districts and decided it was time for a change.

Creating this non-profit has allowed girls to learn from professional women in Tucson and have mentor-ship that gives them the confidence to believe they can do anything they set their minds to— specifically in the workforce.

"Especially in those careers that are dominated by men, where girls feel like they don't have the confidence to go for careers in STEM," said Bravo. "We always invite community members to come empower them and really make that impact."

Bravo tells KGUN9 growing up in Southern Arizona there weren't a lot of women who looked like her that were represented across the board and she wants to change that.

That change is something she gets to witness every single day.

"I want to impact them in a positive way so they can build their self esteem and become the next change makers in our communities," said Bravo.

The group is still fairly new and they do not have an official location or meeting spot just yet.

However, Mini Poderosas thrives off community engagement. If you know of any girls who could benefit from this or you might be able to help mentor in some way reach out to Azucena Bravo at a.perry@minipoderosas.org or m.rivera@minipoderosas.org