Press Release - Over 1000 Girls Attend LA County Parks Girls Empowerment Conference

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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2019

Contact: Katie Martel, (213) 304-9863
Email:  kmartel@parks.lacounty.gov

Over 1,000 Attend “I Matter” Girls Empowerment Conference Hosted by Los Angeles County Parks & Recreation

EAST LOS ANGELES – Today, over one thousand girls ages 11-18 attended an empowerment conference entitled “I Matter: My Voice - My Choice” hosted by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation at East Los Angeles College. Interactive workshops, powerful speakers, networking, and dynamic activities provided participants with useful tools and pathways to a successful future.

“When we first started this event in 2015, it was a luncheon with about seventy-five girls. Today, we had over 1,000 girls from across Los Angeles County building their confidence, exploring pathways to college, and thinking about their career goals,” said Norma E. Garcia, Chief Deputy Director, Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. “The Girls Empowerment Conference provides a fun, inspiring opportunity to help girls in our community find their voice and know that they matter.”

This year’s workshops included topics such as career and college planning, financial literacy, civic engagement, self-esteem building, mental health, and cyberbullying. The keynote address was provided by Superior Court Judge Lucy Armendariz, an East Los Angeles native.

The I Matter: Girls Empowerment Conference is hosted by the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation in collaboration with East Los Angeles College. The conference is organized by a team of leaders who strive to provide girls and young women with meaningful experiences that help enhance their lives.

For more information, visit lacountyparks.gov or follow us at @lacountyparks on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Video from the event available at: https://bit.ly/30N7dXB

 

About LA County Parks and Recreation:

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation manages 182 parks. It also operates a network of 9 regional parks, 38 neighborhood parks, 20 community parks, 14 wildlife sanctuaries, 8 nature centers, 43 public swimming pools, more than 200 miles of multi-use trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding, and the largest municipal golf system in the nation, consisting of 20 golf courses. The department also maintains four botanical centers: The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, the South Coast Botanic Garden, Descanso Gardens, and Virginia Robinson Gardens. The department also owns and operates the iconic Hollywood Bowl, which is jointly managed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, and also operates the beautiful John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, providing County residents with valuable entertainment and cultural resource.