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Nonprofit A Beautiful Me tells committee its program builds confidence and workforce skills for girls
Summary
Karen Palka, founder of A Beautiful Me, described an 18-year program serving over 13,000 girls with workshops and a business certification program aimed at building confidence and workplace skills; she said the nonprofit seeks wider access and partnership with schools.
Karen Palka, founder and executive director of A Beautiful Me in Port Huron, told the House Education and Workforce Committee that her nonprofit has provided confidence- and workforce-focused programming to more than 13,000 girls over 18 years.
Palka described an 8-hour workshop series targeted at fifth graders designed to increase perceived self-worth, a business certification program (Emerge 360) that uses the organization's retail social enterprise "The Closet" as a classroom, and a model intended to teach soft skills employers report as essential for workforce readiness. "8 hours of a workshop can be retained after 10 years," Palka said, and she contrasted that impact with rising mental-health and disengagement trends among girls in middle and high school.
Committee members asked Palka about expansion and funding. Representative Boyce asked if the organization sought state appropriations; Palka said she was exploring multiple avenues to expand access but focused on Michigan. Representative Fax asked how the program supports a range of life paths; Palka said activities like dream boards and vision-casting encourage participants to pursue their individual goals.
Palka said the organization is ready to partner with schools, ISDs and workforce agencies to bring curriculum into the school day rather than limiting it to after-school programming. The committee thanked Palka for her presentation.
