Youth Infusion, Inc.

We are so excited for Week 11 Session of our Youth Infusion 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱™ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺. Our young girls will be learning from two powerhouses ....two women who are entrepreneurs, are driven and have built successful businesses. They are teaming up to show these girls that their voices are powerful. Susan Vernicek-Berkowitz will be speaking with the girls through podcasting and the topic is 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙎𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙇𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨. Samantha Washington will be speaking to the girls through video and the topic is 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙑𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚, 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙑𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙃𝙖𝙨 𝙋𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧. These young girls have built strong bonds and trust and we are just 1 week away from their celebration so this specific activity will build on all they have been learning in the past 11 weeks, through their connections with one another and with the women speakers who have shared about their businesses and their experiences and have guided them through specific activities that have touched on youth voice, building confidence, being kind, feeling strong and brave and so much more. 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗸-𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗸𝗼𝘄𝗶𝘁𝘇 <3 Susan Vernicek-Berkowitz is Youth Infusion's Board President. Susan Vernicek-Berkowitz is a certified mindset and business coach, best known as your Mindset + Achieve™ Coach. She’s a Seasoned Speaker, Author, Podcast Host, and Creator of wellness magazine, IdentityMagazine.net. She continues to spread her inspirational energy and expertise worldwide via workshops, conferences, Podcasts, TV, and digital and print channels, including Identity Magbook and her #1 Amazon Bestseller, “Get All A’s in the Game of Life: Insights Along the Way”, Entrepreneur Edition and Mother’s Edition. 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗮 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻 <3 Samantha Washington is a Task Force Mentor for Youth Infusion. She has helped us with our Video Production and special projects which we are so grateful for. Sam Washington is the co-founder of We See Productions, a video production company located in the Poconos. Sam has always loved learning and chose her college major knowing that digital media is a quickly evolving industry that would require constant learning and experimenting. She is an alumna of Northampton Community College: Pocono Campus and East Stroudsburg University. Community is one of Sam’s personal guiding pillars and that is part of the reason she decided to start a business in the Poconos. She has taken the Girl Scout Law of making the world a better place to heart and is on her way to do that with We See Productions. 𝙏𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙎𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙣: www.SusanVernicek.com www.IdentityMagazine.net 𝙏𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙎𝙖𝙢: We See Productions: https://lnkd.in/eHSFUPSD #girlsinfused #GirlsEmpowerment #youthmentorship #youthleadership #girlsempoweringgirls

𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟏𝟎 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 Youth Infusion 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝™ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 welcomes speaker, Lindsay Larsen, Co-Owner of Phoenix Athletica Boutique Fitness Studio. Lindsay will be speaking to our young girls about the importance of making healthier choices when it comes to food and she will be leading them in an exercise routine. The girls will learn about reading food labels and will even be tasting some healthy foods and making smoothies. We hope they will enjoy exploring new healthy foods and ultimately incorporate them into their daily lives. 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒂𝒚: With over a decade of experience in the fitness industry, helping clients to achieve a balanced lifestyle is Lindsay May Larsen's goal. Lindsay May Larsen received her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Performance and Wellness from Colorado State University and has applied that knowledge to help clients shed thousands of pounds over her career as a fitness expert and certified personal trainer. Lindsay’s approach to health and wellness is a philosophy that focuses on continual life-long learning as she helps clients work toward enhancing their well-being by empowering them with the knowledge, skills, support, guidance and resources to assist and inspire them on their journey to a healthier life. After successfully dropping more than fifty pounds herself, Lindsay May Larsen's personal struggle with weight loss makes her more adept at addressing the needs of her clients because she has the benefit of walking in their shoes. Lindsay is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, is a Qualified TRX instructor, group fitness instructor, Dynamax medicine ball trainer. Her passion for helping others achieve optimal health made her realize her lifelong dream of owning her own fitness studio, with her partner to continue to assist clients with all of their health and wellness needs at Phoenix Athletica, where she provides nutrition counseling, individual personal training and group classes. Learn more about Lindsay May Larsen and Phoenix Athletica at https://lnkd.in/dA8_v-9J

Bring us your shoes on April 21st! https://lnkd.in/e8-Mj6hd

Week 9 of our Youth Infusion Girls Infused Program was all about Community as we prepared for our Youth Infusion Earth Day Celebration and Ribbon Cutting this Sunday, April 21st. It was important that the girls understood the meaning of community, what it takes to have a successful fundraiser and what that means for a non-profit or special and important cause and promoting awareness to that cause. They shared their understanding and I must say, I was truly impressed that they knew so much about the importance of being involved in their community and volunteering. Sophia was able to practice what she was going to say at the Earth Day Event and get some suggestions from her peers on her presentation for Sunday. The girls helped to make some signs we will use for our Earth Day Activities and on-site fundraising efforts. I love how much they are truly bonding, sharing, and helping one another. So proud of them and love their energy. ~ Elika Almeida, Co-founder, Executive Director of Youth Infusion https://lnkd.in/e8-Mj6hd

Our Youth Infusion Girls Infused Program Week 8 Activity with Tricia Lowrey Lippert was so much fun. The girls enjoyed hearing Tricia's journey as an artist and learned about different art forms and mediums. They learned that art offers an opportunity to develop and deepen their ability to express themselves, feel the power of their voice through art, build confidence and self-esteem and positive ideas/feelings about themselves in order to combat the negative societal messages that they begin to receive from an early age. It was evident as we watched the girls work together by painting our Mother Earth mannequin that they were so comfortable with one another and sharing stories and having such a great time. They have built strong friendships through the Girls Infused Program. Getting together every week has strengthened those relationships. At the end of the session, the girls and their parents were discussing how they just really love the positive energy and feelings that their daughters are sharing after each week. Thank you to Tricia Lowrey Lippert for your time and your artistic talents and for guiding the girls through this Mother Earth painting session. We can't wait for you to see the entire Mother Earth Exhibit made from recycled materials come to life at our Youth Infusion Earth Day Celebration and Ribbon Cutting on April 21st at The Historic Castle Inn. For more information about our Girls Infused program, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/eUbeQN8X For more information about our Earth Day Celebration and Ribbon Cutting: https://lnkd.in/e8-Mj6hd To learn more about Local Artist Tricia Lippert, you can visit her website at: https://lnkd.in/e3K6VNRd #EarthDay2024 #servicelearning #art #girlsinfused #girlsempowerment #motherearth Youth Infusion

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟴 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱™ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 Tricia and I had a wonderful conversation about how she knew at a very young age that she wanted to be an artist. Tricia is going to share with our young girls about her love of art at such a young age and talk a bit about her own journey as an artist. It was fascinating to hear about her work with plein air art, which is something I have been wanting to do for a long time. I am excited that Tricia Lowrey Lippert will be guiding these young girls through the planning of the Mother Earth Exhibit. We have a manequin that we acquired from another local artist as well as a rocking chair that will be painted and then displayed at our Youth Infusion Earth Day Celebration and Ribbon Cutting on April 21st. If you don't already know this, Tricia is one of the artists that paints the Snowmen Of Stroudsburg. She has been painting in her studio and en plein air. She has participated in many regional shows in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, winning several awards and honorable mentions. She does volunteer work for several non-profits in Monroe County. Tricia donated a large bag of acrylic paints to Youth Infusion and we are so grateful. We can't wait to use them! Tricia believes in speaking in pictures. Her quote and mantra is, ❝𝐌𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐫, 𝐦𝐲 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.❞ To learn more about Tricia Lowrey Lippert, you can visit her website at: https://lnkd.in/ezWNwgiG #SnowMenOfStroudsburg #pleinairpainting #girlsinfused #girlsempowerment #CommunityConnection #leadershipdevelopment #youngartists #YouthVoices #youthprograms

We can't thank you enough Melissa Miller-Kontir CAS for being our Youth Infusion, Inc. Week 7 Speaker for our 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝™ Program. These young girls truly enjoyed connecting with you and learning about your successful career and your Women Owned Business TCB Promotions! We appreciate you sponsoring the T-shirts for the T-shirt Tie Dye Activity. It was so fun watching them create their shirts. They are going to wear them to our next session and also at our Youth Infusion Earth Day Celebration and Ribbon Cutting when they come to volunteer and help Sophia and Emma with their Earth Day Service Project, "Sunshine Smiles Infused Loved Packages." Melissa - Thank you for bringing in some cool merchandise to show our parents and our girls. Youth Infusion looks forward to partnering with you with our future programming and initiatives! 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙈𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙮, 𝙏𝘾𝘽 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨: In 2012, TCB Promotions' founder and President, Melissa Kontir, asked, “How can I do it differently?” TCB is her answer to that question. Having experienced the cold, numbers-driven environment of the corporate promotional products industry, Melissa started TCB to make change: to do it right and differently. At TCB Promotions, we empower dreams with meticulous precision, accomplishing through diverse lenses, and sculpting a vision for heartfelt promotional experiences. As a woman-owned enterprise with minority staff, we are committed to empowering and being empowered. Our vision is to leave every individual we touch as a better person, helping them find balance among career, family, and home. For more information about TCB Promotions: https://www.tcbpromo.com/ #girlsinfused #girlsempowerment #GirlsLead #youthvoice #MentalHealth #promotionalproducts

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟳 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀: 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗮 𝗞𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿 I can't believe we are already into Week 7 of our Youth Infusion 𝙂𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙄𝙣𝙛𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙™ 12-week young girls empowerment program. It has been so amazing to watch these young girls so excited to come every week. They are learning, building bonds with one another and I can see them getting more and more confident when they present their projects in front of everyone. Melissa & her company TCB Promotions is our sponsor for this week's session. She has graciously sponsored our T-shirts which the girls will use to create beautiful Tie Dye Earth Day Shirts. Thank you Melissa Kontir!!! 𝙈𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙖'𝙨 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚: "𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠, 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙮!" 𝘼 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙈𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙖: In 2012, TCB Promotions' founder and President, Melissa Miller, asked, “How can I do it differently?” TCB is her answer to that question. Having experienced the cold, numbers-driven environment of the corporate promotional products industry, Melissa started TCB to make change: to do it right and differently. At TCB Promotions, we empower dreams with meticulous precision, accomplishing through diverse lenses, and sculpting a vision for heartfelt promotional experiences. As a woman-owned enterprise with minority staff, we are committed to empowering and being empowered. Our vision is to leave every individual we touch as a better person, helping them find balance among career, family, and home. For more information about TCB Promotions! https://www.tcbpromo.com/ #girlsinfused #girlsempowerment #youthprograms #promotionalproducts #EarthDay2024

𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙒𝙚𝙚𝙠 6 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙧 for the Youth Infusion 𝙂𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙄𝙣𝙛𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙™ program was Maria Nicole Frascella from ByMaria Nicole. Maria's daughters, Sophia and Emma are participating in the Girls Infused Program which made this past week super special. Maria is a seasoned Facebook and Instagram Ad Strategist and Digital Marketer. Maria engaged the girls in a conversation about the pros and cons of using social media. We all know that social media can greatly influence young girls today. Videos and pictures on image-based social media platforms can trigger intense episodes of self-comparison in adolescent and teen girls. Because of their still-developing brains, they may process this self-comparison in ways that can pose real risks to their mental health — and lives. This was a very important topic and the girls shared their knowledge and what they know about social media. Afterwards, they made some butterflies from cardboard and used modge podge to glue on their butterflies. We encouraged them to create butterflies that symbolized that told a story about them and what they love. Thank you again Maria! 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖: Maria is a Social Media Maven, a seasoned Facebook and Instagram Ad Strategist and Digital Marketer with a rich portfolio of work in health and wellness, coaching, course creation, e-commerce, B2B, construction, pest control, medical field, political advertising, clean energy and B2C. Her forte lies in crafting tailored advertising campaigns that resonate with the unique needs of each business. Using custom-tailored campaign strategies, Maria helps brands find their dieal clients, propel e-commerce ventures, unearth the ideal audience, boost brand visibility, drive qualified leads, and ultimately increase sales. Beyond the world of pixels and algorithms, the native Pennsylvanian, Maria spends quality time with her family soaking up the sun along the Jersey Shore. #girlsinfused #socialmedia #youthprograms

Thank you to Jennifer Strzelec, Leadership Lackawanna /Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Program Coordinator for inviting our Executive Director, Elika Almeida, to your STEAM day at Marywood University. She was happy to share information on Youth Infusion’s Youth Leadership Advisory Board Program. We are looking forward to our collaboration next year. #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipskills #youthprograms