Introducing myself and my journal

About Me:
Because she believes that educating girls and women is the key to overcoming gender discrimination, Melissa started the Advice to My Thirteen-Year-Old Self project in August, 2013. This initiative includes an anthology of letters written by fifty women around the world, an online community where women and teens can submit writing, and a series of empowerment and writing workshops and classes for teen girls and parents. Melissa is currently planning a 2015 Global Leadership and Empowerment Summit for teen girls in Peru. For more information about the Advice project, please visit: www.advicetomy13yearoldself.com

More about Melissa: After attending Columbia University for Art History, Melissa worked in the arts, finance and education before developing a successful freelance writing, editing and marketing business working with clients such as Scholastic, Inc. and NYU-Poly. Melissa is a faculty member of the Wandering Educators Youth Travel Blogging Program, has developed successful Saturday programs that empowered parents to become active partners in their children's educations and has partnered with after school programs that served teens and their parents. Melissa travels for many months out of the year with her daughter, and founded a popular travel, education and single parenting blog called Break Out of Bushwick, which inspires families to take hold of their dreams.

My Passions:
Empowering and educating teen girls and women

My Challenges:
Funding

My Areas of Expertise:
Writing, editing, community programming, education, workshops, leadership training