The Big Hat Brunch

Are you ready to pull out that Derby or High Tea Hat, get dressed up, and enjoy some fun together?

We have our inaugural signature event planned for October 20 to raise $30,000 for the Gals Lead Program for the 2019/2020 school year to support the existing club programs in place and fund new initiatives that we're excited to announce.

Our girls are struggling:

• 90% of 4th through 8th graders report being victims of bullying
  
• Girls age 14-16 engage in self harm at 3 times the rate of boys that age
  
• Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 12-18
  
• 1 in 9 girls and 1 in 53 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault at the hands of an adult
  
• 75% of girls with low self-esteem reported engaging in negative activities such as disordered eating, cutting, bullying, smoking or drinking when thinking poorly about themselves
  

Gals Lead, the Dream Queen Association's signature program for teen girls, tackles these painful statistics head on. We work with girls to develop and cultivate their self-confidence, authenticity, and leadership potential. Participants gain the clarity and confidence needed to create intentional career paths they love - ones that align with their divine passion and purpose. The program focuses on four Pillars of Success: (1) Know Yourself; (2) Dream Big; (3) Overcome Obstacles; (4) Take Action.

"As a result of attending the Gals Lead Teen Program I'm feeling more confident, motivated, and prepared for dealing with difficult situations. I learned some good tools on overcoming things that are impeding progress in the future. I also liked getting close with the other girls." - Abi C. (11th grade)

Our signature program for teens, Gals Lead, works with teenage girls to develop and cultivate their self-confidence, authenticity, and leadership potential. Participants gain the clarity and confidence needed to create intentional career paths they love - ones that align with their divine passion and purpose. Gals Lead retreats, assemblies, and clubs teach teenage girls responsibility and the role of leadership, help them develop a life-long love for learning, and ultimately equip them to transform the 7 Cultural Spheres of influence that define our world today: Government, Business, Education, Religion, Family, Media, & Arts/Entertainment.

Over the past 5 years, Gals Lead has worked directly with over 250 teen girls, held 5 weekend retreats, and hosted club programs in local schools. This fall, we will begin our fourth year of the 9-month-long Club Program at Great Mills High School, and the second year at Chopticon and Westlake High Schools. We've had fantastic results, and are ready to expand to serve more girls. We are launching in Leonardtown High School for the 2019-2020 school year, and looking to launch in Calvert, Prince George's, & Anne Arundel Counties as partnerships are developed.

We need your support to fund the program and engage more teen girls in more middle and high schools across the Southern Region of Maryland. Our goal is to sustain the programs currently in place running from September 2019 - May 2020 and launch 2 additional club programs that will run from September 2020 - May 2021.

We need to raise $30,000 to support this effort.

Please join us in making this a reality!

Public Service Announcement

By purchasing a ticket to the Big Hat Brunch fundraiser event, bidding on an auction item, or otherwise supporting the event, you agree to the terms of our Privacy Policy, available here, as well as the Terms of Use, available here, as posted on the Dream Queen Association's website. You also hereby consent to you and any minor child for whom you have purchased a ticket to be photographed at the event and those photographs to be used to promote the Association. By purchasing a ticket for your minor child, you acknowledge that you are aware that there will be alcohol on the premises of the event and that you are solely responsible for directly supervising your child at all times to ensure their safety throughout the event.