'Own Your Place' program inspires young women from marginalized Montreal communities this summer

A new free program called "Own Your Place" is helping young women from marginalized communities in Montreal build confidence, resilience and leadership skills this summer.

Fondation Enfant Jeunesse (FEJ) Canada and Zen dans ma tête created the program, which runs two separate cohorts of five-day immersive workshops. Trained facilitators and mentors guide participants through topics including healthy boundaries, public speaking, digital literacy and more.

"They're going out of their comfort zone; I can see it," said Manuela Rigaud Théodore, co-founder of Zen dans ma tête, on the fourth day of the program. "And from day one they told us so many things that they want to happen during this week and I see them overcome their fears."

Fourteen-year-old participant Radja Haidra said the program's accepting atmosphere stands out. "People here are really great and really nice to accept you. They don't judge you," she said.

Gina Ferrus, founder of FEJ, described the program's core mission: "You come, and you have a wall in front of you. At the end of this, we want you to break that wall and know that there are so many other doors and options that could make your future."

The program aims to create meaningful and lasting change both in participants' lives and within their communities. "I'm really happy to be here because not everybody can proceed to open up and be a great leader," Haidra said. "So I'm really glad to be here because I get to know myself and learn."