Rags 2 Riches!
by Francesca Fashionista ⋅ October 17, 2017
If you can wear a garbage bag and look good… you can wear ANYTHING!
Students at schools throughout Nova Scotia used their skills and imagination to create outfits that will have the top designers wanting their secrets.
Stand Up Speak Out
Empowering who you are on the inside builds confidence on the outside!
A Day of Empowerment
Stand Up Speak Out is a day where thousands of youth come together as one across the province to help reduce or remove bullying from their schools, homes, or circles of friends. Keynote speaker and founder of Teens Now Talk magazine, Jessica Bowden M.S.M., showed how empowering oneself on the inside builds confidence on the outside. “Listening to her speak was fun; she had all of us laughing, learning, and committing to make a change,” says Khenedhi. “I was honoured to be asked to be one of her helpers.”
After two days of speaking with over 900 students from two schools (South Colchester and Hants North Rural High), Jessica smiled and said, “Let’s have some more fun! Which school is next?”
“Let’s face it,” says Jessica, “youth carry around so much extra luggage in their backpack that does nothing but weigh them down. We need to help them remove, replace, and replenish what is in their bag! This day is about ways to reduce bullying, and, for me, that starts with youth from the inside out. This is their day to build up their self-esteem, encourage respect among students, and promote student writing.” The youth had the opportunity to creatively express how to stand up/speak out, write about their backpacks, and have fun tapping into their personal power to inspire others—and create some awesome outfits!
“We were honoured to have Jessica at our school. The students were engaged and connected to the point where they are still talking about this day to their friends,” says VP of South Colchester Academy, Jody Miller.
“The fashion show was the highlight of the day. Jessica connected and provided the youth with the tools to build their personal power, gain knowledge about SWAG, and she provided each with a platform to showcase their creative talent,” says Hants North Rural High Principal Leanne Searle. “Seeing our youth so inspired to make a difference while creating their outfits was amazing. There was no shortage of smiles.”