What Happens in HERStory.
Twelve weeks. Twenty-four sessions. One circle that changes everything. Here is what we build together.
My Sisters Keeper — The 12-Week Cohort
My Sisters Keeper is HERStory’s signature program: a 12-week writing, literacy, and storytelling cohort for young women and girls ages 16–24.
Participants meet twice a week in a structured sister circle. Every session includes writing time, community agreements, shared reflection, and our signature She Sees Me closing ritual. No experience required. Just a willingness to show up.
The Four Pillars
Weeks 1–3 · Pillar 1: Identity, Self-Worth & Confidence
Weeks 4–6 · Pillar 2: Mental Health & Emotional Wellness
Weeks 7–9 · Pillar 3: Community, Sisterhood & Belonging
Weeks 10–12 · Pillar 4: Career Readiness & Economic Empowerment
What to Expect
✔ Two sessions per week
✔ A personal writing journal — yours to keep
✔ Sister circle with community agreements
✔ Guest speakers, workshops & skill-building
✔ Mental health support and trauma-informed facilitation
✔ Graduation & certificate of completion
✔ At no cost to participants
National Trips — Leadership & Exploration
HERStory believes that expanding a young woman’s world is one of the most powerful things we can do. Since our founding, we have taken over 20 young women and girls on transformational national trips that combine leadership development, cultural immersion, and community service.
Where We’ve Been
Washington D.C. — National Museum of African American History & Culture, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and meetings with women in leadership across the capital.
New York City — A+E Networks, WNBA New York Liberty at Madison Square Garden, Lower Eastside Girls Club, and the Campaign for Black Male Achievement.
Los Angeles — Cultural immersion, leadership development, and production of our annual Peace Bash at Venice Beach.
These trips are fully funded for participants. No young woman has ever paid to travel with HERStory.
The Peace Bash
The Peace Bash is HERStory’s annual celebration of peace, community, and the power of young women’s voices. We have produced the Peace Bash in Chicago and on the shores of Venice Beach in Los Angeles — bringing together participants, families, community members, and supporters for a day of music, art, storytelling, and sisterhood.
The Peace Bash is more than an event. It is a declaration. A room full of young women who know who they are and refuse to be invisible.
Fall 2026 Cohort
Twice a week for 12 weeks
Open to young women and girls ages 16–24
Chicago area
At no cost to participants
Applications are open now. Space is limited — apply early.
