Letter From the Executive Director
Dear Friend,
I am truly elated and overjoyed about the opportunity to provide the Houston community with a program that is one-of-a kind. Sisters Empowering S.I.S.T.A.S., Inc. is a program that will prepare teenage girls in leading well-rounded, balanced lives centered on their personal beliefs, interests, and goals. Ultimately empowering them with life skills that will make them strong, independent and assertive leaders!
In January of 2006, I began the privileged journey of creating Sisters Empowering S.I.S.T.A.S. in Atlanta, GA; an organization that prides itself on helping teenage girls shape their dreams, mold their minds, and in the process influence their character. As a Group Facilitator with another community organization I realized that I have a profound passion for youth education and preparing them for their futures and have truly enjoyed watching them grow and expand their knowledge of themselves and the world around them. What an honor it is to now bring this knowledge and experience to the Houston, TX area.
As a society, we are reminded daily of the pressures that teenage girls face; from teenage pregnancy to fractured families to dealing with low self-esteem and the list continues. S.I.S.T.A.S. understands the need to design programs that address these issues and ultimately wants to create, replicate, and emulate positive traits and skills that will affect their character and lives in a much bigger way. Our primary focus is to make our girls RICHER – Respectful with Integrity and Control who are Honest, Empathetic, and Responsible.
In partnership with the S.I.S.T.A.S. board, I am fully committed to our girls and our community as we work together to create new options for more girls to grow into healthy and independent women. Of course, to achieve our goals, we need the continued support of our community - as volunteers, providers of financial support, and role models of success for our girls.
Together, we will help each girl we touch find the treasure within her, instilling a belief that her dreams are indeed possible to achieve. I look forward to our journey with a profound sense of passion and dedication and welcome you to join me!
Sincerely,
Kymberly S. Jamison
Founder and Executive Director
S.I.S.T.A.S. Mission
Our Mission
To empower teenage girls in becoming strong, independent, and assertive women who will lead successful lives and who will be prepared to tackle any situation.
Our Purpose
To enable every teenage girl we encounter with the necessary skills and confidence to be able to handle herself in any situation. Participants will leave the program with the drive and self-esteem to maximize their potential by successfully accomplishing their personal goals and serving as role-models for their peers.
Our Goal
To equip our participants with life skills, education, and guidance that will prepare them to lead well-rounded, balanced lives centered on their personal beliefs, interests and goals. Through a series of programs focused on real-world experiences we will help shape their dreams, mold their minds, and influence their character.
Program Information
Sisters Empowering S.I.S.T.A.S.
Sisters Empowering S.I.S.T.A.S., Inc., founded in 2006 in Atlanta, GA and now in Houston, TX, is a four-year program designed for girls grades 9-12. The goal of the program is to empower participants with life skills, education, and guidance that will prepare them to lead well-rounded, balanced lives centered on their personal beliefs, interests, and goals. The life of a teenager is difficult in our society today. The statistics below show the depth of the issues and pressures teens experience on a daily basis.
Teen Statistics:
- 32% of high school girls have consumed alcohol and 6% have used hallucinogenic drugs at least once. (1)
- Suicide ranks as the #2 cause of death for youth ages 10 to 24. (1)
- Among American high school girls in grades 9 to 12, 38% have had sexual intercourse. (1)
- Of the 20 million new sexually transmitted diseases each year, more than half were among young people between the ages of 15 and 24. (2)
- 66% of teenagers say that they feel most people do not see them for who they really are. (8)
- Although the high school dropout rate is decreasing on a national level, 1.2 million students drop out of high school each year in the United States. (3)
- Some estimate that roughly 60% to 70% of teens are involved in the hookup culture and about 20% of them lose their virginity via non-committal sexual activities. (4)
- Texas ranks 4th in the US among states with the highest teen pregnancy rate. (5)
- 22.8 percent of females reported being bullied compared to 18.8 percent of males (6)
- Students who have experienced cyber-bullying at some point in their lifetime has nearly doubled from 18% in 2007 to 34% in 2016 (7)
- 63% of teenagers say that their appearance is an important factor in their identity (8)
Sisters Empowering S.I.S.T.A.S. wants to help address these issues! Therefore, through a series of programs and activities focused on real-world circumstances, S.I.S.T.A.S. (Strong Independent Sisters Tackling Any Situation) will provide program participants with skills that will shape their dreams, mold their minds, and in the process influence their character. Participants will have the opportunity to be exposed to a variety of content through discussions, exercises, and other hands-on activities centered on a variety of situations, including:
- Healthy Relationships
- Values & Identity
- Social Media Etiquette
- Leadership
- Body Acceptance
- Financial Literacy
- Failure & Resilience
- Goal Setting
- Drug & Alcohol Awareness
- Diversity & Inclusion
Participants will leave our program with the drive and self-esteem to maximize their potential by successfully accomplishing their personal goals and serving as role-models for their peers. Ultimately empowering them with the skills that will make them strong, independent and assertive leaders!
Teen Statistics Sources: (1) CDC 2017 Teen Statistics, (2) 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, (3) National Center for Education Statistics 2016, (4) Guttmacher Institute 2014, (5) CDC Teen Birth Rate 2016, (6) The National Center for Education Statistics 2016, (7) Cyberbullying Research Center 2016, (8) StageofLife.com Teen Trends Report
Board of Directors
Kymberly Jamison - Founder & Executive Director
Kymberly, originally from Columbus, GA, is currently the Director of Category Management with i2i Foodservice. Kymberly's passion for working with girls began with her teaching a healthy relationships class with a youth organization. This experience inspired her to start S.I.S.T.A.S. in 2006. In her spare time Kymberly enjoys playing tennis, traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Yolanda Bruce - Treasurer & Education Director
Yolanda is an urban school administrator, originally from Tennessee. She has a passion for working with and developing youth. Yolanda has more than 15yrs of experience in leadership development and curriculum writing. Currently she serves as a Program Manager for Leadership in the Houston area. In her spare time she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Tanisha Haynes - Program Planning & Operations
Tanisha, a native Houstonian, currently serves as the Director of Client Development with NPD. As an expert in the Food Industry, Tanisha is eager to combine her passion for data research with her passion of developing and guiding youth. In her spare time she loves traveling, reading, listening to the news and podcasts, movies, food experiences, and spending time with friends and family.
C'Nea Hatches - Marketing & Social Media
C’Nea is a Community Marketing Manager with DICK’S Sporting Goods where she helps sponsor youth sports in the Houston area. With over ten years of sales and marketing experience, C’Nea has worked with companies such as the Houston Rockets and Target. In her spare time, she enjoys cheering on the Jayhawks and traveling the world to experience new cultures.
Ar'Sheill Monsanto - Community Outreach & Advocacy
Ar’Sheill currently serves as the Executive Director for the Texas State Alliance YMCAs. In her role she oversees advocacy and public policy for Ys in over 200 communities across the state. Outside of work she is also the blogger and creative coach for ArYouSerious.com; a lifestyle blog dedicated to personal and professional development for savvy women.
Carole Jamison - Administrative & Finance Operations
Carole currently serves as President of Midwest Golf Association. She is a member of United States Golf Teachers Federation, Sisters Across America Golf Association, and the Two Seaters Golf Foundation. In addition, she is an active volunteer of Give Kids the World Foundation. In her spare time, she enjoys golfing, traveling, and coaching junior golfers.