Non-profit to hold workshops

HonestMe, a local non-profit organization, is set to find ways to help young women find skills and hobbies through a series of workshops beginning next month.

The first is an introduction to backpacking followed by a lesson on nutrition.

Katie Simpson, who has launched the non-profit, said that the birth of her daughters and deaths of both of her parents to cancer in recent years has changed her outlook.

“After my daughters were born this came from that life change for me,” Simpson said. “I really noticed a need for young women to be exposed to different ideas and concepts to help them navigate the world as they enter college and the work force.”

Simpson works professionally as a life coach, helping people find their calling and making the most out of the hand they are dealt.

The idea behind the classes is to teach life skills and to help young women find something that they can excel in. Experts on the various topics come in and teach the classes.

“I really wanted to create a place for young women to come and get exposed to experts in various areas,” Simpson said. “We really didn’t have anywhere like that around here. What we’re trying to do is bring in people who are willing to donate their time to teach young women about their areas of expertise.”

The cost is $15 per person, pre-registration is required. Simpson said that the fee will be waived for the first five people who mention this article. There is an option to select this discount when signing up at http://www.honestme.org/workshops.

Classes are held on Sundays from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Dailey Method Studio, the space at 1810 30th St. in Boulder was donated by owner Emma Updike.

“We have a lot of community support,” Simpson said. “This is really just the tip of the iceberg. We haven’t reached out as much as we want to, but everyone we’ve talked to wants to get involved.

“There are a lot of women who are willing to give their time. Right now it’s just about reaching out to the young women in the area that want to attend the workshops.”

Simpson is also working with high schools and the local FBLA group.

The classes are geared for high school and college-aged women and looks to teach life skills that are not normally taught in public schools.

“It’s to show how we can support each other as we identify our values and create a vision for our life,” Simpson said. “This is an organization that creates a place for young women to come together and really accelerate their personal development.”

Simpson’s regular job is a life coach, helping people look at their decisions and use their experience to get the most out of their lives.

“That’s where this concept came from,” Simpson said. “There are so many different areas where we get into what we call ‘life design.’ What I realized is that is that I’m not an expert in everything, and I know the power of getting women in groups.

“Through talking with clients, they want a place to come toehter with their peers and learn about life skills. It’s really about knowledge sharing and identifying mentors.”

She said that funding for these programs is not always available for schools, and that the volunteers mostly say that they wish they would have had a similar program in their youth.

“Young women need to come together in an environment where it isn’t competitive,” Simpson said. “It’s more that we’re all here to learn together. It’s the life skills we take with us as we go on to college and beyond. It’s important to draw on the self-actualization skills.”

Simpson added that several businesses, including Movement Climbing and Fitness Gym which donated some rock climbing passes and others who are volunteering their time.

The first workshop is August 6 titled “intro to backpacking,” followed by a nutrition workshop on August 27. This workshop focuses on grocery shopping and food preparation.

Simpson said that the goal is to empower high school and college-aged women to improve their lives.

Volunteers that lead the workshops are experts in their respective fields, and Simpson said they are currently looking into more ideas for workshops that focus on exercise and various hobbies.

The core areas for future workshops are career exploration, personal branding, self-care, strong body, sisterhood and disciplines of consciousness.

For more information, visit http://www.honestme.org.