source: www.styleite.com
When I grow up, I want to be Amy Poehler. Hands down, Amy is the most badass woman in comedy slash IRL and a true inspiration to women and girls everywhere.
You may know her as the super energetic city councilwoman, Leslie Knope, from Parks & Rec or as the hilarious former co-host of Weekend Update on SNL. Maybe you know Amy as one of the OG members of the Upright Citizens Brigade or as one half of the amazing duo with Tina Fey (seriously, if I had 3 wishes, two of them would be to spend the day with Amy & Tina).
source: dlisted-michaelk
What you might not know about Amy is that aside from being one of the funniest women on the planet, this busy lady is also an accomplished author, producer, actor, and writer, (the list goes on..) Adding on to that already insanely impressive resume, Amy is also one of the founders of a fabulous organization, Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls, that has a mission to empower girls and CHANGE THE WORLD BY BEING YOURSELF!!
The Smart Girls website creates online campaigns that engage girls in areas like volunteerism, civic activism, cultural exchange, and self-expression through the arts. The website emphasizes intelligence and imagination over “fitting in ” and it celebrates curiosity over gossip. The Smart Girls platform is a place where people can truly be their weird and wonderful selves. In addition to running awesome campaigns and sharing DIY projects, Smart Girls has also created the Smart Girls/Creative Action Summer Camp in partnership with the non-profit organization Creative Action. How cool is that? I wish I could have gone to a summer camp run by Amy Poehler when I was a kid.
source: www.hercampus.com
My favorite part of the Smart Girls platform is the “Ask Amy” video series where Amy personally answers your life questions via a video response. According to the site, “Her wisdom is useful to all of y’all.” I totally agree. (Check out this video of Amy in action giving advice to a young girl about being courageous and taking risks).
Positive spaces like the one Smart Girls provides are SO important. Amy has created a fun and insightful resource that champions and empowers young women, letting them know that their best option is to be themselves. I really love EVERYTHING about this.
Amy is an inspiration to all of us, and definitely makes me wonder what else I can do to empower myself and adolescent girls all over the world. Of course, the #ShowYourSelfie campaign comes to mind! Here at Global Citizen, we believe that young people must be given the tools needed to pursue their dreams -- tools like access to education and comprehensive sexuality education. By supporting #ShowYourSelfie you can be a part of making sure the girls EVERYWHERE have the right to determine their own future.
Thank you Amy for being the badass woman that you are and for all of the incredible things you do!
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Natalie Prolman