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OUR MISSIONWe help girls develop into women who achieve their dreams and fill the roles of leadership in this nation and world. Through mentorship, scholarships, and youth-led community action, we equip girls to be confident leaders who disrupt the status quo.
OUR VALUES
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OUR STORY
In 2012, our founder Joy Lindsay lost her younger sister, Kimberly Anyce Lindsay, in a tragic gun accident. Kimberly lived her life in service of others; she believed deeply in the power within each girl. Joy became determined to preserve her sister’s legacy.
She started by writing a children’s book, “When a Butterfly Chooses to Fly,” that dealt with themes of sisterhood, loss, and change. Joy then shared the book with hundreds of students in Newark, New Jersey. On her school visits, she realized how many young women had stories of their own to tell. She wanted to help them do it. Joy saw that equipping girls to share their thoughts and stories wouldn’t just be educational—it would be healing, empowering, and build a community of girls who were unafraid to raise their voices.
Many of our girls face adversity and inequity simply because of who they are—because they are Black, because they are Latinx, or because they are from low-income communities. Our girls are often overlooked, underserved, and lack access to the opportunities they deserve. Joy set out to change this. She launched Butterfly Dreamz with a bold vision: to empower a generation of young female leaders to disrupt the status quo. In honor of Kim, we would rally around the image of a fearless butterfly, and center around three declarations—to live boldly, dream big, and fly high.
Joy formed our Advisory Board to help her execute our vision. Since our first program pilot in 2015, we have helped hundreds of girls grow as leaders and achieve their dreams, built numerous partnerships with local community organizations, schools, and businesses, and published several young adult books. More importantly, we frequently hear from our girls that we’re changing their lives. According to one of our students, “Butterfly Dreamz teaches girls that nothing is impossible.” That’s exactly how we want them to feel.
As we gear up for our 10th anniversary and celebrate the life of Kimberly Anyce Lindsay, Butterfly Dreamz has committed to helping 2200 girls enroll in their dream colleges and career programs by 2022. Through our #2200by22 campaign, we’ll be awarding thousands of dollars in scholarships to middle and high school girls, connecting hundreds of girls across the country to mentors and quality leadership development programs, and supporting other grassroots organizations through mini-grants and technical assistance.
Our beloved ancestor Dr. Dorothy Irene Height once said, “We have to realize we are building a movement.” Indeed, we have come to this realization. Butterfly Dreamz is a movement that equips girls to lead, to thrive—to live boldly, dream big, and fly high!
She started by writing a children’s book, “When a Butterfly Chooses to Fly,” that dealt with themes of sisterhood, loss, and change. Joy then shared the book with hundreds of students in Newark, New Jersey. On her school visits, she realized how many young women had stories of their own to tell. She wanted to help them do it. Joy saw that equipping girls to share their thoughts and stories wouldn’t just be educational—it would be healing, empowering, and build a community of girls who were unafraid to raise their voices.
Many of our girls face adversity and inequity simply because of who they are—because they are Black, because they are Latinx, or because they are from low-income communities. Our girls are often overlooked, underserved, and lack access to the opportunities they deserve. Joy set out to change this. She launched Butterfly Dreamz with a bold vision: to empower a generation of young female leaders to disrupt the status quo. In honor of Kim, we would rally around the image of a fearless butterfly, and center around three declarations—to live boldly, dream big, and fly high.
Joy formed our Advisory Board to help her execute our vision. Since our first program pilot in 2015, we have helped hundreds of girls grow as leaders and achieve their dreams, built numerous partnerships with local community organizations, schools, and businesses, and published several young adult books. More importantly, we frequently hear from our girls that we’re changing their lives. According to one of our students, “Butterfly Dreamz teaches girls that nothing is impossible.” That’s exactly how we want them to feel.
As we gear up for our 10th anniversary and celebrate the life of Kimberly Anyce Lindsay, Butterfly Dreamz has committed to helping 2200 girls enroll in their dream colleges and career programs by 2022. Through our #2200by22 campaign, we’ll be awarding thousands of dollars in scholarships to middle and high school girls, connecting hundreds of girls across the country to mentors and quality leadership development programs, and supporting other grassroots organizations through mini-grants and technical assistance.
Our beloved ancestor Dr. Dorothy Irene Height once said, “We have to realize we are building a movement.” Indeed, we have come to this realization. Butterfly Dreamz is a movement that equips girls to lead, to thrive—to live boldly, dream big, and fly high!
OUR NAME
In Kim's honor, Butterfly represents courage, strength, and boldness, the same qualities we celebrate in our girls through our books and programs. We spell Dreamz with a “z”. We know it’s different. We know it’s not spelled that way in the dictionary. Leadership means breaking with convention. Time and time again, the world tells our young women that they’re not meant for greatness. For centuries, the halls of power have looked a certain way—largely white and male. The young women of Butterfly Dreamz are stepping up and stepping in. Some will be uncomfortable. Some will say they just don’t “fit.” That they’re too loud, too bold, flying too high. We say—fly higher, get louder, be bolder. Make change.
