Girls' Teen Summit Impacts Local Teenage Young Women

Dozens of girls now have new life skills, thanks to a two-day workshop where they listen to speakers on topics most relevant today.

"I think it's a really good tool for those who are in, like, a less fortunate area, or in marginalized communities specifically, to be able to have an event that's targeted towards them," Jayla Smith said.

Jayla Smith said this is the fourth year she's attended the Girls' Teen Summit at the Tulsa Dream Center.

She said every time, she's learned a different topic to help her later in life.

"I feel like you're able to look at different aspects of the future. Such as like, college readiness, financial literacy, so there's just a lot of just different things and programs that you can be part of and learn more about for the future," Smith said.

She said a huge topic for her is financial literacy.

"I was able to learn at the age of 13 you know like what a budget was and how to implement that into my future plans for college and beyond," Smith said.

The two-day workshop isn't only for the girls, it's for their parents too.

They also learn about warning signs for mental health problems, domestic violence, human trafficking as well as maintaining healthy relationships with their daughters.

"How to communicate with your daughter. That's a 'ding ding ding' when it comes to dealing with a teenager. And so those are things that are just needed and it's just amazing," Glenda Porter said.

Glenda Porter and her daughters have attended since 2014.

She said this weekend is helpful for the parents as much as the girls.

"I think even the parents go away with kind of a renewed sense of confidence -- that 'you know what? I can do this,' raising teenagers is not easy," Porter said.

They said it's a weekend that's unforgettable.

"This whole weekend really ends up being a safe, fun, space," said Porter.