SunLine bus unveiling empowering Ophelia Project
Kiera Seapy
THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) — A new SunLine bus is now hitting the road with a message of empowerment.
SunLine is unveiling a new “Butterfly Bus” that highlights the Ophelia mentorship program, which has helped thousands of Coachella Valley girls build confidence and leadership skills.
The Ophelia program was founded in 2002 and has since trained more than 1,000 mentors and impacted more than 7,000 girls in grades 8-12. The bus features local women leaders and former students who have gone on to successful careers.
The bus features local women leaders and former students who have gone on to successful careers. The story focuses on how mentorship can help young women reach their goals and why organizers hope the bus will inspire the next generation
The Ophelia Project is a team-based mentoring initiative by the John F. Kennedy Memorial Foundation that empowers at-risk middle and high school girls (grades 8–12) in the Coachella Valley. It focuses on building leadership, self-esteem, and academic and career readiness to help young women break the cycle of generational poverty.
For some of the participants, the impact is personal… “It gave me a female role model I never had. And I got to be like, oh, that’s who I should look up to, it just gave me an opportunity to, like, know what I would be eventually in the future” said Alyssa Gunther.
She said Ophelia helped her find guidance and confidence during a rough time, and mentors say support is exactly what the program is designed to provide.
“We try to give them a safe space where they can talk about themselves and what they’re hoping to do.” said Diane Dykema, an Ophelia mentor.