Power of Positive conference boosts girls' confidence

Young women from high schools across Winnipeg learned about self-confidence and being happy at a fun conference in Winnipeg on Thursday.

The Power of Positive conference brought together 120 teenage girls to dance, have fun and talk about the challenges they face, such as struggles with body image.

"Some girls are like, 'Oh, my body's … not right. My stomach is sticking out, I need to lose some weight,'" said Brenda Hamilton a 16-year-old participant from the Bloodvein River First Nation.

Organizers of the conference say they want to change that mindset and arm girls with the tools they need to be confident and happy.

"Sometimes it's not very fun to be a young girl in our schools," said Power of Positive co-ordinator Pam Danis.

"We can find our flaws in an instant and you ask someone to say what is great about you? And they really struggle with it."

Carol Ploen-Hosegood created the Happy Monkey Club, which runs the Power of Positive conference.

Ploen-Hosegood said through fun activities and guest speakers, girls learn "to be positive, to eat healthy, live active, have fun and give back.

"If you do something within those pillars every single day or on a regular basis in your life, you've got nothing to complain about," she added.

Participants like 15-year-old Freda Spence of South Indian Lake say they plan to share the messages and lessons they've learned with their classmates.

I think everybody's more, like, worried with being perfect and everything. But I think they should just be happy," said Spence.

Power of Positive will also be hosting conferences for junior high students and adult women.