In the spirit of community, giving back and old-fashioned goodness, over 100 adolescent and pre-teen girls and women were inspired, motivated, encouraged and enriched during the 5th Every Girl Can, "Smart Image" conference at Bowie State University in Maryland. A free event for girls, the annual conference is a way of giving back to community and making a difference in the lives of teen girls.

The conference celebrates Global Civility Awareness Month which occurs annually in May as designated by the Chases Calendar of Events. Every Girl Can founder and conference organizer,Yasmin Anderson-smith says "civility is about treating others with respect, kindness, consideration and building trusted relationships" Anderson-Smith also noted that civility embraces philanthropy, personal responsibility and self-restraint"

The theme of this year's conference, Be Bold, Beautiful and Brilliant is to empower girls and women to embrace healthy self image practices as well as an "I Can Do This" mindset as it pertains to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs and careers. Presenters included professionals from image, etiquette, coaching, and STEM fields.

Opening the conference were, keynote presenters, Dr. Heidi Hammel, Executive Vice President of AURA Inc., and Dr. Adrienne Smith, Health Advisor at the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Hammel challenged the girls to soar and dream big as she debunked myths about science.

Dr. Dawnielle Farrar, Senior Mechanical and Materials Engineer of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory highlighted the afternoon plenary, themed, Your Future is STEMtastic! Acclaimed author, Marita Golden was also a conference presenter.

"Girls and women attending the conference experienced a day of fun and learning to strengthen their life skills, personal image, table manners, etiquette, civility, fitness, and healthy nutrition," explained conference coordinator, Euwanna Heard, Nurse Practitioner at Bowie State University.

Participants made amazing discoveries about STEM academic and opportunities. Bowie State college students representing Ladies of Radience, and women professionals who are leaders, managers, authors, entrepreneurs, educators and researchers in STEM fields encouraged and motivated attendees.

Yasmin Anderson-Smith, who is an image and personal branding coach, author and speaker, says she created Every Girl Can to help girls find their voice, be bold, confident, and make smarter choices. The conference is Yasmin's way of giving back to community and is a signature event of her consulting firm,

KYMS Image International which is headquartered in the Washington DC Metro Area.