BeTween Initiative aims to help girls connect with resources

According to studies, many preteen girls struggle with self confidence. BeTween Initiative is a local group with the goal of helping.

BeTween Initiative was founded in 2018 by Heather Cugini, a local physician who found that, when she looked up tween self confidence, one of the first things to pop up was plastic surgery.

Amanda Murray, Cugini's sister, is on the board on The Tween Initiative for marketing. Murray said the group is Cugini's brainchild. After seeing the results on her Google search, Cugini wanted to find opportunities for young girls to learn about to gain confidence.

The organization is focused on promoting the health and wellness of tween girls. The group was created to highlight local groups and organizations that help positively influence the education, fitness, self-image and overall health and wellness of tween girls in the area.

The organization is composed of community members, industry professionals, parents and friends who share a common goal to honor the space between "no longer" and "not yet" by encouraging our area tweens to embrace who they are today, who they will be tomorrow, who they want to become in the future, according to a news release.

BeTween is sponsoring a BeTween Initiative Expo from 1 to 4 p.m. April 1 at the Osage Centre. This will be the first expo since 2019, because of COVID-19. The event will feature a variety of interactive exhibits to orient tweens to programs and opportunities available to them they might not know exist.

"We did talk about it and wanted to try and do something virtual, but it just wasn't the same experience." Murray said. "The whole expo is really built on walking the hall and having that one-on-one interaction with all the girls and people in the room."

There will also be activity booths hosted by Discovery Playhouse and SEMO Area Health Education Center; performances and demonstrations by local cheer, dance, yoga and martial art groups; "Tween CHOPPED!" hosted by Square One Wellness; social media safety seminars by Safe House of Southeast Missouri and SEMO Network Against Sexual Violence; and a 1-mile Fun Run sponsored by Missouri Running Company.

The event is free to attend, and the first 200 tweens will receive a free gift.

Follow BeTween Initiative on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SEMOBeTweener.