I just discovered HangPROUD.com, (being me. living free.) a female empowering website last week. Founded by Diane Prefontaine and Carla Alpert, this site encourages women and girls to stop the negative chatter and be a force for positive change.

In the corner is the phrase "snap out of it," It makes me chuckle.

They define HangPROUD: To stand united and embrace our unique beauty and individual strengths to make powerful changes in our lives, communities and the world.

My absolute favorite part of this website is the eMentoring feature. Grown women can sign up to be mentors. Girls can sign up to get a mentor. The owners of the site will pair like-minded girls and women together. The relationships happen via email, Facebook, Skype, etc.

Why didn't I think of that?

HangPROUD is about redirecting wasteful negative conversations about ourselves so that we can use this time to make powerful changes in our lives, communities and the world! it says on the Pay It Forward feature. There you'll find real ways to make a difference in the world right now.

They even had a HangPROUD scholarship fund. They donate 10% of the proceeds from their eshop, which will to partial scholarships they hope to be able to award in 2009. The above t-shirt is just a sampling of some very cool stuff you could buy to support the cause.

The site even includes instructions for how to host your own HangProud Self Esteem party for girls 10-14.

There are also workshop guides for middle schools and they will even host parties and workshops for women over 25.

Oh, and they have a lovely story on me in the Day in the Life feature.

The world can not have too many forces of positive change for women and girls.