If anyone knows how to turn a bad situation into an experience of a lifetime, it is Zoie Joseph, a middle schooler from Forest Park.
Ten-year-old Zoie was featured during this year’s Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards on Saturday, July 13 as one of this year’s winners of the bronze Jefferson Awards.
Part of the Nickelodeon Our World initiative, launched to help and encourage kids to make change in the world, the awards are given to the country’s top kid changemakers who are dedicated to their communities.
Zoie was recognized as the author of “Confident Girls: For the curious, brave, and bold girls,” a journal activity book to empower young girls to build self-confidence and learn to be resilient.
“I wanted to help other girls who might be going through some of the same things I did, like bullying,” Zoie said.
The rising sixth grader at Forest Park Middle School said she drew from those past hurtful experiences and designed the journal activity book around affirmations, journal prompts and other activities to help guide girls through their emotions.
“They can write down some things that make them feel more positive about themselves and I hope that after they use the book that they will feel more positive, confident and brave,” Zoie said.
It was through Zoie’s involvement in Jack and Jill of America, an organization dedicated to developing and nurturing future African-American leaders, and its partnership with Nickelodeon that she was nominated for the award.
She was one of four kids selected across the country from the hundreds of nominations, said Monique Norington-Joseph, her mother.
“I was super proud of her,” Norington-Joseph said. “These have been a tough, transitional couple of years. Middle school and fifth grade can sometimes be challenging.”
Norington-Joseph said the idea for the journaling book was born out of trying to find different ways to help Zoie cope with the bullying she was experiencing after moving to a new school.
“Writing and journaling and she loves to draw…so I just took something that was at the center of who she is and we made a negative into a positive,” Norington-Joseph said.
The mother-daughter duo worked on their own journal prompts and other social-emotional activities. That led to the creation of the journaling book.
“It was exciting to see this happen for our Zoie,” Norington-Joseph said. “She is a great young girl. She has a lot to contribute and I think this is going to be great for her moving forward.”
An added benefit, she said, was seeing her daughter’s self-esteem grow.
“That was a big deal…. the fact that she is learning how to use her own voice, which is so important for girls,” she said. “Many times our girls sit back and they don’t understand that their voice matters. To see my own child learn how to take initiative at such a young age to speak up when something isn’t right, even speak up for her own friends, it’s important.”
Zoie’s story and book is gaining recognition. She will be doing various appearances, including a trip to the White House in August, and will be featured in a live interview with CBS to discuss her award.
The journaling book came out in March and is available for purchase on Amazon.