Brampton - More than 300 grade 7 and 8 female students at Cheyne Middle School will be inspired to empower themselves through education, awareness and celebration during the Cheyne Girls' Conference. The  two-day event is designed to promote self-esteem, self-confidence and positive body image.

"We need young women to see beyond the images promoted by the media," says Hazel Mason, principal at Cheyne. "We want them to be proud of who they are—to be empowered and to be their own agents of change. We want them to define who they are and not be defined by what other people think. We want our female students to get a little healthy dose of I am woman, hear me roar."

This full-day conference will run twice, once on April 24 for grade 7 students and again on April 25 for grade 8 students. Students, female staff members, parents and community members are invited to participate. A number of guest speakers will address such topics as body image, fitness, nutrition and future career opportunities. Participants will also be able to visit displays sponsored by local community agencies, including Peel Health.

Notes Mason, "Our goal is to impact the self-esteem of our female students and to encourage them to make positive choices. We want to inspire them to dream and to dream big."

An assembly will be held between 9 and 9:30 a.m. to open the conference. The conference agenda wraps up at 2:45 p.m. Cheyne is located at 236 Queen Mary Drive in Brampton.