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'Good Girl Comeback' Promotes Self-Esteem, Modesty, and Morality in Young Girls

Chelsea Gheesling's goal is simple: "To share our message with as many girls as possible," and that's exactly what she's doing. Good Girl Comeback is the movement that promotes the idea of the "good-girl." Wanting young girls to find their true fulfillment that only comes through being a "good-girl," Gheesling, founder of the movement and local Metro Detroit native, first started Good Girl Comeback as a series of conferences that emphasized self-esteem, modesty, and morality.

Today, Good Girl Comeback has had more than 600 girls attend their conferences since she started movement started in October 2011. Gheesling said, "I'm a real-life 'good-girl.' Though I'm far from perfect, I was blessed to hear a very important message at a young age…living a 'good-girl' lifestyle is the only way to true happiness and fulfillment."

Gheesling, from that moment on, was on a mission to be a "good-girl." She believes the message the world is sending to younger girls - that you must be a "mean-girl" to get somewhere in life - is false. "To the contrary, being a good girl has got me everything I've ever wanted in life...and more," said Gheesling.

Good Girl Comeback targets two different age groups of young girls, middle school aged girls and high school aged girls. Gheesling says, "As the girls get older, they face different challenges and issues, so I want to make sure that the conferences are addressing the topics relevant to them." Good Girl Comeback aims to make the conferences something young girls plan on attending every year from 6th to 12th grade. Each year will have new topics and information to be discussed, all with the underlying goal of promoting what it means to be a "good-girl."

The movement also offers a way for the parents of the girls to get involved. Gheesling adds, "Involvement of the parents is a key component in the Good Girl Comeback." At the end of each conference, the parents are invited to attend their own session. There, there are opportunities for questions, discussion, and reflection on the topics discussed with the girls. Visit the Good Girl Comeback website for more information here.

Gheesling will meet with Kara Eschbach, editor-in-chief of fashion and lifestyle publication Verily Magazine, and Ann Marie Neme, founder of the educational and charitable organization ChoicesDetroit, on June 25th to talk about how they're harnessing digital media to build communities of authenticity and strength for women.

Good Girl Comeback will also travel to Haiti this summer to volunteer at an orphanage in Port au Prince and encourages young girls to be a part of their mission. Gheesling, who has been on 6 mission trips, adds that the trip is a life changing and humbling experience. You can find out more about the trip here.

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