The mission of the KHSD Young Women Empowered for Leadership Program is to instill confidence, build self-esteem, promote effective communication, inspire college and career goals, impart an appreciation of culture, and encourage sisterhood. Through mentoring, community involvement, and the support of various African-American women of excellence in the Bakersfield community, YWEL invests in the African-American young women in the Kern High School District to help them graduate with the academic, social, and leadership skills that will enable them to be successful in their postsecondary pursuits and in life.