There’s hardly a little girl out there who hasn’t imagined herself as a real-life princess. Somehow, regardless of cultural upbringing or socioeconomic status, almost every little girl has an innate desire to be viewed and treated as royalty.

One Washington D.C. based organization is working to make local girls’ princess dreams come true. Building Hope is a community organization established by Coressa Williams, who wanted to help young, vulnerable girls avoid becoming victims of their circumstances. One of the programs created by Building Hope is the Princess For A Day event, a mentorship program which aims to encourage and empower these young girls.

Speaking with ABC local affiliate WJLA, Coressa shared that the program is open to girls of all ages, some being as young as three:

“We found out that the younger a child is and that the more you provide positive affirmations to them, they take ownership of that and they embody that. And it actually begins to emulate what you have been telling them over and over again.”

Each month, workshops are held where community volunteers as well as actual titleholders from various pageants come in and teach the girls classes on etiquette, posing, poise, and leadership skills. They also address issues such as bullying and negative stereotyping. The program has grown from 27 girls in it’s first year in 2017, to 105 girls this year.

“Part of being a Princess is just not walking that red carpet, it is about community service and giving back, Williams shared.

Another area of emphasis is teaching the girls the importance of community service, and the organizations participates in various outreach projects where the girls play a direct role in giving back to their neighbors and those in need.

After their months of training, the girls participate in a pageant where they showcase their skills by walking a red carpet, and every girl earns a tiara at the end, reminding them of their intrinsic value as a young woman and human being.

The girls who participate in the Princess For A Day program can come back again every year, and once they age out they have the opportunity to continue to participate as volunteers and mentors. This year’s pageant will take place on March 23 at Tabernacle Church in Laurel, MD from noon to 2 p.m.

To volunteer with Building Hope, the Princess For A Day program, or to enroll a child in the program, visit the organizations website by clicking here.