Founder Judaline Cassidy shares how Tools and Tiaras helps young girls hold onto their early confidence through hands-on trade experiences.
Judaline Cassidy
Founder, Tools and Tiaras
Your mission focuses on empowering young girls through hands-on experiences in the skilled trades. What inspired you to start Tools and Tiaras, and how have you seen girls’ confidence and independence grow through your programs?
The reason why I started Tools and Tiaras was really not so much to empower girls, but to make them never lose the empowerment that girls actually have. When we were little girls, we had dreams of being pilots, astronauts, engineers, and presidents, and then the world smothers that. I wanted to harness that and make sure girls never lose that warrior spirit. I remember being a little girl and wanting to be Wonder Woman and a lawyer at the same time, and then the world tells me I’m too short or don’t look a certain way, and we give up. I just didn’t want girls to lose that empowered feeling that we all have as little girls.
When introducing girls to skilled trades, safety and proper use of tools are obviously key. How do you approach teaching these critical skills in a way that’s engaging and empowering?
We start workshops teaching the most powerful words in the universe: “I am.” Then, we go to safety, reminding them that the No. 1 rule is safety first, because we want them to go back home safe. We provide all necessary safety gear — glasses, gloves, helmets — and bring in women skilled in the craft. A female pilot, carpenter, or bricklayer teaches them directly. This shows it’s okay to make mistakes and encourages learning.
We even created our own safety manual, “Q Safety First: A TNT Warrior Girl’s Guide to Dreaming Big and Staying Safe While Learning and Doing Construction Projects.” It covers safety gear; rules like no jewelry, long pants only, and the buddy system; teamwork; asking questions; and more. Girls sign a certificate agreeing to the rules.
Our age group is 6 to 17. Girls find out about us through past participants and social media. Moms and dads, especially moms who wish they had something like this, sign their daughters up. By the end of the first day, the girls come back on their own.
What are some of the most memorable success stories or transformations you’ve seen in girls who have participated in your programs?
Since 2017, we’ve seen a lot of transformations. Tanzara Rashad, one of our original alumni, met a construction company at camp, went to college for structural engineering, and now works as an engineer. Samantha came to camp wanting to be an architect or interior decorator, met a female pilot, attended Aviation High School, and is on track to be a Delta pilot, even completing a Boeing internship. Penelope was signed up for a welding workshop and is now on track to be an architect, completing an internship with a women-owned architecture company.
We teach life skills through our Total Ownership of Life Skills programming, which includes finances, self-defense, meditation, yoga, debating, public speaking, and more. We aim to develop girls into leaders who step up, not who wait to be asked.
There’s often a perception that trades are male-dominated or off-limits to girls. How does Tools and Tiaras work to shift these perceptions and make hands-on careers feel accessible and exciting?
We start as young as 6 years old, showing people that girls can use chop saws, miter saws, or soldering guns. Girls love masonry, welding, and other trades when given the opportunity. Positive reinforcement from peers helps those who may hesitate at first. At the end of camp, girls always highlight sisterhood, learning with peers and encouraging each other.
We were the first to start with 6-year-olds. People thought it was crazy, but it’s now a path others follow. When I started, funding was extremely hard because people underestimated the intelligence required in construction, but I want to change that perception. Construction workers create and maintain buildings, airports, and more, and that requires serious skill and intelligence.
Looking ahead, what are some initiatives or projects you’re most excited about that will continue to open doors for young girls in skilled trades?
We’re pushing to bring more technology into programs. Construction increasingly uses technology, and we started virtual reality programming so girls can practice welding virtually before doing it in real life. Our dream is to have Tools and Tiaras chapters across the United States. We’re moving to a bigger space to expand programming beyond monthly workshops and two summer camps, including after-school programs.
Our next workshop, in partnership with another nonprofit, will teach girls about black pipes used in gas lines at home. We continually come up with new, hands-on experiences and involve skilled tradeswomen to lead them.
