why our program is important in the community
Did you know?
72% of girls report feeling significant pressure to be beautiful.
Building A Better You exists to shift that pressure into purpose, confidence, and leadership.
Why this works:
Because Self-Esteem Is More Than a Trend!
Today’s tweens and teens—particularly young women—navigate complex challenges related to body image, confidence, decision-making, and identity. While the fashion and media industries are often viewed as contributors to these challenges, Building A Better You takes a different approach: we use fashion as a tool for empowerment rather than comparison.
Founded by Sharon Y. Decoster in 2002 and established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2018, Building A Better You - "B.A.B.Y." has served youth in Durham, Wake County, and surrounding communities for more than 20 years. Our work is rooted in personal development, leadership cultivation, and confidence-building experiences designed to meet young women where they are.
Our fashion-forward model acknowledges an important truth: today’s young women care deeply about how they present themselves—and how they feel while doing so. Instead of dismissing that reality, we guide participants in understanding the connection between self-image, self-worth, and decision-making. Through structured conversations and experiential learning, girls explore how peer pressure, media influence, communication, and personal values shape both their confidence and their choices.
Rather than attempting to shield young women from unrealistic beauty standards, Building A Better You exposes them to broader definitions of beauty, strength, and self-expression. This approach supports the development of healthy body image, enhanced self-esteem, and lasting self-acceptance.
Through our four core development programs, girls and young women ages 12–21 are supported in becoming more focused, confident, self-respecting, and purpose-driven—using fashion not as a measure of worth, but as a creative entry point for growth, leadership, and self-discovery.
As participants move through the Building A Better You™ developmental pathway, they strengthen their voices, develop practical life skills, make more intentional choices, and recognize their own capacity to lead. Each experience is designed to meet them where they are while helping them grow toward greater confidence, responsibility, and purpose. Explore Our Programs
