Building Confindent Girls. Empowering Courageous Women. Transforming Communities.
Empowerment Center for GIRLS
"EM·POW·ER·MENT"
the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one's life and claiming one's rights.
A Partnership Between LA County & SHIELD
This new year-round program is designed to help girls grow academically, physically, and emotionally in a safe, positive, and inspiring environment surrounded by our coaches and peers, overlooking the ocean.
SHIELD After School Academy for Girls will offer:
* Homework assistance in a supportive learning environment
* Confidence and leadership development
* Practical self-defense and personal safety training
* Dance, fitness, and enrichment activities
* Outdoor beach activities and games
* The SHIELD Empowerment Journey – our year-long leadership and life skills curriculum
Monday to Friday: after school to 6PM
School pick up will be available from participating schools with a minimum of 5 students
Parents can drop off students starting at 3pm
OPEN HOUSE: Sunday, October 18, 2026
SHIELD Girls (ages 5-12): 1:00-2:00pm
SHIELD Teen Leadership (ages 13-18): 2:30-3:30pm
Meet the coaches, tour the facility, tryout our self defense, dance, and core workout sessions. Refreshments are available.
GRAND OPENING DATE: OCTOBER 19, 2026
Beautiful Beach-Front Facility
Dockweiler Youth Center
12505 Vista Del Mar, Playa Del Rey
Located right on the sand, the Dockweiler Youth Center is a 2 story, 8,800 SF facility, equipped with a full kitchen, restrooms, 3 separate activity rooms, a large beach front patio, beach-front balcony, and a recreation room for games.
Your daughter gets to spend every afternoon at the beach, completing homework, learning confidence, leadership, and self-defense.
Introducing SHIELD Empowerment Journey
Every month, girls will explore a new empowerment theme woven into our leadership activities, homework support, discussions, self-defense lessons, team-building exercises, and special projects. Together, these monthly themes help girls develop the confidence, character, and resilience to succeed both in school and in life.
SHIELD Empowerment Journey
October – Courage
Standing up for yourself, facing challenges, and trying new things.
November – Gratitude & Kindness
Developing empathy, respect, and appreciation for others.
December – Leadership Through Service
Learning that great leaders make a positive difference in their communities.
January – Goal Setting & Growth
Building healthy habits, perseverance, and a growth mindset.
February – Healthy Friendships & Boundaries
Creating positive relationships and learning to communicate with confidence.
March – Resilience
Overcoming obstacles, managing setbacks, and bouncing back stronger.
April – Respect & Personal Safety
Building self-respect while learning awareness, healthy boundaries, and practical self-defense.
May – Confidence
Believing in yourself and discovering your strengths.
June – Celebration & Leadership
Celebrating accomplishments while preparing girls to become role models and leaders.
At SHIELD, we believe self-defense is about so much more than physical techniques. It’s about helping girls develop confidence, make smart decisions, set healthy boundaries, and become strong leaders in their schools and communities.
Empowerment Center for GIRLS is a place where girls can develop confidence, build lifelong friendships, discover their leadership potential, and learn practical skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives.
Empowerment Center for GIRLS
Who do you accept in SHIELD After School Academy?
SHIELD After School Academy is open for girls ages 5 to 18 years old.
Girls will be split up into various age groups, learning and discussing materials appropriate for their levels. Friendship, however, goes across the age groups and forms a special sisterhood community.
Our culture of being the BEST means we only include the BEST programs, we only hire the BEST instructors and coaches, and we only accept the BEST students in our after school academy.
Honor and respect will be taught from day one. Misbehaved student who cannot follow instructions will not fit in our program.
There is ZERO tolerance on bullying.
We are NOT a Daycare or Child Care or Babysitters.
SHIELD After School Academy is a structured program exclusively for girls, with carefully selected life-skill lessons led by professionals in their fields, specifically chosen to empower the young ladies as they grow into adulthood.
Structured Program
SHIELD After School Academy is a structured program that focuses on daily improvements of crucial skills:
- Habits & Character! - Habit defines one's character and shapes one's life. Living mindfully is about noticing what we do, how we feel and what we eat...moment by moment.
- Balance! - Balance is defines as the correct body placement within a space or determined movement.
- Coordination! - Coordination is the physical ability that allows a person to perform orderly movements that are aimed toward executing a specific technical action.
- Speed! - Speed is the basic physical ability to perform gestures in the shortest amount possible.
- Strength! - Strength is defined as the subject’s physical ability to lift, support or defeat a weight of mass by muscle action.
- Agility! - Agility is the ability to react rapidly with adequate movement to changing situations.
- Spatial Perception! - We define Spatial Perception as the knowledge of the environment and its surroundings. It is also known as situational awareness. It involves the subject’s awareness of their situation and possible situations in their surrounding space.
- Body Perception! - Body perception is a cognitive structure that provides the human body recognition in any situation and the information needed to establish relations with the environment, including self awareness, and its position in space.
FOUNDING FAMILIES OPPORTUNITIES
Limited FOUNDING MEMBERSHIPS Available
For the First 20 Families to join
Waived Registration Fee ($99 value)
Lock in the discounted rate for the entire school year ($100 off/mo)
Permanent special recognition of Founding Members
Receive one complimentary Private Lesson ($200 value)
Monday to Friday from school dismissal to 6pm.
Parents pick up by 6pm.
Our program is in session when school is in session.
FREE TRANSPORTATION TO PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
(Min 5 kids/school for a school pick up)
Parents can drop off students by 3pm daily.
Dockweiler Youth Center
12505 Vista Del Mar, Playa Del Rey
SPACE IS LIMITED
Reserve your daughter's spot today!