This Program is an expansion and subset of our Women’s Leadership Program, focusing on creating educational and networking opportunities for a refugee populous suffering high poverty and unemployment rates.
It is devoted to the specific needs and concerns of refugee and young immigrant women.
Young women, in particular those between the ages of 15-30, face a crucial transition period where many of the decisions they make affect the course of their adult lives, by bridging the generation gap and bringing together women of all ages.
This Program focuses on creating a safe environment in which young women are linked to mentors in the Burlington area as a means of gaining not only career and personal guidance, but also the self-confidence to become strong, self-sufficient and independent community leaders.
It features empowerment and financial literacy workshops for low to medium literate girls and young women, English language tutoring, career support, parenting workshops, an apprenticeship project for women’s traditional arts and a mentor network linking Burlington community professionals to aspiring women.
The Program is overseen and administered by our Women’s Committee and provided for women in an effort to create a safe and comfortable environment for growth and development.
It positively impacts the unemployment rate among young women, noting a drop in the high unemployment rate of those seeking employment.
The goal of the young Women’s Network are to provide a childcare community program that enables more women to seek and gain employment and educational opportunities.
To improve the mentoring network established with Chittenden County professionals. To keep on supporting and facilitating the biweekly meetings devoted to families and parenting, including pre marriage counseling, pre- and post-natal care.
To continue to provide the English language-tutoring Program to individual women in which volunteers meet with students in their homes or in easily accessible community spaces.
To provide materials, space, and tools to support and preserve traditional women’s art forms. Finally, to provide educational programming, such as financial literacy workshops, tailored to young refugee women’s needs and challenges.
