It's My Life
A Young Women's Life Skill and Leadership Program
The YWCA Salem has been a leader in civil rights and advocacy for women and girls in the Mid-Willamette Valley for 93 years. She has served as a community springboard for critical local programs, providing them with administrative support until they are stable enough to stand on their own. The YW is part of the world’s oldest and largest multicultural women’s organization and her mission is to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA Salem helped meet the needs of over 10,000 women, children, and families last year, providing advocacy, case management and resource assistance, women’s health care and health education, parent and child education and support.
Program goal
The goal of the proposed life skill program is to provide a venue for women to support and teach each other that crosses economic and social barriers, giving skills for life to women living in the YWCA’s residence and women in the Salem and Keizer communities experiencing life transitions.
Program objectives
- Create a community resource for young women, unduplicated by any other organization or civic group
- Offer skill building and mentorship designed to focus on relational and self-efficacy skills necessary to personal and interpersonal success
- Provide vision, purpose, and leadership opportunities to young women
- Utilize critical physical space in a way that benefits the entire Salem-Keizer Community
Program strategies
These goals will be accomplished through several phases, resulting in completion of the following:
- An array of programming that addresses the pre-employability and relationship barriers to young women’s success in the workforce and the world
- Mentorship, scholarship, leadership, and service opportunities to create relationships between program participants and supportive women in the community.
- Strengthened connections between young women in universities, women in the workforce and in service organizations, and young women faced with employability, educational, and situational barriers to success
- Using established and evidence based curricula, programming using cognitive behavioral and social learning modalities and models for mentoring
- Providing opportunities for program beneficiaries to partner with community women on a leadership board
- Bringing community partners to a centralized location to offer their workshops and resources, thus creating a hub of opportunity for women and girls
- Establishing a social entrepreneurial program to generate revenue and provide work experience
Program design
It’s my life will begin as a life skills program connected to the housing opportunities offered by the YWCA of Salem. Women between the ages of 17 and 24 living in the 12 subsidized housing units will participate in the program as a condition of their continued residence at the YWCA. They will work with the Life Skills Coach to evaluate their needs and establish a course plan. Classes will be offered on a rotating basis and at times that are accessible and convenient. Graduates of the classes will have opportunities to serve on a leadership board, mentor other students, and participate in program work experience.
Housing
The program has twelve studio apartments available for young women in the program. These units are “income qualified” units and occupants may not make more than $11,900 to qualify. Average rents will fall between $260 to $300 a month, including utilities. Units will be available after January 1, 2008.
Program
All women accepted into the program will sign an agreement to attend a weekly two hour class on a Tuesday evening. Classes are expected to last nine months. They will be offered in modules and will cover such topics as employment skills, health, nutrition and cooking, finance and budgeting, communication skills, self-esteem and additional life skills. Classes will be offered in modules of four to six weeks with a break in between.
Each girl will be partnered with a successful woman in the community as a mentor and will agree to make time each week, in addition to classes, to meet with their mentor.
The anticipated starting date for the classes will be March 1, although there will be several organizing meetings prior to that date that residents will be required to attend.
Selection process
The YWCA looks forward to receiving your application. You may apply online, mail your application or bring it by the YWCA at 325 13th Street NE. (corner of 13th and Chemeketa). Interviews will be conducted beginning the first week in December. All accepted interviewees will then be directed to meet with Housing Northwest to qualify for the housing units. If all conditions are met for the program and you qualify for housing you will be considered for one of the twelve studio units.
It’s my life will provide a vital component to the YWCA’s continuum of services and opportunities for women and girls and address a critical gap in support and education in this community.
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