For young men and young women.
Especially for young women who are also single mothers.
I was invited to attend a gathering of about 300 women in our area in support of education at Utah Valley University. It was such a worthwhile meeting and I felt like it was for a worthwhile goal. The main objective was to network with other women and learn how we can help young women be more successful in college and help them complete their education so that they can support themselves and their families if needed. There were plenty of women there who could contribute financially, and others like me who could contribute time and experience. Figuring out ways to help women complete their post secondary education, especially women who are also young mothers, is such an important goal. We enjoyed a delicious luncheon and some nice entertainment, but more importantly, we learned about what is happening at UVU to help young women and specifically young mothers succeed in starting, continuing or finishing their educational goals.
This concept has been in the back of my mind for years and years. Working at BYU I've seen thousands of young women on campus working towards their educational goals. The old adage "if you educate a mother, you educate generations" - rings true to me. I love to see thousands of young women educating their minds and preparing for their futures. However, BYU has not made it easy for those young women who may also have children. 25% of the student body at BYU is married and 48% of the 29,000 student body is female. Young married women either have to delay having children or figure out how to juggle education with child care while they are in class, drop out of school or delay their education until later. There is no day care available on campus. I think BYU (the LDS Church) is being cautions in avoiding sending out the message that they endorse young women leaving their children in day care to pursue their education. To me, it's a catch 22 because the LDS church values education and regularly encourages young women to receive an education or training so that they can support themselves in the future if needed. They just don't make it that easy to do that at BYU.
Enter UVU. Utah Valley University is located only a couple of miles from the BYU campus. They are a state run university and hence don't have to worry about sending out the message that young mothers are supported in leaving their children in day care to pursue their own educational goals. And more importantly, they are sending out the strong message that young SINGLE mothers have support on their campus by providing affordable or discounted day care for children to attend while their mothers are in class. There is such a need for this service. In another post I'll share what they are specifically doing.
Utah Women and Education Initiative
The
Utah Women and Education Initiative (UWEI) is the outcome of a need to increase the number of Utah women holding postsecondary degrees and certificates, enabling them to:
- more effectively contribute to the local, social, and economic development of the state;
- realize their own potential for positive influence and contributions to the public and private good; and
- positively influence and contribute in family, societal, and work contexts.
The
Initiative will orchestrate a collective effort for Utah
to become one of the most innovative and successful states in the union
by harnessing the power of education for its residents. Educators,
business people, and community members are working together to achieve
the goal of having 66% of Utahns aged 20-64 attain postsecondary degrees
or certificates. Utah leaders believe that we must harness the power of education for our
residents and continue to help more women complete college degrees and
certificates.
Both men and women with postsecondary degrees and certificates, whether
they participate in the paid workforce or not, are better prepared for
roles as community members, homemakers, and caretakers. As noted by Dr.
Susan Madsen and colleagues, “A college education is more than a gateway
to an affluent lifestyle. Earning a college degree has implications far
beyond the workplace. The non-tangible benefits of receiving a college
degree are, at minimum, equivalent to the monetary ones, and they
extend from individuals to families and communities.” Among other
benefits, Dr. Madsen cites
research that shows the following advantages
for college educated women: a healthier lifestyle, increased life
satisfaction, better lifelong learning skills, expanded knowledge,
enhanced analytic skills, deeper creative thinking, better decision
making, increased civic and community engagement, strengthened
leadership skills, more developed social skills, heightened self-esteem,
and stronger reasoning. These benefits are felt tangibly as women help
mold the next generation of Utah children and strengthen our society.
I hope to get involved in this worthwhile goal in some way.
