Greetings!
Education equals empowerment. Women Employed is working towards a world where every woman—no matter her background or her situation—is able to get the education and training she needs for the family-sustaining job she wants. As students at all levels are returning to the classroom, we’re focusing this issue of WE-Zine on tools, information, and resources that can help current and former students become economically secure.
In Solidarity,
Women Employed
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Student Debt Cancellation a Welcome First Step Forward |
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Last week, the Biden Administration announced the cancellation of $10,000 of federal student loan debt for borrowers with income less than $125,000, and $20,000 for borrowers who had Pell Grants. They are also changing income-driven repayment plans to limit payments to 5 percent of income and extending the student loan payment pause until December 31, 2022. This is a huge step towards economic relief for borrows and reduce economic stress, but there is more work to be done.
And if you’re one of the millions of people struggling with student debt, check out our page of student debt resources to learn where you can go for help.
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Your Student Loans Could be Forgiven! |
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Did you know that public service employees may be eligible for Federal Student Loan forgiveness? The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program allows Federal Student Loan borrowers to apply for forgiveness if they are employed full time by a government, 501(c)(3) organization, or public-serving nonprofit, and meet other requirements. Recently the program has undergone significant but temporary changes that make it easier for certain borrowers to qualify for PSLF if you act soon!
In April, Women Employed proudly hosted experts from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) to discuss the existing PSLF program and share information about the new Limited Waiver for PSLF.
Reducing debt is one of the keys to building wealth, which is essential for women’s economic empowerment and financial security. Women hold two-thirds of student loan debt in the U.S. and are thus disproportionately burdened by the student loan debt crisis.
If you want to learn more about PSLF or if you have applied for PSLF and been denied, then this webinar is for you! To learn more about PSLF, click here to watch the replay and learn how you can become one step closer towards economic empowerment.
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Introducing the NEW and IMPROVED Career Foundations Curriculum |
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Career Foundations is a short course that helps participants explore their career options and develop a career pathway plan that leads to good jobs, strategically using their current program (Adult Education or Workforce) as an on-ramp. In June, Women Employed updated our curriculum to ensure Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and accessibility for those with disabilities, along with customizing the curriculum and training for workforce service programs.
With this update, WE partnered with the Mayor's Office of Disability Services to train their Career Placement Counselors on Career Foundations to be used in their Career Centers. All agreed that Career Foundations can help their clients choose a Career Pathway that is right for them and that they would recommend Career Foundations to other agencies and programs.
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Title IX was passed 50 years ago this year, and its impact has been nothing short of monumental. While some of its effects are at the forefront of Title IX conversations—sexual violence prevention and justice, and equality in sports—others that are talked about less frequently are still just as important. So, what is Title IX really? As schools are beginning session, check out our blog for a brief overview on Title IX and its impact not just on gender equality for women, but on the larger fight against discrimination.
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Women Employed would like to give a HUGE thank you to the young women of the Girl Up Club at Lake Park High School. They held a fundraiser for WE and collectively raised $182! Their contribution will help us reach our goal of closing the wealth gap at the intersection of race and gender, and we greatly appreciate them for generously funding our work!
The Girl Up Club is a global leadership movement founded by the UN Foundation in 2010 as an initiative to help support UN agencies that focus on adolescent girls. It is comprised of leadership development programs through 6,000 clubs in 130 countries, and in all 50 states. To date, the Girl Up Club has impacted 150,000 girls, inspiring a generation of girls to be a force for gender equality and social change. For more information on the Girl Up Club, visit girlup.org.
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Women Employed is currently looking for a manager for our newest initiative, the Women's Entrepreneurship Hub (WE Hub). The WE Hub Manager will play a leadership role in implementing and advancing the strategies and tactics to ensure its success. They will cultivate relationships with current partners and stakeholders, while also identifying and building statewide strategic partnerships to ensure the WE Hub is serving its intended purpose of bringing together the plethora of programs, resources, and information available throughout the state of Illinois into one space to help women act on their entrepreneurial dreams without barriers.
This job is perfect for someone who
- Demonstrated success in creating plans for and launching, implementing, and advancing new programs/ projects.
- Has experience with managing relationships with a variety of vendors, e.g., conducting research, completing interviews, executing RFPs, establishing contracts, supervising implementation plans.
- General competency of website design/development and the maintenance of back end systems.
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Donate to the Fe league Fundraiser! |
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Last Thursday, Women Employed participated in a virtual event with the women of the Fe league on Pipeline, Pay, and Parity. This event explored equitable compensation, its relation to pay parity, and developing a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) strategy that supports equitable growth + opportunity, and featured Women Employed's Executive Vice President of Policy and Organizational Impact, Sharmili Majmudar.
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