Grants Awarded 2002-2008
The following projects have received funding from The Women's Fund of Central Ohio. The list is alphabetical by organization name.

Advocating for Universal Licensing of Family Child Care Businesses // Fall 2005
Action for Children
Diane Bennett, Executive Director
T: 614-224-0222 W: www.actionforchildren.org
This program will advocate for universal Licensing of all Family Child Care Businesses in the state of Ohio. Action for Children will engage a divinity of stakeholders to build advocacy momentum. Ohio is one of only 5 states in the U.S. that does not require licensing for all family child care businesses.

Digital Animation: A Mentoring Program for Young Women // Spring 2004
Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design (ACCAD) at The Ohio State University
Maria Palazzi, Project Coordinator
T: 614-292-1053 W: www.accad.osu.edu/womenandtech
This project is a summer workshop for high school women in which participants investigate technology through the creative applications of computer-generated animation and web media. In this collaborative effort between ACCAD and the Columbus Public Schools Arts and Communications Academies, approximately two-thirds of the participants come from Columbus Public Schools

Pass It On: A Caged Bird // Spring 2007
Art for a Child Safe America Foundation (ArtSafe)
Berdawn Hutchinson, Managing Director
T: 614-237-9077 W: www.artsafe.org
ArtSafe is currently creating a Facilitators' Guide that will help out-of-school or institutional youth programs make use of our publication, A Caged Bird, written by female juvenile inmates at the Ohio Reformatory for Women. Activities in the Guide help develop literacy skills in participant-readers as they examine the art and literature of their peers; prior to publication, Guide activities will be pilot tested with young women incarcerated in the juvenile and adult corrections systems. To increase its scope and use in the wider community, the Guide will be marketed to Ohio organizations that wish to incorporate an arts-based, violence prevention component into their programming specifically for at-risk adolescent girls.

Be WISE (Women In Science Education) Math/Science Day Camp // Fall 2006
Be WISE Math/Science Camp
JoAnn Benseler, Camp Director
W: www.bewisecamp.org
The Be WISE (Women In Science Education) Math/Science Day Camp, an extension of the current Be WISE Math/Science Camp, is open to girls who will enter sixth grade in the fall of 2007. The program is designed to foster their interest, motivation, and self-confidence as they pursue the study of math and science. The teacher-created, developmentally appropriate curricula address varied learning styles through hands-on activities and real-life problem solving.

MOMS (Mothers Offering Mentoring Support) in Union County // Fall 2006, Fall 2005
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio-Union County Program
Marian Jacques, Program Manager
T: 937-642-2157 W: www.marysville-ohio.org/bbbs
MOMS in Union County is a mentoring program that matches experienced moms with pregnant girls and young moms in need of support. Mentors provide friendship and support as well as coaching with child care issues and basic life skills. Monthly group activities and trainings cover topics such as: nutrition, child development, parenting, and community resources.

Grand Bigs // Fall 2004
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fairfield County, Inc.
Anna Tobin, Executive Director
T: 740-687-9477 W: www.bbbs-fairfieldoh.org
A new initiative that pairs at-risk preschool girls with women role models in a classroom setting to encourage a love of learning and promote positive social skills at an early age.

Tiers of Strength Camp // Demonstration 2002
The Center for Balanced Living
Dr. Laura Hill, Chief Executive Officer
T: 614-293-9550 W: www.centerforeatingdisorders.org
The Center for Eating Disorders and Psychotherapy provides comprehensive specialized eating disorders treatment through a continuum of care for women, men and children of all backgrounds. The Center's Tiers of Strength Camp helps a diverse group of girls and women from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds understand how their health is affected by socio-cultural factors and discover and affirm themselves as individuals.

Multi-Cultural Initiative of Franklin County // Spring 2005
Children's Hunger Alliance
Bill Dolan, CEO
T: 614-341-7700 W: www.childrenshungeralliance.org
This program will assist newly-immigrated women in creating home-based child care businesses throughout Franklin County. The participants will learn how to access federal meal program dollars as a stable funding stream into their businesses. The program will also include nutrition and early childhood education training, as well as professional child care certifications for the home-based child care providers.

Training in Financial Management // Spring 2008
Children's Hunger Alliance
Bev Sherrill, Director of Early Childhood Nutrition and Education
T: 614-341-7700 W: www.childrenshungeralliance.org
Through this proposal, Children's Hunder Alliance will provide eight intensive trainings in financial management and marketing free-of-charge to a minimum of 120 low-income family child care (FCC) providers in Franklin County. Designed specifically for low-income providers who offer in-home day care, the trainings will help FCC providers to create, operate, market, and sustain their childcare businesses. Strengthening and professionalizing home child care will foster self-sufficiency and financial independance among FCC providers and help assure reliable quality child care for low-income and multicultural communities.

Home Child Care Providers Empowerment Program // Fall 2003
Columbus ACORN
T: 614-258-8854 W: www.acorn.org
This program will develop home child care providers in Columbus into strong leaders who are able to advocate for a fairer system, both for parents who utilize home child care, and for the providers themselves. The participants will be empowered through training workshops, which will give the necessary skills to go into their neighborhoods as informed leaders.

SISTA (Sistas Informing Sistas on Topics About AIDS) // Fall 2006, Fall 2004
Columbus AIDS Task Force
Tanya Motley, African-American HIV Prevention Program Coordinator
T: 614-299-2437 W: www.catf.net
SISTA Project (Sistas Informing Sistas on Topics About AIDS), is an evidence-based prevention intervention targeting African-American girls and women. Services are provided at two community agencies serving high-risk youth: the Africentric Personal Development Shop and the Eldon W. Ward YMCA. The five-session program provides predominantly African-American girls ages 14-17 with HIV/STD information, training in communication and assertiveness skills, tools for enhancing self-esteem and self-efficacy, and discussion of issues of gender and ethnicity. SISTA has been proven to increase communication, negotiation, and assertiveness skills and to reduce high-risk behaviors.

Project Impact // Fall 2003
Columbus Metropolitan Area Community Action Organization (CMACAO)
Bob Thomas, Interim President
T: 614-324-5100 W: www.cmacao.org
This 10-week leadership forum for immigrant women provides participants an opportunity to gain the tools needed to effect change in neighborhoods and communities by increasing and harnessing the leadership capacity of the participating women.

GEWELS Mentoring Project // Fall 2003
Communities In Schools
Derrick Fulton, Director of Programs
T: 614-268-2472 W: www.columbus.k12.oh.us
GEWELS is a mentoring project for girls in the Linden community developed by Communities In Schools.

Cirlces Initiative - Moving Beyond Poverty // Spring 2008
Community Properties Impact Corporation (CPIC)
Louise Seipel, Director of Supportive Services
T: 614-253-0984 W: www.cpoms.org
The Circles Initiative is a national model to engage communities in helping low-income families move out of poverty and to document the best practices of the process. Research gathered from this intiative will help national, state, and community leaders reduce and eliminate poverty. The program is comprised of several components beginning with a 20-week course 'Gettting Ahead in a Just Getting By World' followed by Circle Meetings, weekly participant development meetings, and monthly "Big View" community meetings to identify poverty issues and develop solutions to impact correlating systems change.

Educating and Empowering Abused Immigrant Women // Fall 2007, Spring 2006, Spring 2005, Fall 2003
Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS)
Angie Plummer, Esq., Director
T: 614-840-9634 W: www.cris-ohio.com
The program, Educating and Empowering Abused Immigrant Women will work to reverse the social climate that imposes dependence on women immigrants married to abusive citizen and legal permanent resident spouses. This program will increase the accessibility of services and information that allow women to exercise their rights to remain and work in the United States and achieve self-determination and self-sufficiency. The program will reach no fewer than 1000 women through a community information campaign, and provide services to no fewer than 20 participants pursuing their rights and seeking economic independence.

Polished // Demonstration 2002
A Cup of Joy Resource Center
Sheryl Fenderson, Founder
T: 614-847-0276 W: www.acupofjoy.org
A Cup of Joy strives to provide resources designed to strengthen, encourage and enlarge the borders of single-parent families. Polished, a program that provides computer training and professional, social, and dining introductory workshops for employed or soon-to-be employed single mothers, will increase the self-esteem, earning capacity, employment opportunities, and stability of its graduates.

Intern-based Work Experience Model // Fall 2005
Deaf Initiatives
Julia Thompson, Program Coordinator
T: 614-238-3323 W: www.deafinitiatives.org
Deaf Initiatives will offer 6-week paid internships to young women, age 16- 19, who are deaf or hard of hearing. Through a formal training program, the interns will learn skills related to the business of creating heirloom-quality quilts and personal development. This program is designed to address the very low employment of people with a sensory disability.

Mothers Offering Mentoring Support (M.O.M.S.) // Fall 2005, Fall 2004
Delaware County Juvenile Court
T: 740-833-2678
The M.O.M.S. Delaware program matches teen moms and pregnant teens with an experienced mother who mentors the teen until their infant's first birthday. The mentor and young mom attend monthly group meeting together, mentors visit or call the teen mom at least once a week, and provide support while assisting the teen mom with transportation to doctor appointments, introducing them to local services/resources in the community, and teaching fiscal responsibility skills, healthy meal planning, and mother/infant bonding. This program seeks to reduce the likelihood of a secondary pregnancy within two years of delivery, increase the likelihood of the mother and baby receiving appropriate pre-natal and infant medical care, and increase the likelihood of self-sufficiency through educational and employment attainment, all while helping the mother to effectively manage multiple stressors.

Shirley Chisholm Conference for Girls in Government: Legacies of the Legends // Fall 2007
Delta Foundation of Greater Columbus
Alethea E. Gaddis, President
T: 614-279-0012
The Shirley Chisholm Conference for Girls in Government will recruit 50 young women, grades 7 to 10, from across Franklin County to participate in a series of conferences and activities that focus on increasing participation in civic engagement and social action. These activities include a leadership development conference, a Leadership Development and Civic Engagement Retreat, and an evening reception, and will provide an opportunity for participants to meet and educate their peers from diverse communities, develop social bonds, learn leadership skills, focus on women's historic roles in social action and meet and dialogue with elected women from the Ohio state government.

Get REAL Microenterprise Program // Fall 2005, Fall 2004, Fall 2003
Economic and Community Development Institute (ECDI)
Inna Kinney, President and Founder
T: 614-559-0115 W: www.ecdi.org
The Get REAL Microenterprise Program assists low to moderate income female entrepreneurs in starting a business by creating an Individual Development Account (IDA) for each participant, as well as providing year-long education and technical assistance. Once a participant's IDA reaches a predetermined balance of her own savings, The Women's Fund and a federal source match contributions to the account giving the woman three times the original dollar amount to purchase an asset for her business .Women gain the knowledge and life skills necessary to achieve economic independence and are connected to resources that are vital to long-term success.
In Fall 2005, this grant received the JPMorgan Chase Economic Independence Award
Funding provided in partnership with JPMorgan Chase.

Leader Institute // Spring 2004, Fall 2002
Educational Council
T: 614-292-7744 W: www.edcouncil.org
This program provides leadership training to female students who attend public middle and high schools in Franklin County. It is a volunteer driven initiative that exemplifies collaboration between school districts and the community to equip emerging leaders with the necessary skills to remove barriers to success and create positive change in society.

Kids Environmental Education Program (K.E.E.P.) // Spring 2006
EnterpriseWorks
Pitty Jennings, Program Director
T: 614-228-4853 W: www.enterpriseworks.biz
K.E.E.P. utilizes environmental exploration as a vehicle to increase interest and performance in science among middle school girls, while providing them with valuable information pertaining to realistic career opportunities in environmental fields. The K.E.E.P. program targets girls, ages 10-12, providing them the support and validation we believe they need to succeed in experiencing nature first hand, looking at career paths in environmental fields, fostering a personal responsibility for the environment, and developing leadership through direct involvement in their community.

Bonds Beyond Bars // Fall 2007, Fall 2006
Girl Scouts Seal of Ohio Council
Tamela Collins, Membership Director
T: 614-487-8101 W: www.sealofohio.org
Bonds Beyond Bars confronts the issue of incarceration face-to-face and gives hope to girls whose mothers are in prison. By linking these at-risk girls, who are a part of the Girl Scout troop, with a support system of peers and mentors, this national program aims to prevent them from entering the criminal justice system. In addition, program participants meet regularly with their mothers, in a controlled setting, and work on developing and/or restoring a positive relationship. The Bonds Beyond Bars girls develop courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place as a result of their participation.

Economic Literacy // Spring 2003
Girls Inc.
Tamala Clark-Culp, President/CEO
T: 614-854-0934
Economic Literacy is a program to enhance girls' financial competence and confidence, to empower girls to recognize early on that they can exercise control over their financial future, and to promote within girls a sense of economic justice. The program fosters the development of skills that girls need to make informed decisions. The program is divided into four age-based components: "She's on the Money!" for girls 6 to 8 years old; "Dollars, Sense, and Me" for girls 9 to 11 years old; and "Equal Earners, Savvy Spenders" for girls 12 to 14 years old.

It's A Girl's World! Empowerment Groups // Spring 2008
HelpLine of Delaware and Morrow Counties, Inc.
Julianna Nemeth; Prevention Director
T: 740-363-1835 W: www.helplinedelmor.org
It's A Girls' World! Intensive empowerment groups advance the lives of 4th and 8th grade girls in Delaware County by providing opportunities for them to develop life skills including assertiveness, boundary establishment, knowledge of girls' rights and entitlements, knowledge of historical and modern women, active bystander techniques to advocate and intervene when an individual girl or woman is in danger of being violated or when a cultural institution is discriminating against women and girls, and life planning skills. With women's Fund grant money, HelpLine will implement five It's a Girls' World! groups, each 10 sessions in length. Groups, by their existence and content, work to challenge the root causes of women's oppression and empower young women to become active leaders in changing the culture of their relationships, schools, and families.

"Survivors Speak Out" Teen Support Project // Fall 2003
HelpLine of Delaware and Morrow Counties, Inc.
Julianna Nemeth; Prevention Director
T: 740-363-1835 W: www.helplinedelmor.org
This program fosters leadership and advocacy skills in teen victims of sexual assault through education, empowerment, and support activities in a small group setting. A public awareness campaign will heighten community support of this issue with outreach and educational activities.

Building on our Heritage // Spring 2004
Heritage Day Health Centers
Erica Drewry, Executive Director
T: 614-236-0586 W: www.heritagedayhealth.org
During this summer internship program at Heritage Day Health Centers, girls age 13 to 15 will be guided by older adult women mentors and the female leadership of the organization as they assist with general programming at the adult day services facility and participate in discussion groups.

Homeownership Counseling for Single Female Households // Spring 2007
Homes on the Hill CDC
Ellen Bardeen, Homeownership and Counseling Program Manager
T: 614-275-4663 W: www.hoth-cdc.org
Homes on the Hill CDC (HOTH) will provide long term pre & post purchase financial/credit/homeownership counseling, homeownership education, loan product comparisons & origination. These services help women select the home purchase price range that fits their budget and the mortgage loan that is the most advantageous to them. This program will increase the number of female headed household homeowners in affordable homes and low-cost mortgages.

Growing Together: Central Ohio Women in Sustainable Agriculture // Spring 2004
Innovative Farmers of Ohio
T: 1-800-372-6092 W: www.ifoh.org
This project engages select Central Ohio women farmers to understand and meet their professional development priorities and gain an understanding of what is required to create a sustainable, visible community of women farmers.

ROX Ruling Our Xperiences // Spring 2008, Spring 2007, Spring 2006
The Interprofessional Commission of Ohio
Lisa Hinkelman, Executive Director
T: 614-292-5621 W: www.rulingourexperiences.com
The ROX-Ruling Our eXperiences program is a self-esteem and empowerment program for girls in Central Ohio that focuses on key issues that girls face throughout their lives. This 15-week evidenced based curriculum focuses on training young women on issues of body image, gender roles, female leadership and career development, dealing with harassment and discrimination, sexual violence, and physical self-defense. Through a collaborative effort of school, community, and University personnel, this program will be expanded, refined, and delivered to elementary, middle and high school girls in Central Ohio by a team of experts whose mission is to train girls to resist negative social pressures and messages, to increase body image and satisfaction, to improve career development, and to develop young female leaders and role models.

Teen Hope & Empowerment // Fall 2007
J. Ashburn Jr. Youth Center
Jackie Kemp, Program Director
T: 614-279-0012 W: www.jashburn.org
Teen Hope and Empowerment is a year-long program which will replicate successful, comprehensive teen pregnancy prevention and youth development activities while maintaining a focus on areas of need specific to teenagers on the west-side of Columbus (zip codes 43223 and 43204). These activities include exposure to mentors and role models, self-advocacy, leadership, post-secondary opportunities, and workforce development. The center will assess and continue to monitor the risk factors of the girls involved through intake evaluations, academic assessments, and sexual-knowledge pre- and post-tests which will contribute to developing positive outcomes.

Putting Your Financial House in Order // Spring 2004
Jewish Family Services
Twyla Jones, Director of Clinical and Outreach Services
T: 614-231-1890 W: www.jfscolumbus.org
Participants in this program learn to develop financial goals, create a workable financial plan and budget, and implement their plan. The program participants will include young women attending an alternative high school, working women employed in an Empowerment Zone, and senior women attending a place of worship in an Empowerment Zone.

NEW Leadership Ohio // Fall 2007, Fall 2006, Fall 2005, Demonstration 2002
John Glenn School of Public Affairs
Jodi Bopp, Director of Development
T: 614-292-8696 W: www.glennschool.osu.edu
NEW Leadership Ohio is a week long residential program for undergraduate women from across the state. NEW Leadership Ohio engages young women in public leadership training designed to empower a new generation of women leaders, inspire a strong interest in policy making and political work, and encourage them to run for public office. The program is delivered at no cost to the students. Students are exposed to women in a variety of politics and policymaking roles, providing an opportunity to learn from their experiences, participate in hands-on skills-building workshops, and discuss and develop their own concepts of leadership.

Licking County Individual Development Account (IDA) Program // Spring 2003
Licking County Coalition for Housing
Deborah Tegtmeyer, Executive Director
T: 740-345-1970 W: www.lcchousing.org
The Licking County Individual Development Account promotes economic independence through home ownership via a 2:1 matched savings program. Economic literacy training, disciplined savings, and homebuyer workshops are components each participant is required to complete, and will be evaluated via exit testing. The end result is economic independence, home ownership and family stability through the ability to meet financial goals.

Positive Balance Financial Literacy Program // Spring 2007
Licking County Coalition for Housing
Deborah Tegtmeyer, Executive Director
T: 740-345-1970 W: www.lcchousing.org
Eight hundred (800) Licking County women who are disadvantaged because of poor life choices will have an opportunity to increase their financial awareness and reduce financial pressures through the Positive Balance Financial Literacy Program. Financial literacy education and personal financial coaching are offered by Positive Balance at the Women's Unit at the Community Corrections Center, the Courage House Women's Recovery Center, and the New Beginnings Domestic Violence Shelter (one additional site is under discussion). Residents at all three facilities have an opportunity to attend classes on a variety of financial topics and meet individually with a financial coach to discuss their own personal financial situation, including developing a budget and working with their credit report.

Rachel's House // Fall 2004
Lower Lights Ministries, Inc.
Jan Ruark, Program Director
T: 614-228-3855 W: www.lowerlights.org
Rachel's House is a re-entry program that provides support for female offenders in Central Ohio in the transition process from an institution to the community. By offering safe housing, employment services and life training skills, the program seeks to prevent recidivism and assist participants in becoming self-sufficient.

Women's Leadership Group // Fall 2002
Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio
Tanya Chiles, Community Program Manager
T: 614-228-5200 W: www.lssco.org
The Women's Leadership Group will help economically disadvantaged women and girls broaden their perception of women's roles as leaders in the community and help improve self-esteem and leadership potential. Women who parent children at Broadleigh Elementary School will participate in a monthly group to explore perceptions of women in society and will develop personal growth and support plans for leadership. Girls in the after-school program at Broadleigh will learn basic principles of women's equality, the role of women in the workplace, and leadership roles for women in the community.

Getting Ahead in a Just-Getting-By World // Spring 2008, Spring 2007, Spring 2006, Spring 2005
Mental Health America of Licking County
Judith Allee, Parent Support Coordinator
T: 740-522-1341 W: www.mhalc.org
Getting Ahead strives to end generational poverty by using woman-power to investigate community resources and problems, to build social skills and partnerships with people in the middle class, and to encourage low-income women to take a seat at the tables where decisions are made that affect them and their families. In 18 sessions we plan to teach 12 women in poverty, especially single moms and women who are in recovery from mental illness or addiction to learn social skills that will help them thrive in a business environment and to achieve economic independence. Getting Ahead addresses social change, not just for women in poverty, but also for women in middle class, employers, and community organizations by involving them in the struggle on a personal level.

Mentorship Program for Girls in Madison County // Spring 2005
Ministry for Community
Twyla McNamera, Executive Director
T: 614-309-9265
The project will develop an effective mentorship program for young women, ages 12-17, within Madison County. The goal of the program is to help the girls become productive citizens who will be successful in school, build friendships with positive peers and adults, and make wise choices about substance abuse and sexual activity. This is the first grant awarded by The Women's Fund to a program in Madison County.

The Path Mentoring Program // Spring 2008, Fall 2006
Ministry for Community
Twyla McNamera, Executive Director
T: 614-309-9265
The Path Mentoring Program fosters the creation of structured and trusting relationships that bring girls, ages 12-17, together with caring, adult, female volunteers who offer guidance, support and encouragement aimed at developing the character of the mentee. Mentors and mentees devote 1-3 hours each week toward this relationship which may include activities such as: cooking together, completing a craft project, going to the park, visiting a library or having a casual conversation. In order to foster the development of life skills, mentees also participate in life skill group events with other mentees and their mentors such as: A self-defense class, a community service event, a career exploration event and a cultural/art event.

Parent Enrichment Program // Fall 2003
Nationwide Children's Hospital
W: www.childrenscolumbus.org
This program at Children's Hospital is one of the child abuse prevention initiatives under the umbrella of the Center for Child and Family Advocacy. The Program is designed to give teenage mothers not only the resources to raise their children in an environment free from violence, but also to empower them with the life skills they need to become more productive, self-sufficient members of the community.

Directory of Resources // Demonstration 2002
Neighborhood House, Inc.
Neighborhood House, Inc. exists to assist kids, families, and single adults in their efforts to become self-sufficient. By developing a directory of resources for women seeking assistance with the creation, funding or further development of their own businesses, Neighborhood House endeavors to help women navigate the obstacles that might once have been barriers to their success.

New Directions // Fall 2006
New Directions Career Center
Ellen Barney, Executive Director
T: 614-849-0028 W: www.centerfornewdirections.org
New Directions is a 105-hour, 4-week program held 8 times per 12 month period for women, of all income levels and mostly single heads of households, who experience significant barriers to achieving or maintaining economic self-sufficiency through employment. The program provides self-exploration exercises for career and education planning; instruction in exploring the world of work opportunities; decision-making, goal setting and job/education placement. As a result of their graduation from New Directions, approximately 200 women will become economically self-sufficient by gaining and retaining quality employment or additional education/training opportunities.
In Fall 2006, this grant recieved the JPMorgan Chase & Co. Economic Independence Award
Funding provided in partnership with JPMorgan Chase.

Project Success! // Spring 2007
Northside Child Development Center
Jamaal Lewis, Project Manager
T: 614-299-1131
This project targets low income, single African-American female heads of households for participation in financial literacy education as a mean to economic independence. Participants will develop individual benefits profiles using the Benefits Bank system to help identify resources that can help their families and increase disposable income. Successful completion will enable participation in Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) geared to homeownership, post-secondary education assistance and small business start up.

Young Women's Urban Philanthropy Project // Fall 2002
Ohio Dominican's Village to Child Program
The Young Women's Urban Philanthropy Project is a partnership of Ohio Dominican University and its Village to Child program, the Columbus Foundation, the Women's Fund of Central Ohio, the Junior League of Columbus, the Columbus Compact Corporation, Columbus School for Girls and Columbus Public Schools. The project is designed to promote philanthropy and community service among young women in Columbus. As part of the project, young women will develop grant-making criteria, accept proposals, award grants, and monitor the implementation of funded projects and evaluate their success.

Institute on Women, Gender, and Public Policy // Fall 2006
The Ohio State University
T: 614-247-7130 W: instituteonwomen.osu.edu
The mission of the Institute on Women, Gender, and Public Policy is to bring coherence and stability to existing efforts (e.g. Count on Her report produced in 2004 by the Women's Fund) to research complex societal problems through the eyes of women and children, to enhance and expand these efforts in interdisciplinary ways, to maximize and increase our capacity to have substantial impact in addressing complex problems and issues, and to engage various stakeholders (locally, nationally, and internationally) systematically in the quality of dialogue that supports sustainable action.

Young Women's Summer Institute // Fall 2002
Ohio Supercomputer Center
T: 614-688-4101 W: www.osc.edu
OSC's young Women's Summer Institute (YWSI) empowers middle-school girls to pursue computer, math, and science careers by providing hands-on and project centered experiences. YWSI helps girls develop an interest in these subjects by allowing them to work on a practical, interesting scientific problem using the latest computer technology. YWSI also recruits teachers to serve as mentors to the girls and learn about innovative approaches to teaching science and math to take back to their own classrooms.

Women's Votes, Women's Voices // Fall 2007
The Organization of Chinese Americans and The Multicultural Center at The Ohio State University
Nicole Nieto, Coordinator, Multicultural Center
T: 614-688-8449
Women's Votes, Women's Voices (WVWV), a non-partisan project, will seek to increase young female voter registration and promote voting participation among women in Central Ohio through a student voter education and registration initiative and events on college campuses in Delaware, Franklin and Licking counties.

Forensics in the Classroom // Spring 2006
PAST Foundation
Annalies Corbin, Executive Director
T: 614-340-1208 W: www.pastfoundation.org
First ever forensic science curriculum geared at high school aged girls in the U.S., Forensics in the Classroom partners the legend of Indiana Jones with television's popular Gil Grissom. High school aged girls learn what real forensic archaeologists, anthropologists and scientists do to assist law enforcement officers in solving crimes. This program allows high school science teachers in partnership with local law enforcement to teach real forensic science in a classroom setting. This program consists of three phases and works hand-in-hand with teachers, scientists and students to develop a national program.

Stepping Up // Spring 2003
Pickaway County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
Brenda Cassidy, Court Administrator
T: 740-474-3117 W: www.pickaway.org/juvenile.htm
Stepping Up will provide the opportunity to community women, including but not limited to, single mothers, teen mothers, and past/present domestic violence victims to empower themselves with knowledge, self-confidence, and economic independence. These assets will be obtained by providing weekly mentoring groups that include guest speakers who will perform hands-on sessions ranging from budgeting skills, educational and life-skill information, and childcare support/advice to self-defense education. Stepping Up will promote the advancement of women by assisting group participants in becoming mentors to their peers within our project and within other community programs.

The Getting Ahead Program // Fall 2007
Pickaway County Job and Family Services
Debbie Hoffman, Partnerships for Success Coordinator
T: 740-474-7529 W: www.pickawayfamilyandchildrenfirst.org
The Getting Ahead Program will provide education for understanding economic class in order to build the economic stability of female participants in Pickaway County. The program will strengthen participants by teaching them how to develop social skills and social supports that will help them escape from poverty. The participants will be linked with the community resources needed for them to take action and achieve their future plans.

Responsible Sexuality Education // Spring 2003
Planned Parenthood of Central Ohio
T: 614-224-2235 W: www.plannedparenthood.org/centralohio
Planned Parenthood of Central Ohio provides age-appropriate, participant-sensitive, comprehensive reproductive health and sexuality education programs to Central Ohio high school students promoting positive communication skills and empowering freedom of choice. The three-day program, using researched, tested and proven curricula, offers straightforward discussions about sexually transmitted infections, prevention and treatment, in addition to methods of contraception including abstinence. Encouraged through role playing, honest dialogue and controlled activities, young people become more knowledgeable about their bodies, reproduction and disease as well as community resources and options, enabling them to believe in themselves, retain greater self-respect and become healthy, responsible adults.

Gidget: a technology pipeline for women and girls // Spring 2006, Spring 2005
TECH CORPS Ohio
Lisa Chambers, State Director
T: 614-583-9211 W: www.techcorpsohio.org
As part of the Gidget Technology Pipeline, TECH CORPS Ohio will develop the next phase of the Girls Technology Club Curriculum and Implementation Guide. These Clubs, will focus on middle school girls, grades 6th through 8th, and will be part of a sustainable and replicable "pipeline of support" which stretches from elementary school into adulthood - girls entering this pipeline incrementally build critical technology skills tied directly to their future educational and professional success. Ultimately, the pipeline produces women with the necessary skills and networks to participate fully, and assume leadership positions in a technology driven society.

Supporting Future Women in Technology Today // Spring 2003
TECH CORPS Ohio
Lisa Chambers, State Director
T: 614-583-9211 W: www.techcorpsohio.org
Supporting Future Women in Technology Today will recruit female technology professionals from the community to be matched with at least 10 elementary, middle, and high schools from the Columbus, South-Western, and Whitehall school districts. The resulting Project Teams of educators and technology volunteers will create and support Girls’ Technology Clubs in schools, aimed at encouraging and supporting girls’ interest in technology, providing them technology skills critical to their educational and professional success, and introducing them to a variety of technology-related careers. TECH CORPS Ohio will recruit both technology volunteers and schools, provide training and consistent follow-up support throughout the 2003-04 school year, and conduct a multi-part evaluation program at the project’s conclusion.

The Home Childcare Provider Training // Fall 2003
St. John Learning Center
T: 614-252-3132 W: www.stjohnlearning.org
This 14-week program helps to prepare women to open their own home-based childcare businesses. It is an initiative coordinated by St. John Learning Center, Central Community House, Southside Settlement House and Columbus State Community College.

Women's Sewing Club // Fall 2002
United Somali Refugee Women
The sewing club for Somali refugee women helps the women it serves develop the skills to make their own clothing. The program provides social interaction, breaking the isolation the women often experience, and the skills they learn can be used to manufacture clothing for sale, promoting their economic independence.

University Area Women and Girls' Leading the Way // Spring 2008, Spring 2007
University Area Enrichment Association
Catherine Girves, Director
T: 614-371-8232 W: www.uaea.org
"University Area Women Leading the Way" supports women from high school age past retirement in achieving civic leadership roles in the University Area. Participating females are involved in monthly support group meetings and have access to weekly networking opportunities and administrative assistance. These women clearly articulate their hopes and dreams for this community and work to implement their plans to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods and to the benefit of the larger community.