The Minerva Foundation for BC Women inspires and empowers women and girls to reach their full potential by creating opportunities and offering programs through trusted partnerships in the areas of education, leadership development, economic security, and safety.
EDUCATION
The Minerva Foundation for BC Women
established a co-operative bursary program
with British Columbia's post-secondary institutions
and private colleges. The support for these education awards comes from a variety of sources including individuals, corporations, foundations and associations. Currently the Minerva
Foundation provides education awards at 6 universities, 18 colleges and 3 private
institutions. The support
of these programs has come from a variety
of sources, which include individuals, corporations
and associations.
Over $1,000,000 in awards has been distributed province-wide since 2001.
In 2007, nearly $250,000 in education awards were presented. Through our Combining Our Strength™ initiative, $56,500 in additional awards was presented to Aboriginal women.
Over 300 women in BC have benefited by receiving a Minerva Foundation Education Award.
6 universities, 18 colleges and 3 private institutions in BC have Minerva Foundation Education Awards
for women.
Funds raised for Minerva Foundation Education Awards are matched in most cases by each university and college partner.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Effective leadership is the key to a strong economy and healthy society. Expanding the pool of potential leaders will benefit government, business and the community. Although women make up half of the population, they are under-represented as senior leaders in most organizations. The Minerva Foundation is committed to advancing opportunities for women to assume laeadership roles in all facets of society by:
- Encouraging qualified women to seek leadership positions in government, business and the community;
- Providing opportunities for women and girls to develop their leadership potential; and
- Fostering corporate strategies to recruit, retain, develop, advance and recognize women.
Since inception nearly 1,400 students, emerging leaders, community leaders and volunteers throughout British Columbia have benefited from the following programs:
Learning to Lead™ - This leadership development program takes place annually at both the University of British Columbia and the University of Northern British Columbia. It provides Grade 11 students and emerging leaders with the opportunity to be mentored by accomplished community leaders and helps them understand and appreciate their own potential.
Follow A Leader™ - This leadership shadow experience program has expanded and is run annually in Vancouver, Victoria and Prince George. It pairs emerging leaders with accomplished business, government, academic and community leaders for a series of workshops and leadership-shadowing enabling program participants to observe leadership skills firsthand.
Combining Our Strength™ (COS) - The goal of this initiative is to increase opportunities for leadership development withing the Aboriginal women's community through consultation with current Aboriginal women leaders in British Columbia. The results of the consultation meetings were used to develop programs to help build capacity with and for Aboriginal women that will translate into the creation of opportunities. These opportunities will then enable more Aboriginal women to pursue pivotal roles both in their own communities and in mainstream society and also to serve as inspirational role models for Aboriginal youth. In May 2007 a new Learning to Lead™ COS program for Aboriginal women was held at St. John's College on the campus of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
ECONOMIC SECURITY
The Minerva Helping Women Work™ initiative is a unique career-mentoring program that supports highly skilled professional women in their goal to re-enter the workforce in order to provide economic security for themeselves and their family. The protegees have included women between the ages of 36 to 55, who are recent immigrants, single mothers, women with health issues and women who have been out of the workforce anywhere from 3 to 19 years.
- In the first 24 months of the program, 64 women benefited with an average rate of 80% successful re-employment.
- For every woman that goes through the program up to 15 volunteers participate as program speakers, mentors and coaches.
We are currently running our fifth program session. Through provincial government grants in 2006, 2007 and 2008, the MHWW program in Vancouver has been expanded to also include sessions of shorter duration and with specific and directed content, for young women between the ages of 20 and 30, for women that are in non-traditional fields and for women in middle management. In addition, a MHWW program for Aboriginal women, through our Combining Our Strength initiative, was piloted in the fall of 2007. In 2008, MHWW programs will be piloted in Victoria.
SAFETY
A feeling of safety is basic to our emotional and physical well-being. Many women and children do not live and work in safe environment and this severely limits their productivity and self-sufficiency. The Minerva Foundation is addressing safety education initiatives by awarding community grants to support women-centered organizations with their existing community programs, such as:
Central Okanagan Emergency Shelter;
Aunt Leah's Independent Life Skills Society:
Canadian Red Cross Aboriginal Abuse Prevention Training Program;
New Opportunities for Women (NOW) Canada Society; and
Downtown Eastside Women's Centre Association
In 2006, $30,000 in grants was distributed to 10 community organizations throughout the province. In 2007, $30,000 in community grants was awarded.
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