| Young
Women’s Equity Project (YWEP) Administering
Organization
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO)
Program Objectives and Unique
Needs Addressed
IRCO’s Young Women’s Equity Project (YWEP) supports
low income, young immigrant and refugee women in their pursuit
of academic excellence in advanced courses in mathematics or science
(including computer science), in order to increase the number
of women from these backgrounds who enter highly skilled careers
in the math and science fields. Historically, women from ethnic
backgrounds have been underrepresented in these fields. YWEP uses
a strengths-based model to guide young women through decisions
conventionally not available to them.
Reports published by national organizations show that gender
biases against girls and women still pervade the U.S. educational
system, and that women continue to be channeled into traditionally
female-dominated, low-wage jobs. For example, the field of computer
science continues to demonstrate decreased participation by women.
Today women make up less than 10% of the recipients of engineering-related
bachelor’s degrees (National Center for Education Statistics,
2003). Furthermore, research has demonstrated that immigrant and
refugee girls with their families, struggle with unfamiliarity
with the US school system, personal trauma as refugees, and lack
of age-appropriate education for students who have experienced
disruption to the extent that their academic understanding is
below grade-level (Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory,
Equity Center).
Program
Description
Each Year YWEP works with 50 young refugee/immigrant
African and Slavic women for 2 to 3 years, in order to enroll
participants in college or vocational training, or secure science
and math career path employment. YWEP also provides math/science
awareness activities to other young refugee women in the Portland
metropolitan area through a series of outreach and orientation
activities.
Bilingual/bicultural Academic Career Counselors provide outreach
and recruitment, intake and assessment, individualized support
(including career planning and portfolio development), linkage
to academic and career fields, coordination with school teachers
and counselors, and encourage parental engagement. The Academic
Support Instructor holds a bachelor’s degree in education/social
services; develops curricula and instructs courses that meet the
academic needs of the young women enrolled in the program.
Resource Materials Used in Program
IRCO used several resource materials in the design of the pilot
project model, which support the implementation of YWEP. The YWEP
approach is based on empowering girls and women that have experienced
gender, ethnic and/or racial biases. These biases may be perpetrated
by their peers in school; gender biases may also occur within
existing familial and cultural structures.
Groups Served by Program
Refugee/immigrant African and Slavic women, ages 14 to 23 at intake,
in the Portland metropolitan area.
Program Funding
IRCO was awarded a four-year, $756,000 grant from the U.S. Department
of Education’s Women’s Educational Equity Association
(WEEA) to implement YWEP. The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and
the City of Portland/Portland Public Schools’ Summer Youth
Employment Project provide supporting funds for the project by
enhancing career development and funding internship opportunities,
respectively, for project participants.
Program Staffing and Required
Staff Training
IRCO manages YWEP through its Youth Workforce Service Unit, linking
academic achievement services to career development for young
people. In addition, bilingual/bicultural Academic Career Counselors
(2 FTE) have been recruited from the African and Russian communities,
along with an Academic Support Instructor (.5 FTE) who holds a
bachelor’s degree in education/social services.
Defining Program Success
YWEP’s goals are to increase the opportunity for equity
in educational and career options for young women who experience
multiple barriers, including gender, race, ethnic origin, and
limited English proficiency, through academic achievement and
career development. The academic achievement arm of the program
is linked to classes taken in school, extended day activities,
and academic summer programming. The career development effort
links YWEP participants to internships, additional training, work
experience, and mentors/role models in the math and science fields.
YWEP outcomes will support the following targeted Women’s
Educational Equity Association (WEEA) GRPA (Government Performance
and Results Act) performance measures:
- An increase in the number/percent of students who indicate
increased knowledge of nontraditional career options in mathematics
and science and plan to pursue these careers.
- An increase in the number/percent of students pursuing advanced
courses in mathematics and science
Program Additional Comments
YWEP will build on IRCO’s experience as an agency focused
on the nexus between academic achievement and career development.
IRCO’s comprehensive plan for the YWEP services is built
on several interlinked components including a) improving academic
achievement particularly in math and science, b) connecting secondary
and post-secondary educations to careers, c) supporting young
women’s social development, and d) partnering with local
schools and educational institutions to support culturally specific
services.
Program Outcomes
YWEP has started to gather the data for the following
projected outcomes:
- 85% of participants will have increased awareness of math/science
courses and fields of study.
- 80% of participants will be enrolled in math/science classes.
- 75% of participants will maintain a 3.0 or “B”
grade GPA in all math/science classes attempted in the academic
year of the reporting period.
- 75% of all participants will be placed in summer practicum,
internships, job shadowing programs, and short-term employment
related to math/science careers.
- 50% of participants will enroll in 2-4 year higher education
institutions or vocational schools, with a focus to pursue math/science
degrees or certification.
Each outcome is supported by a method of evaluation, provided
through IRCO’s contract with Portland State University’s
Child Welfare Partnership. Evaluators work closely with IRCO
staff to implement program procedure connected to achievable
benchmarks demonstrating best practices with the targeted populations.
IRCO anticipates that these YWEP evaluation procedures will
provide guidance about effective strategies for replication
or testing in other settings because they rely on a mixture
of easily measurable qualitative and quantitative outcomes similar
to those IRCO has found to work well in other projects.
Program Contact
Jenny Crawford
Senior Service Unit Manager
IRCO
10301 NE Glisan
Portland, OR 97220
503.234.1541
Program Dates
YWEP began October 1, 2005. Performance period of the project
extends to September 30, 2009. |
FEATURE
SEARCH NOW 
