Our education program includes:

SCHOLARSHIPS          

Over the years, we’ve raised more than $30,000 for scholarship recipients at Howard Community College (HCC).  In any given year, we typically award:

• Two scholarships (one $2,000 and one $1,000) for women transferring from Howard Community College (HCC) to a four-year institution to earn a bachelor’s degree;  
• Four scholarships ($750 each) for women continuing their classes at HCC; and
• Two-Six scholarships ($125-550 each) for young women to attend AAUW’s National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL.)

TRAINING

StartSmart is a class for new college graduates looking for their first job. It helps women negotiate the best possible starting salary and benefit package by evaluating their assets for the job as well as developing negotiation strategies. We have worked with Howard Community College to offer this training to women on campus when requested. It is also available virtually, free, and self-paced on AAUW National’s website at https://salary.aauw.org/.  This class is part of AAUW’s strategy to reach its goal of closing the gender pay gap by 2030.

WorkSmart similar to StartSmart, is for women who want to advance their career or change their job to another field. This program helps women identify transferrable skills, develop self-promoting language and determine their market value. The WorkSmart workshop is available online at https://salary.aauw.org/.

MoneySmart is a relatively new class that offers basic financial literacy. It consists of three free, facilitator-led virtual workshops that cover budgeting, saving, managing debt, and planning for an economically secure future. It is available at https://www.aauw.org/resources/programs/money-smart/.

Leadership; training is provided each year at a three-day conference at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD. Each spring we sponsor several local college students to attend NCCWSL that features inspirational speakers and practical workshops to develop skills and an understanding of a leader’s role. Here students can network with other women from all around the country and gain valuable insights from others’ leadership experiences.  

The Girl Power Career Fair aims to interest girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers. It is typically held in March at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland and attracts hundreds of elementary and middle school girls. We have staffed a booth featuring conversations with some of our scientists and hands-on activities centered around the Fair’s themes such as “Star Struck: Women in Astronomy and Space”.

FOOD BANK

Of course, college students cannot learn well if they are hungry, so we are supporting the HCC Food Bank with financial and food donations. With identification, students can get a grab-and-go snack or ingredients to make a healthy meal that includes recipe cards, instructions and nutritional information.