Welcome to the UW Women’s Center

Thanks to your continued support, the Women’s Center is starting 2012 by:

provided 100 underrepresented youth with educational resources and opportunities in our Making Connections program. Offering tutoring, mentoring, educational and career trainings, and college application and scholarship help.
for the fifth year in a row, had 100% of our Making Connections graduates go onto a two-year or four-year College! Other comparable programs graduation rates are 60%.
offered our first annual N.E.W. (National Education for Women’s) Leadership of Puget Sound Institute to 20 undergraduate women. Teaching college women the value of civic engagement and encouraging them to see themselves as empowered leaders who can effectively participate in politics and public policy.In 2012 we will be increasing our institute participation by over 50%!
formed an Anti-Human Trafficking Taskforce who are focusing on researching and mapping the use of trafficked labor with a particular interest on the demand side of the problem. Through partnership with the business community, the Task Force is poised to gather real and specialized data to support education, influence policy, and increase public awareness around the state.
offered regular training on violence prevention and self-defense in partnership with a variety of campus organizations through our Gender Equity & Violence Prevention program.
advised over 300 women and men in more than 1,200 sessions, who considered returning to school after a significant time away. Many of our program participants have lost jobs, been through a divorce or lost a loved one, requiring them to seek a new field.
held low-cost continuing education classes, workshops, and lectures each year geared toward helping individuals achieve their personal, professional, and academic goals. Courses include SAT, ACT, & GRE Preparation, Math Anxiety, Study Skills, and Self Defense.

Thank you for making it possible for us to continue our work of empowering women, year after year. Though our staff stands at the heads of our programs; you are the ones who take action and support the Women’s Center’s efforts, resulting in more women and girls being provided the necessary tools to be successful leaders in our community.You are making the difference!

THANK YOU from the UW Women’s Center Staff

Are you represented or “Missrepresented”?

If you are not sure about how to answer the question, The UW Women’s Center invites you to experience what famous and powerful women, from celebrities like Rosario Dawson and journalists such as Katie Curic to politicians like Condolezza Rice and a great number of academics have to say about how media poorly portrays females in the documentary written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newson, “Miss Representation,” launched in October 2011 during Sundance Festival.

According to Missrepresentation.org, “[The documentary] exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America. The film challenges the media’s limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls, which make it difficult for women to achieve leadership positions and for the average woman to feel powerful herself.”

What: “Miss Representation” screening (FREE)

When: February 8, 2012, 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Where: University of Washintgton Seattle Campus, Architecture Hall (ARC) room 147.

Don’t miss this opportunity, and bring your friends along! It’s free!

“Women of Courage” Julia Bolz, honored as 2011 World Citizen by World Affairs Council

Julia Bolz, Social Justice Activist and Founder Ayni Education International, awarded last October by the UW Women’s Center during the gala “Women of Courage: Inspiring a New World” will be recognized with the 2011 World Citizen Award by the World Affairs Council for her “outstanding leadership in working to provide education for young girls in Afghanistan and, in the process, engaging Washingtonians an citizens across the United about the impact of investing in education of girls in Afghanistan,” according to the World Affairs Council webpage.

Julia Bolz is a nationally-recognized speaker and social justice activist, who is dedicated to engaging, educating, and empowering the poor in the developing world. In 1998, she traded a successful law career to help people in the world’s most impoverished regions amend discriminatory laws, procure microloans, establish businesses, and negotiate political challenges.

Since 2002 Julia has focused on educating girls in Afghanistan and founded Ayni Education International. Julia and her American teammates have built and equipped 25 new schools and repaired over 20 others, serving over 20,000 students. They also have provided schools with wells; distributed textbooks and supplies; provided teacher trainings, libraries and computer centers; and facilitated cultural exchanges.

Uniquely, each of the schools is linked to a community in the United States. As a result, over 50,000 Americans across the country have “journeyed” with the Afghan schools, including dozens of schools, civic and religious institutions, businesses, and non-profits like National Geographic and Rotary.

Closer to home, Julia partners with RESULTS, one of the country’s most-respected grassroots lobbying organizations, to end the worst aspects of hunger and poverty. Over the past 10 years, she has spoken over 520 times across the country about the transformative effects of education. Julia also regularly writes about her experiences, and meets with political decision-makers. She is a powerful voice for those otherwise not heard.

A graduate of Smith College and Northwestern University School of Law, Julia has been featured on the Hallmark Channel, and she was a recipient of A Fund for Women’s Fabulous Firsts Award for “Women who Led the Way,” Smith College’s Rally Day Award, and the Thomas C. Wales Foundation Award for courageous civic engagement, leadership, and passionate citizenship. Earlier this fall, she was awarded the 2011 Global Citizen of the Year Award by the Seattle World Affairs Council.

The World Affairs Council also will honor Lisa Clarke, Social Studies Head at Kent-Meridian High School, with the 2011 World Educator Award for her decisive contributions to international education inside and outside the classroom, and for taking the lead in the development of new resources that will further the understanding of social studies within an international scope.

The event is part of “Waging Peace, Fighting Disease, and Building Hope: A Conversation with President Jimmy Carter,” which will take place on January 31, from 7—8:30 p.m. (Registration time is at 5:30 p.m.) at Paramount Theater, 911 Pine Street, Seattle, WA 98101. Tickets are $20.

Click for more information or to purchase tickets

Women’s Center new key to GRE and Basic Math success: David Asuzu

David Asuzu Going back to graduate school is exciting, but it is also scary when the GRE or GMAT tests are an unavoidable part of the admissions process in many of our country’s higher education institutions. No matter how rusty your knowledge in math has become or how your critical thinking, analytical writing, and verbal reasoning had been put to rest for a number of years, you can excel in your results by learning proven successful study techniques that will reduce anxiety and empower you to perform competitively.

Now add a dedicated and well-prepared instructor to the mix, and your chances for success are basically indisputable that’s why the Women’s Center brought on board professor David Asuzu, who holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University in Ames and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota.

Asuzu will be teaching GRE Prep and Basic Math Refresher courses starting in February, 2012.

His teaching experience include Calculus Tutor for the Academic Success Center of Iowa State University; International Peer Assistant for International Education Services at Iowa State University; Supplemental Instructor Leader of Calculus I for Academic Success Center of Iowa State University; math and chemistry mentor at the Academic Success Center of Rochester Community and Technical College, and science at Rochester Better Chance, in Rochester, Minnesota.

David’s commitment to academic excellence, his flexible and creative approach to teaching and his ability to motivate and work well with groups, make him an undeniable asset for students of all levels who want to achieve success in math or science areas.

He sees life as a great adventure, and is always willing to try new things.

For more information on David Asuzu or our GRE and Basic Math Refresher course offerings, please contact the UW Women’s Center at (206) 685-1090 or womens@u.washington.edu or visit our Current Courses page.

Registrations are now open, don’t miss the opportunity to learn from one of the best!!!

GRE PREP (New Version)

BASIC MATH REFRESHER

Option 1Dates: Mondays & Wednesdays,
February 6 – 27, 2012Time: 6:00- 8:00 pm

Cost: $210

Option 1Dates: Tuesdays, February 7- 28, 2012Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Cost: $65

Option 2Dates: Saturdays, March 3 – 24, 2012Time: 1:00- 5:00 pm

Cost: $210

Option 2Dates: Tuesdays, March 6 – 27, 2012Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Cost: $65

Become a mentor… change lives

Would you like to change someone’s future path by helping them achieve higher education? Become a mentor for the Making Connections Program, and enrich others’ lives by sharing your knowledge, personal and professional experience in pursuing your goals.

Making Connections’ Mentor Program matches a high school student with either an undergraduate, graduate student or a working professional who share educational background or career interests. The majority of Making Connections students are first-generation college-bound who do not have a family member who can share information or insight about college and its application process, so mentors fill in that gap by providing personal support, guidance related to college and professional life.

A mentor for us represents way more than a role model, but a true agent of change.

Are you ready to change lives? The requirements are:

Be least 18 years of age
Enrolled as an undergrad, grad student or working professionally
Able to dedicate 4-6 hours a month

Read what others are saying!

Easy, right? Contact us at mcmentor@u.washington.edu or at UW Women’s Center at (206) 685-1090, and ask for Mariana Razo.

Start 2012 with the right kick: Self-defense classes are back this Winter

click on the image below for more information

NEW Leadership Puget Sound is now accepting nominations and applications for its 2012 Institute!

All women currently attending two or four year institutions are eligible to apply.

Click on image for more information

Services & Resources