Gender Equity Consultation for Schools

VWW provides technical assistance and support to individual technical centers in their efforts to recruit, retain, and support nontraditional students in their programs. In this capacity, VWW has been engaged in a consultative role at five schools in the state: Center for Technology, Essex, Randolph Career and Technical Center, Southeast Career Development Center, Cold Hollow Career Center, and River Valley Technical Center. We’re engaged in two primary spheres of activity:

• Identifying important issues and perceptions that affect school climate and, by extension, nontraditional student enrollment and retention;
• Outlining strategies that are likely to make a difference in a school’s capacity to recruit, support, and retain nontraditional students, male and female.

Our assistance can take many forms including:

•  In-service training designed to help school personnel define the concept of gender equity, establish a framework within which school personnel can begin addressing issues of climate, recruitment, and retention.
• Identifying ways in which course materials, room decor, and teaching strategies can better support nontraditional students.
• Working with school personnel to support them in recruiting nontraditional students by organizing Career Challenge Days, in- or after-school or weekend workshops for middle and high school students, outreach to parents, making presentations to sending schools.
•  Identifying and enlisting the participation of nontraditional professionals who can serve as role models, mentors, and as co- or guest teachers.
•  Integrating selections from VWW program curricula (relating to team-building, communication, job interview skills, and goal setting, for example) into existing academic programs.
• Developing strategies to better welcome and integrate pre-tech and nontraditional students upon their arrival.
• Working with interested nontraditional students to sponsor student-led workshops at VWW’s annual Women Can Do Conference.
• Leading classroom workshops on myths and preconceived notions about gender and career.
• Working with nontraditional students individually to aid in their course work, offer guidance for future educational plans, and support them in the transition into a nontraditional workforce.

For more information, please contact Kathy Johnson at (802) 655-8900.