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Continuing Education Press Releases

U of U Conference Helps Girls Take Advantage of a Changing Workforce

Registration Deadline Oct. 22 for Seventh Annual Defining Your Path Conference

Oct. 18, 2010 – Women are on the rise in the workforce. For the first time in history, women now hold more jobs than men, and represent the majority in 13 of the 15 fastest-growing jobs in the U.S. Recent studies have shown that companies who actively promote women far outperform their competition — by up to 166 percent.

This October, an annual University of Utah conference returns to give local girls a head start in planning their future. Presented by Youth Education at the U of U — in partnership with the American Association of University Women of Utah, University Neighborhood Partners and Student Recruitment and High School Services at The U — the Defining Your Path conference helps eighth-grade girls from across the Wasatch Front identify their strengths, plan for college and pursue high-paying careers in which women have been historically underrepresented.

"It's an opportunity for young girls to start thinking seriously about where they want to go and how to get there," said Claire Turner, Director of Youth Education at The U of U.

The seventh annual Defining Your Path conference — held on Oct. 30, 2010 on The University of Utah campus — will include lectures, hands-on workshops in a variety of careers and sessions for parents on preparing for college.

Dr. Theresa Martinez, Assistant Vice President for Academic Outreach and Associate Professor of Sociology, will deliver the keynote address, titled "The Meaning and Importance of Our Stories: From Girls to Women."

Following the keynote, students will be able to choose from a number of breakout sessions presented by women working in architecture, engineering, law, medicine, writing, science and more. Many of these careers were recently named by Forbes Magazine as "the 20 Best-Paying Jobs that Women Aren't In—but should be."

Parents can attend a separate adult session on preparing for college, including choosing coursework, community involvement, scholarships and financial aid.

The conference ends with a closing panel entitled, "We Did It, You Can Too!" where college students and graduates share their experiences and answer questions.

Although women recently outnumbered men in the workforce for the first time in history, a 2008 Department of Labor study found that the most common occupations for women are still concentrated in the low-paying sectors of the workforce: secretaries, administrative assistants, registered nurses and teachers.

However, a 19-year Pepperdine University survey of Fortune 500 companies showed that those with the best record of promoting women outperformed the competition by anywhere from 41 to 116 percent.

"There are so many opportunities developing for women entering the workforce," said Turner. "We're setting these girls up to make the most of them."

The Employment Policy Foundation has estimated that there will be a six million person gap between college graduates and people needed to cover job growth in the younger generations. Highly-educated employees will be in huge demand.

"The world is changing," added Turner. "We want to make sure our kids are ready."

The 2010 Defining Your Path conference will be held on Oct. 30 in Orson Spencer Hall at The University of Utah from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. The conference is limited to 200 eighth grade girls, and costs $10 for girls and $5 for adults. A limited number of scholarships are available for students who qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch. To register, or for more information, visit youth.utah.edu or call 801-581-6984. Registration deadline is Oct. 22, 2010.

Breakout Session Details:

  • Architecture & Design: Discover how Architects and Designers Transform the World
    Charlotte Frehner, Undergraduate Student, University of Utah, College of Architecture and Planning
  • Art & Beyond: What Can You Do with Art?
    Julie Callahan, Project Coordinator - ASPIRE, University of Utah, College of Science
  • Child Development / Learning: Helping Children Learn Changes Lives
    Panel led by Patricia Santistevan Matthews, Assistant Professor, University of Utah, College of Education
  • Engineering / Inventing: Invent, Design and Build Things that MATTER - The Impact of Engineering on Our Lives
    Student Ambassadors, University of Utah, College of Engineering
  • Law: Is Law School for You?
    Linda F. Smith, Professor, University of Utah, College of Law
  • Medicine: From Junior High to Life as a Doctor
    Pilar Dechet, Orthopedic Surgeon, Intermountain Health Care
  • Nursing / Healthcare: Learn Who Calls the Shots in Nursing & Health Professions
    Lynn Parker, Adjunct Faculty in Nursing, Salt Lake Community College
  • Science: The World of Science: Hot topics, Cool choices
    Karen Thomas, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Utah Poison Control Center
  • Understanding Yourself: Focusing on Your Strengths and Potential
    Sumiko Martinez, Outreach Officer, Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority
  • Writing: Writing that Makes You Laugh, Cry, and Gasp - Make Boring Writing Exciting and Fun to Read
    Laurie Oberg, Educator

Parent Session

  • Preparing for College: Choosing Coursework, Community Involvement, Scholarships and Financial Aid
    Martina Stewart, Associate Director of University College, University of Utah and Amy Capps, Assistant Director of Counseling for Financial Aid and Scholarships, University of Utah

Additional Links:

About Youth Education at The University of Utah

Youth Education at The U of U offers hundreds of classes and camps in art, science, languages, music, technology and recreation for kids age 2 - 18. Classes are held across the Wasatch Front, and include summer and school break camps as well as preschool, elementary and high school classes throughout the year.

About the American Association of University Women

Since 1881, AAUW has been the nation's leading voice promoting education and equity for women and girls. With a nationwide network of nearly 100,000 members, 1,000 branches and 500 college/university institution partners, the purpose of AAUW is to advance equity for women and girls, through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.

About University Neighborhood Partners

For five years now, University Neighborhood Partners has linked the University of Utah with seven ethnically and culturally rich Salt Lake City neighborhoods in ways that create pathways to higher education. UNP partnerships address barriers of race, ethnicity, religion, political viewpoints and geography that can interrupt the journey to higher education.

About Student Services and High School Recruitment at The University of Utah

The mission of the Office of Student Recruitment and High School Services is to promote the University of Utah and higher education in a positive, honest, informed, and personalized manner. They strive to recruit a diverse undergraduate student body that reflects the University's standard of excellence in all disciplines.

Continuing Education at the U enriches the lives of people of all ages in the greater community and beyond by providing extraordinary learning opportunities from the university. The division encompasses nine programs: Academic Non-Credit, Lifelong Learning, Exam/Test Preparation, Professional Education, Technology Education, Youth Education, Distance Education, the Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning and the English Language Institute. Founded in 1911, Continuing Education offers credit and non-credit courses that serve over 30,000 students annually from around the world. Information about each of Continuing Ed's programs can be found at www.continue.utah.edu.