Empowerment Project

The Empowerment Project is designed especially for women who are returning to school after an absence in their education…whether they are displaced homemakers, or are considered non-traditional students for some other reason. We place particular importance on serving the needs of women of color, women veterans, student parents, first generation students, and older women who are ready to continue their education at PSU.

These are students with different needs than many traditional students. Participants in the Empowerment Project are given the opportunity to connect, share and overcome issues such as feelings of inferiority in higher education, imposter syndrome, childcare and family issues, academic struggles, and difficulties feeling integrated, or getting acclimated to the campus. The Empowerment Project can help provide resources, skills, information and support to get past these challenges.

The Women’s Resource Center provides a welcoming, inclusive and accessible space, with programs and services designed to support and empower all non-traditional women students .

The Empowerment Project offers a curriculum of workshops, training, and courses to support students’ transition to higher education, and to ensure that all students are effectively equipped to succeed at PSU.

Services provided by the Empowerment Project:

Tours of the PSU campus
Drop-in advising
Resource referral
Leadership advising
Skill building
Peer support groups
Mentoring program
Academic workshops offered every term
Support for women vetereans who are transitioning into higher education
Community college outreach to prepare students transferring to PSU
Support for women of color who are PSU Students
Networking and social opportunities
Scholarship research and assistance
A place to connect, share, and thrive

"I wanted to thank you so much for talking with me the other day!!! You are an amazing resource for me :) You and Adrienne helped me so much. I don't think I have the words to express what it did on so many levels. It helped me to be more comfortable in my own skin, thank you. Knowing that I can come in and bounce things off of you with no judgment, it helps me to navigate this new world."

Quote from PSU Student

College Success for Returning Women

(Previously known as the Returning Women's Workshop WS 120)

Fall 2012: T-Th Noon-1:50pm, with Bridge D'Urso (4 credits)
IST 199, Section 009, CRN 15644 (for freshmen and sophomores)
IST 399, Section 009, CRN 15646 (for juniors and seniors)

Offered through the Learning Center, College Success (IST 199/399) builds on the best wisdom from innovators in psychology, education, business, sports, and personal effectiveness using the On Course Success Principles which represent eight of the essential "things" that good learners believe and do. Founded on these timeless principles, the On Course text and the College Success course give students a collection of practical success tools to empower students by giving them the outer behaviors and inner qualities to create greater success in college and in life. In addition, students will participate in guided journal writings, learn essential success strategies, discover critical resources and actively engage with the PSU community.