Category Archives: Events

Women and Education Summit – RSVP Today!

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by Chelsea Nelson
Interactive Communications Director

On the 30th of this month, United Way of Salt Lake will host the Women and Education Summit at the Little America Hotel. Studies show that college enrollment figures for Utah women have steadily declined since the early 1990′s. As a result, the gap between women and men graduating has grown to 6 percent—no other state has a gap this size. Consequently, Utah women currently earn only 69 cents for every dollar men earn—the highest disparity in the country. This half-day Summit will address these challenges and offer solutions that companies, schools, and communities across the state can implement to move the needle on the number of young women completing post-secondary education.

October 30, 2012
7:30 – 8:00 a.m. | Registration
8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Summit
Little America Hotel
Grand Ballroom | 500 South Main Street
Cost: $35 – includes breakfast & lunch

RSVP by October 21, 2012

Please join us for great speakers and topics!

Several noteworthy members of the community and Utah’s education system will speak at the event, including:

  • Matthew S. Holland, President, Utah Valley University
  • Jose Enriquez, Founder and Executive Director, Latinos in Action
  • Martin Bates, Superintendent, Granite School District
  • Melissa Miller Kincart, Assistant Commissioner, Outreach and Access, Utah System of Higher Education
  • Susan Madsen Ph.D., Founder of the Utah Women and Education Project and the Orin R. Woodbury Professor of Leadership and Ethics, Utah Valley University
  • Cecelia Foxley Ph.D., Former Utah Commissioner of Higher Education and Higher Education Consultant

Breakout sessions will feature such topics as:

  • A Male Perspective: Explore the important role that men in various sectors (business, religious, & schools) play in supporting and influencing women to succeed in completing post-secondary education.
  • Building Self-Worth: Understand the impact of self-esteem in this process and hear how local leaders are changing the perception of what is possible by creating a supportive college-going environment.
  • Preparation and Readiness: Learn about the various tools, resources, and initiatives that are available to ensure that students are financially prepared for college and post-secondary success.
  • A Student Perspective: Students from various grades and backgrounds will share stories about impactful moments and key elements that have shaped their experience on the road to post-secondary success.
  • Strategy Sessions: Hear about specific strategies and experiences that can be augmented and replicated in your own community and brainstorm how you can get involved in moving the needle on the number of young women completing post-secondary education.

We hope you will join us!

Thank You for Joining Us at The Funders Summit!

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by Chelsea Nelson
Interactive Communications Director

For nonprofits to thrive in a new economy, they must be innovative and collaborative. Funders play a critical role, as an essential partner with nonprofits, in long-term social change.

Today, United Way of Salt Lake held its first Funders Summit where our community’s foremost philanthropists, as well as corporate and community leaders, discussed evolving nonprofit business models, achieving measurable returns on philanthropic investments, and creating lasting solutions to our toughest social challenges. Participants had the opportunity to hear from two leading experts on philanthropy and Collective Impact; Mark R. Kramer and Don Howard. Both speakers discussed Collective Impact, how it is changing the way that nonprofits work, and how backbone organizations such as United Way of Salt Lake serve to facilitate social change. Deborah Bayle, UWSL’s President and CEO, also spoke about United Way of Salt Lake’s role in our community as a backbone organization to bring the right partners together, collect data, align programs, and assure that these elements are in place for each of our neighborhoods.

Thank you to JP Morgan Chase for sponsoring this important summit and for everyone who participated. We hope you will all join us in fulfilling our promise to create opportunities so that children, even in the toughest neighborhoods, have the chance to become productive, self-reliant members of our community. The long-term effects benefit all of us.

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WPN Members Give Back on Day of Caring!

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Gayle Schwab
WPN Member, Guest Blogger

I enjoy participating in United Way of Salt Lake’s Day of Caring annually! I see this event as a chance to give back to the community in a meaningful way.  I spoke to a couple of classrooms at Granite Park Junior High and we talked about my position as a manager of a Business Intelligence department for Zions Bancorporation.  I related how education is important for career opportunities in the banking industry.  The students had incredible questions and were very inquisitive.  It was a wonderful opportunity to share what I do at the bank with the students.

Being a member of WPN (Women’s Philanthropic Network) and volunteering at the career fair, directly correlates with the WPN’s initiative – Women for Educational Achievement.  The career fair provides a forum for students to learn about various careers that they may be unfamiliar with and it emphasizes the importance of completing educational goals.  I shared how I value a good career and the happiness you can experience when you work in a field of your choice, doing what you love. Thanks to United Way of Salt Lake for this wonderful opportunity and for another great Day of Caring!

Day of Caring: Helping kids see the importance of education

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By Cathy Angstman
Vice President of Wells Fargo, and WPN Member

I have participated in Day of Caring many times over the last twenty years, but this year was my favorite experience.  I went to Granite Park Junior High and spoke with kids about my career in banking and how important education is to achieving goals in your life.  I told the kids about my journey to get a college education and then going on to get a Masters Degree.  I told them that I used to be shy and it was hard for me to talk in front of people, but getting going through college really helped not to be shy anymore.  We talked about all of the different things I had done in my career to finally get to what I do now.

This experience was a real eye opener and it confirmed for me how important the WPN’s initiative to educate young women on the importance of education.  There was such a wide range of diverse students at the school and they asked lots of questions about technology and personal things – even what kind of car I drove.  Most of the kids listened very intently and you could tell they were hungry for information and interested in what it’s like to be a successful adult.

This was a wonderful experience and makes me want to become even more involved in the WPN’s educational initiative.

To learn more about the Women’s Philanthropic Network’s Educational Initiative please go to uw.org or click here.

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Stuff The Bus Wrap Up!

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By Christiana Tawzer Brown
Volunteer Coordinator VISTA

I have long heard of United Way of Salt Lake, but as a recent hired employee I have been able to see and be a part of the collective work of United Way. Working on Stuff the Bus has given me a new appreciation for all the efforts that go into volunteer events. On Saturday, September 2nd we had 25 volunteers from our Summer of Service help us sort, count, and box the supplies for Stuff the Bus.

The following Wednesday we had 20 more great volunteers who helped to move all the supplies from our storefront to the Grand Hall at the Gateway. Many thanks to the Wells Fargo employees and students from the Honors Student Advisory Committee at the U. And we could not have done all the moving without the generous help from All My Sons moving company; talk about efficient!

The long-awaited Day of Caring arrived, and any doubts I had were washed away with the support of many United Way staff and 150+ spirited volunteers. Together we stuffed 5,000 backpacks totaling roughly 31,000 school supply items! We have already received emails from school principals letting us know how excited the kids were to receive the backpacks.  Thanks to all those who participated in Stuff the Bus!

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