Pittsburgh Holds 2nd Annual Girls Going Places Conference

Girls Going Places Conference, April 23, 2008
Entrepreneurship for Girls 12 to 18

The second annual Girls Going Places Entrepreneurship Conference will be held on April 24, 2008 from 8:30 – 2:30 p.m. at Chatham University. Girls Going Places is an exciting and interactive day of learning for young women ages 12 – 18. The conference will partner 120 female students with local women executives and entrepreneurs for activities and discussions that introduce students to the concepts of financial independence, entrepreneurship, and business ownership. This event offers girls an experience that will stimulate their interest in pursuing enterprising careers and developing financial acumen. There is no charge for girls to attend, but the school must approve and submit registrations, which can be done on-line at www.girlsgoingplaces.com/Pittsburgh. The conference is sponsored by Hurley Associates, Guardian, the Pittsburgh Chapter of National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), the Chatham University Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship, and Communities In Schools. Any questions can be directed to Kristine or Nicole at Communities In Schools at 412.471.7911 or via e-mail at kweaver@cispac.org.

April 2008
Pittsburgh,
Hurley Associates, a local agency of The Guardian Life Insurance Company (Guardian) is proud to extend this invitation to six of your students to participate in our second annual Girls Going Places Entrepreneurship Conference for girls ages 12-18. The conference is sponsored by Hurley Associates, Guardian, the Pittsburgh Chapter of National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), the Chatham University Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship, and Communities In Schools.

This program will be held Thursday, April 24, 2008 from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm at Chatham University. We would be delighted if your students could join us for this unique and inspiring day. Attached please find a conference program and agenda.

The conference will partner 120 female students with local women executives and entrepreneurs for activities and discussions that introduce students to the concepts of financial independence, entrepreneurship, and business ownership. This event offers girls an experience that will stimulate their interest in pursuing enterprising careers and developing financial acumen. In our changing economy, financial independence and security are on the minds of young people who have watched as their parents are “down-sized” and friends worry about finding a job.

Teens need to understand the opportunities to “make a job” as well as those to “take a job”. The overriding objective of the conference, therefore, is to promote and communicate the advantages of business ownership, entrepreneurship, and financial independence.

In the past, we have found that the best conferences involve a diverse audience of girls; hence the program is not limited to high academic achievers. If your school participated last year, we hope that you will send different girls than those who attended in 2007.

Please note the following conference details in selecting students to attend:

§ There is no charge for the conference.

§ Breakfast and lunch will be provided, but the schools/attendees must arrange transportation to and from Chatham University.

§ You may register on-line at www.girlsgoingplaces.com/Pittsburgh (click “Registration” along the top of the page) or you can go on-line and print off the Registration Form, Permission Slip and Photo Release Form that should be sent home to parents for approval and signature. Please be sure to get the required signatures and submit to our attention. Also, please keep copies on file!

§ Please be sure to select only students that can attend the conference in its entirety, from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. STUDENTS MUST ARRIVE ON TIME and NO EARLY DISMISSAL IS PERMITTED.

§ Space is limited! We can only accommodate 120 female students, so let us know as soon as possible if you are interested in having your students participate by completing and returning the attached Registration Form and Permission Slip & Photo Release via fax to 412-471-7882 as soon as possible to reserve seats. There are still a few spots availabe for interested parents or counselors, you can contact Nicole Molinaro at Communities in Schools: 412-471-7911

In addition to this conference, Guardian sponsors the Girls Going Places® Entrepreneurship Award Program for girls 12 to 18. How does Girls Going Places® work? It’s simple. A girl is nominated by an adult who must submit an essay of 750 to 1000 words, endorsing the candidate and touting her accomplishments as a young female entrepreneur. Prizes are awarded as follows: first place $10,000, second place $5,000, third place $3,000 and 12 finalist prizes of $1,000 each. There is no cost to participate. Recipients are awarded prizes to pursue further education and to support their entrepreneurial projects. Additional information is available at: www.girlsgoingplaces.com

Hurley Associates supports this award program because of their commitment to promoting to girls and women in our community the values of entrepreneurship and financial independence. We encourage you to share this information with colleagues and students.

We are looking forward to the participation of your students in a great Girls Going Places® Entrepreneurship Conference and working with you in making a difference for the next generation.

If you have any questions about the conference or award program, please contact me by phone at 412-471-7911 or nmolinaro@cispac.org. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Nicole Molinaro

Nicole Molinaro

Executive Director, Communities In Schools

Girls Going Places ~ Girls Committee Chair

SCHEDULE FOR CONFERENCE

8:30 a.m. Registration
9:00 a.m. Opening and Welcome
9:15 a.m. Hot Company® Board Game
—Participation in a board game that introduces the girls to the vocabulary, history, and creative problem solving of business ownership.
10:15 a.m. What is Economic Power for Teen Women?
—Short opening discussion on what economic power means and how to obtain it.
10:30 a.m. Women Who Dare® Video: Exploring the Entrepreneurial Adventure
—17-minute video highlighting three young women entrepreneurs and their successes and challenges in establishing and running businesses.
10:45 a.m. Interviews with Women in Business
12:30 p.m. Product in a Box®
—Interactive, group activity requiring the girls to create or invent a new product and business.
1:30 p.m. Budget Savvy®
—An activity that connects career and lifestyle choices. Girls connect their dreams with reality through a financial budgeting exercise.
2:10 p.m. Girls Going Places® Entrepreneurship Award Program
—Short video highlighting past conferences and winners of the Girls Going Places® Award Program.
2:30 p.m. End

Economic Empowerment


Economic empowerment is critical to addressing the needs of today’s young people, particularly girls. Research shows that women have made tremendous progress toward gaining economic equality during the last several decades. Nonetheless, according to published reports, US women earn less, are less likely to own a business, and are more likely to live in poverty than are men. Consider the facts:

§ In the US, women working full time earn 76 cent for every dollar men earned in 2000 (Institute of Women’s Policy Research)

§ In 2002, the median income of full-time, year round U.S. workers was $39,429 for men and $30,203 for women. Source: U.S. Census Bureau – Income in the United States: 2002 (www.census.gov)

§ Older women are more likely to face poverty than older men. Source: Institute for Women’s Policy Research (www.iwpr.org)

§ U.S. women represent 51% of the population, but comprise less than:

§ 1.2% of Fortune 500 CEOs. Source: Catalyst Census of Women Corporate Officers (www.catalystwomen.org)

§ 2.7% of the highest paid officers at Fortune 500 companies. Source: Catalyst

§ 15% of the members of Congress (Source Women’s Research and Education Institute. (http://www.wrei.org/pubs/WC_108.pdf)

§ Of the 15 million people age 15 or older who were full-time workers in 2001, 4.4% of women reported earnings less than $10,000 as compared with 2.8 percent of men. At the opposite end of the economic spectrum, 5.5 percent of women as compared with 15.8 percent of men reported earnings of $75,000 or more. Source: U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov)

§ Women have made progress in entering occupations predominantly held by men; however as of March 2001 the majority of women in the workplace were still in traditional “female” occupations, i.e., 79% of administrative support workers were female. Source: U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov)

§ During retirement, women’s median annual Social Security benefits reach only 70 percent of men’s benefits. Source: Institute for Women’s Policy Research (www.iwpr.org)

§ Women are much less likely than men to receive pension income in retirement, but for those who do, their annual benefits are only half the amount received by men. Source: Institute for Women’s Policy Research