For women to succeed in the current employment climate, they must have the skills necessary to participate in the knowledge economy. For most, this means obtaining a college degree or other advanced education. But for many women, the challenges of going to college after years out of the formal education system are an impediment. Transitions Conferences are designed to help women to anticipate and overcome these hurdles and achieve the degrees that will enable them to reach economic security.

With strong ties to AAUW’s programmatic theme, Education as the Gateway to Women’s Economic Security, and drawing on the 1999 AAUW Educational Foundation research, Gaining a Foothold: Women's Transitions Through Work and College, Transitions Conferences are one-day events that help working women in the community overcome obstacles to returning to school. The conference, co-sponsored ideally by an AAUW branch and a local university or college, provides information and support on financial aid, study skills, and issues related to balancing school, work, and family.

Resources for hosting a Transitions Conference:

• In addition to being a benefit to the participants, the events offer wonderful opportunities for branches to forge partnerships with local colleges and universities and other community groups. Learn from two examples of the conference in action, co-sponsored by an AAUW branch, a local college, and a community partner.

• Planning tools:
  • Transitions Conference planning worksheet notes the key issues -- target audience, partners, and membership recruitment opportunities — to consider when planning an event.
  • Use the Transitions Conference sample brochure (MS Word) to create your own brochure by replacing the existing information with information for your conference, such as the date, location, and schedule. Simply click on the link above to save the Microsoft Word document to your computer to edit it.
    
• Research tools:
  • Use the Gaining a Foothold: Women's Transitions Through Work and College research report to persuade campuses and community partners to get involved, and to help Transition Conference participants understand the challenges and opportunities of gaining a degree as a non-traditional student.
  • A press release makes the report findings easy to use. 

 To become involved in a Transitions event in your community, contact a local AAUW branch or e-mail program@aauw.org.

 Have you successfully implemented a Transitions Conference in your community? Please share your story by sending e-mail to program@aauw.org.