New Grant Programs Relating to Women in Higher Education

Here is this week’s news of grants that may be of particular interest to women in higher education.

Mount Holyoke College received a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for a program to help community college students in STEM fields transfer to Mount Holyoke. Funds will be used for scholarships and to help these women students adjust to a four-year college.

The Minnesota Department of Health is distributing $2.7 million in federal grants to 11 colleges and universities in Minnesota. The grants will be used to establish new centers or fund current centers at these schools aimed at helping young parents or pregnant women attend college. The centers will offer parenting education and provide referrals to health and social services.

The University of Kansas has received a grant from the U.S. State Department to fund a Women’s Leadership Institute for 18 young women from Egypt, Yemen, and Bahrain. The institute, now underway, involves a six-week residential program. The young women are taking classes in communications, educational research, and public service. The women will also participate in exercises with the university’s national champion debate team.

Oklahoma State University received a $300,000 grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma for a program entitled, Healthy Women, Healthy Futures. The program assists at-risk mothers living in poverty with health education and physician services.