Mentoring Program at the University of Central Florida Wins Award

Participants in the Young Women Leaders Program

The Young Women Leaders Program at the University of Central Florida in Orlando was honored with the 2011 Donna Allen Award for Feminist Advocacy from the Commission on the Status of Women of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. The award will be presented at the association’s annual convention in St. Louis in August.

The Young Women Leaders Program matches seventh grade girls in Seminole County public schools with undergraduate women students at the university. The college students act as mentors and big sisters offering advice on school, family issues, peer pressure, etc. The girls and their mentors meet every other week in an after school program. The girls and the mentors also participate in community service projects twice each month.