BLUEFIELD, Va. — Women in Appalachia without access to higher education or whose circumstances have left them in poverty now have hope for a new beginning through a program developed at Bluefield College.
The New Opportunity School for Women at the Baptist-affiliated college is designed to improve the educational, financial and personal circumstances of low-income, under-educated women between the ages of 30 and 60 in the Appalachian region.
The beauty of the Appalachian region often obscures grinding poverty.
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It’s the third location for the NOSW, which was founded in 1987 at Berea (Ky.) College and expanded in 2005 to Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C.
“From the first step I took onto the Bluefield College campus I knew I had come to a loving, caring place,” said Jane B. Stephenson, who started the program at Berea. “Every person I met was concerned about others and wanted to help people become better educated and have a fulfilling life. Statistically, we knew that West Virginia and certain parts of Virginia had many people that were low income, especially many women. So, Bluefield seemed an ideal place for an expansion site for the New Opportunity School for Women.”
Stephenson said she’s “excited” about the expansion of the NOSW into southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia and “thrilled” that Bluefield College is the site for that expansion. Partnerships with colleges, she added, create a special opportunity for the NOSW to reach rural Appalachian women who may not consider higher education otherwise.
“I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina in a very isolated small town. I knew even then that women didn’t have the opportunities that men had and that there were very different expectations for women than men,” said Stephenson. “I want Appalachian women to have more opportunities for themselves and their families, especially through becoming more educated and ultimately having a career with benefits and increased income for their families.”
Education opens doors for women, says Connie Saunders, chair of the New Opportunity School's advisory board.
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The NOSW fulfills that mission through residential programs at its college sites, and today nearly 700 women have completed the curriculum.
The first residential program at Bluefield College will be in May 2013 and will include three weeks of academic study, cultural experiences, personal development, job search training, college preparation and leadership development. Participants will work 50 hours per week on a curriculum that includes a distinctive focus on Appalachian literature, creative writing, personal reflection, the Appalachian culture and cultural experiences at theaters, museums and historical sites.
The NOSW program also includes personal support in the form of career counseling, group reflection, makeovers, dress for success resources and health screenings — all designed to create a sense of pride and self-worth. In fact, the NOSW care continues even after the residency with coaching, career guidance, workshops, reunions, internships, higher education opportunities, scholarship opportunities, clothing resources and continued networking with the “sisterhood” of NOSW graduates.
“Education opens the closed doors that disadvantaged women suffer with each day,” said Connie Saunders, president of Saunders Staffing in Bluefield and chair of the advisory board for Bluefield’s NOSW. “I am honored to be part of such an awesome project.”
Eighty percent of women participating in the New Opportunity School have family incomes of less than $10,000 per year. Many were discouraged from higher education and professional careers, and a disturbingly high percentage have experienced sexual abuse and domestic violence. Participants are required to have a high school diploma or GED, so that NOSW may serve as preparation for higher education and jobs that pay a livable wage.
“Research tells us that 80 percent of New Opportunity School graduates find better jobs or enroll in further education or both,” said Cheryl Shippey, director of Bluefield’s NOSW. “Given the circumstances of our participants, that’s a remarkable success rate. We know this program gives women the tools to make successful, long term changes that improve their educational, financial and personal circumstances.”
Other members of the NOSW advisory board at Bluefield are Ruth Blankenship, BC’s vice president for advancement; April Breimann, operations officer for the Southwest Virginia Workforce Investment Board; Crystal Kieloch, director of academic support at Bluefield College; Rob Merritt, dean of BC’s College of Arts and Letters; Kathryn Olive, community volunteer; Teresa Paine, a marriage and family therapist in Bluefield, W. Va.; Stella Parton, a local musician and songwriter; Tammy Pennington, assistant director of BC’s School of Nursing; and Louise Stoker, mayor of Bramwell, W. Va.
Additional information is available at www.noswfoundation.org. To enroll in the May 2013 program at Bluefield, contact Cheryl Shippey at 276.326.4257 or at cshippey@bluefield.edu.
Chris Shoemaker (cshoemaker@bluefield.edu) is director of public relations and marketing for Bluefield College.