YWCA Strive

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STRIVE is a free professional development program for individuals who struggle to secure or retain living-wage employment. Participants will define their career goals and gain the confidence to seek higher-paying jobs, negotiate higher wages, pursue continuing education or earn professional certification.

Each program cohort consists of 120 hours of classroom instruction, hands-on training and individual meetings with certified advisors to develop the professional habits and skills needed to succeed.

Registration is open for two new virtual cohorts:

Cohort 1: January 25 – April 26, Monday & Wednesday, 10 AM – 12 PM
Cohort 2: February 9 – May 13, Tuesday & Thursday, 2 PM – 4 PM

Cohort 1 Application Deadline: January 24, 12 PM
Cohort 2 Application Deadline: February 8, 12 PM

Click to Apply!

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With STRIVE, you will learn and practice skills desired by local employers and that you can use to start your own business.

Topics include:

  • Digital skills for the workplace
  • Essential skills (AKA Soft skills)
  • Entrepreneurship and business skills
  • Financial  literacy and independence
  • Critical thinking
  • Leadership skills
  • Workforce wardrobe consultation
  • Personal empowerment
  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Career coaching
  • Presentation skills
  • Visioning and storytelling
  • Balancing personal and professional obligations
  • Opportunities for education and career advancement

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STRIVE offers hands-on learning opportunities and assignments that will help participants develop and practice professional and digital skills in a collaborative, supportive environment.

You will take the skills you learn in class and work one-on-one with a career coach to define an individual educational or career path, identify solutions to any barriers and receive individualized feedback and support on progress and skills development.

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Upon completion of all requirements, clients receive a STRIVE Professional Certificate and will have an updated resume, stronger interview skills and knowledge and ability to launch their careers.

STRIVE advisors are always working to identify and share local employment, training and internship opportunities with participants. Our facilitators are connecting with local employers and educating them on the value of the STRIVE Professional Certificate and what our program graduates can bring to their workplace.

Cohort 1 Application Deadline: January 24, 12 PM
Cohort 2 Application Deadline: February 8, 12 PM

Click to Apply!

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STRIVE is for people of color, women and survivors of violence, crime and bullying and other marginalized populations who are seeking a professional development opportunity to increase professional, interpersonal and technological skills for working in a digital world.

  • Must live in Tippecanoe, Benton, Carroll, Clinton, Warren or White Counties.
  • Must be 18+ years old.
  • Must have basic English literacy and math skills.
  • Must show desire and ability to complete the full program.

Cohort 1 Application Deadline: January 24, 12 PM
Cohort 2 Application Deadline: February 8, 12 PM

Click to Apply!

For questions, please email Kelly Hampton, Director, Empowerment Services , or call (765) 742-0075.

Local Employer or Agency Partnerships

Are you a local employer or nonprofit agency and want to partner with YWCA Greater Lafayette STRIVE? Contact communications@ywcalafayette.org for more information.

STRIVE is powered by a grant from Google.org; and is sponsored in part by Cargill Lafayette.

About Google.org

Google.org supports nonprofits that address humanitarian issues and apply scalable, data-driven innovation to solving the world’s biggest challenges. We accelerate their progress by connecting them with a unique blend of support that includes funding, products, and technical expertise from Google volunteers. We engage with these believers-turned-doers who make a significant impact on the communities they represent, and whose work has the potential to produce meaningful change. We want a world that works for everyone—and we believe technology and innovation can move the needle in four key areas: education, economic opportunity, inclusion and crisis response.

YWCA Greater Lafayette STRIVE is committed to promoting equity and providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our community, including clients, staff, volunteers, community partners and vendors. We are committed to helping individuals of all races, ethnicities, national origins, genders, sexual orientations, incarceration backgrounds, religions, ages, abilities, and other diversities succeed through our programming and services. We are committed to promoting equity throughout our operations, including the provision of services, staffing decisions, and selection of volunteers and vendors.