Award goes to women’s institute that nearly closed

By Stephanie Tavares

Monday, July 13, 2009 | 2 a.m.

UNLV’s Women’s Research Institute of Nevada got a much-needed double-barrel boost recently. The institute won a national award and was saved by grants.

The National Council for Research on Women last month awarded the institute its first “emerging center” award. The award commends a program for strides in women’s studies research and expansion of its mission in the past five years.

The institute was founded a decade ago with the aim of studying women’s contributions to Nevada and their issues in this state. The institute has three main projects: a leadership program for female students, an oral history project, and statistical research on how social, political and economic changes are affecting women.

“The award is an enormous distinction,” Institute Director Joanne Goodwin said. “A decade ago we had everything to accomplish. Today we have three successful programs, strong community support and momentum.”

The institute faced closure a few months ago because the Legislature eliminated its state funding, cutting the institute’s budget nearly in half. A Lynn M. Bennett legacy grant from the Eleanor Kagi Foundation restored about one-third of the institute’s budget with two $50,000 grants. It will allow the institute to continue many projects that would have otherwise been put on hold.

“Before we started the research institute there was no place in the state that delivered information to the public or to businesses or government leaders about the impact of policies or events on women,” Goodwin said. “That’s just remarkable. That is the most basic thing and it’s important to do because women still work in different areas of the economy and women are a much larger part of the family economy than they’ve ever been in the past. That’s an important piece of information and it’s the kind of analysis we can present to the public for everyone’s benefit.”

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Nevada State College wants every child to have a chance to go to college, and it’s putting its money where its mouth is.

The college recently began a program at local middle schools with large numbers of economically disadvantaged students that shows them what they need to do to prepare for college and promises them $500 if they attend NSC.

“We really want to make sure they see this as a participatory process,” said Lee Young, NSC’s vice provost of enrollment management. “They need to meet our requirements, but we’re going to help them understand the process. If they do that, this is a bonus for enrolling at Nevada State College.”

The program will eventually include at least five Southern Nevada middle schools and as many as 1,500 students. It launched this spring at Burkholder and Cannon middle schools.

The program is designed to create a relationship with high-risk students, starting in the sixth grade, that will better prepare them and their families for college admission. It will include annual events at the college, workshops on college preparation and financial planning, and financial aid advice for families.

The college hopes that it will give promising students the information they need to make decisions about their future and encourage the best students to attend NSC.

The program is funded with development money and private donations to the college.

“This isn’t just about getting better jobs, it’s about teaching them to meet their goals and the state getting the real benefit from the skills and talents these students have,” Young said.

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A UNLV employee is to become a member of the Henderson City Council on July 21.

On Wednesday, the council selected Debra March to fill the vacancy created when Andy Hafen was elected mayor.

March has been director of UNLV’s Lied Institute for Real Estate Studies for 13 years. She also has served on the Henderson Planning Commission for six years and is a member of the Henderson Community Foundation and the Nevada District Council of the Urban Land Institute.

She previously served two years as the economic development marketing director for Las Vegas.