U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau

1. U.S. Department of LaborWomen's Bureau “Promoting 21st Century solutions to improve the status of working women and their families” Fiscal Year 2008 Outlook 8/12/08

2. Strengtheningthe Family • The Women's Bureau was created by Congressional mandate in 1920. It is the only federal agency charged to advocate on behalf of women in the workforce. • The Bureau’s mission is to improve the status of wage-earning women, improve their working conditions, increase their efficiency, and advance their opportunities for profitable employment. • The Bureau designs and implements demonstration projects that employ “high tech” (Web sites, virtual conferences, and e-mentoring) and “high touch” (workshops, seminars, and one-on-one counseling) elements. • All Women’s Bureau projects follow a strategic plan, achieve measurable results, and can be replicated by other organizations. Better Jobs!Better Earnings!Better Living!

3. Strategic Goals

4. Working Women in Transition (WWIT) • Project Goal: To connect women who are making a transition in their work lives with mentors, resources, and learning opportunities to enable them to: • receive an increase in wages/salary or a promotion • find employment or start a business • enter into post-secondary or graduate degree education or a certification or licensing program. • WWIT provides access to face-to-face and online mentors (e-mentoring), skill set analysis, job training, job search assistance, childcare, transportation, counseling, and work clothing. • Participants may remain enrolled in WWIT for two years. www.workingwomenintransition.org University of Kentucky manages the Web site “This program has opened up so many doors for methat I didn’t think existed.” – WWIT project participant, Texas

6. New WWIT Project! Native Trail The Women’s Bureau is working with Native American women in northern Arizona, preserving their traditions and showcasing their beautiful art and handicrafts so that they will be economically self-sufficient.

7. Wi$eUp • Project Goal: To provide financial education to Generations X and Y women so they will reduce their debt and increase their savings and/or investments • An online and classroom-based curriculum covers saving, credit, debt, insurance, investing, and retirement planning. • Over 80 financial experts answer questions via e-mail. The “Ask the Experts” archive is available online. • Speakers provide financial guidance on bi-monthly Wi$eUp Teleconference Calls. Transcripts and audio recordings are available online. • Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Business and Professional Women/USA, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Financial Planning Association collaborate with the Women’s Bureau to implement Wi$eUp. www.wiseupwomen.org Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M University System manages the Web site Women often have unique long-term financial concerns. They generally receive lower pension benefits than men due to their relatively lower earnings, are more likely to work in part-time jobs that don’t qualify for a retirement plan, and are also more likely to interrupt their careers to take care of family members. Why Wi$eUp?

8. Wi$eUp Replications • Collaborative relationships with community organizations such as a shelter for survivors of domestic violence and a program for girls aging out of foster care in Charleston, SC • Brown bag lunch series for university students in Illinois • Pre-release incarcerated women in Kansas City, MO; Topeka, KS; Gig Harbor; WA; and Dublin, CA • Employees receive Continuing Education Credits from their e-learning site in Texas • Organizations Offering Wi$eUp • Job Corps centers & career centers • Women’s business centers • Adult education providers • Employers • Universities • Correctional facilities • Women’s centers • Faith-based centers

9. Additional Financial Literacy Projects • Wi$eUp for Native Women • The Women’s Bureau collaborated with Native Public Media (NPM) to encourage Native women to learn about finances and saving for the future. NPM created five public service announcements using voices of Native women who participated in a Wi$eUp class. • Building upon the NPM financial literacy outreach efforts, the Women’s Bureau is offering Wi$eUp classroom activities in career centers and tribal and community organizations within the NPM broadcast area. Financial information is shared using an approach that is culturally appropriate to the Native community. Wi$eUp on Wall Street In July 2008, the Women’s Bureau and the Financial Planning Association hosted Wi$eUp: The Benefits of Creating a Financially Savvy Employee, a conference to outreach to companies headquartered in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. 9

10. Flex-Options • Project Goal: To encourage business owners to develop workplace flexibility policies and procedures, such as telecommuting, job sharing, and compressed work-weeks. • Corporate executives and workplace flexibility experts establish one-on-one mentoring relationships with business owners to teach them how to develop flexible work policies. • Best practices are shared online and via teleconference calls featuring experienced professionals and leaders in the flexible workplace field. www.we-inc.org/flex.html Women Entrepreneurs Inc. manages Web site Flex in the City Conference On May 13, 2008, the Women’s Bureau and the City of Houston Mayor’s Office hosted a conference to share workplace flexibility practices and learn how to promote flexible work options.

11. Women in Nanotechnology www.womeninnanotechnology.org Project Goal: To help existing college/university science programs increase the number of women interested in the study of nanotechnology

12. National Outreach • Women’s Bureau Electronic Newsletter • Launched in 2002, e-News informs the public about the Bureau’s projects and activities. • Leadership Forums • From 2004 to 2007, the Women’s Bureau held leadership forums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The forums brought together women leaders from faith-based organizations, chambers of commerce, corporate America, local industry, and state and local governments. Attendees learned how to replicate Women’s Bureau demonstration projects. The Bureau has expanded outreach activities to promote replication.

13. Building on the Past, Envisioning the Future: The Art of Women’s Lives • On March 4-6, 2008, the Women’s Bureau and Women Entrepreneurs Inc. hosted an event in Washington, DC in honor of Women’s History Month. • Workshops • Women and America’s Changing Work Culture • The Workforce Dimension • Building a Stronger STEM Pipeline for Women • Women in Nanotechnology (WIN): Community Collaboration to Expand the Workforce Pipeline • Wising Up Financially: A Multi-Generational Perspective • Workplace Flexibility: Innovations Across Sectors • Evening Panel Reception featuring: • Marin Alsop, Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra • Ruth DeGolia, Executive Director of Mercado Global

14. International Outreach • Council of Women World Leaders Ministerial Fellows Exchange Program, 2006 -Women’s Bureau Director Shinae Chun shared the Women’s Bureau’s expertise and best practices with women members of Parliament, ministers, the Tanzania Media Women’s Association, and the Tanzania Gender Networking Program. She also visited the Maasai Women Development Organization (right). • International Visitors Briefings - Briefings for international dignitaries and women leaders are coordinated with the Department of State and the DOL Bureau of International Labor Affairs. From FY 2002-2007, the Women’s Bureau briefed 800 visitors from over 100 countries.

15. Past Projects Better Jobs! • Employer-Driven Older Women Workers • Group E-Mentoring in Nursing (GEM-Nursing) • Girls’ E-Mentoring in Science, Engineering, and Technology (GEM-SET) • Ground Zero Initiative: Building a Pipeline of Women for the Skilled Trades in Metropolitan New York (Construction Trades Prep) • Online Learning for Single Mothers • Women with Disabilities Entrepreneurship • Women's Museum - Women in Technology Project Better Earnings! • Las Mujeres y el Dinero (Women and Money) • Neighborhood Networks • Women Managing Those Dollar$

16. National Office Shinae Chun, Director Women’s Bureau U.S. Department of Labor 200 Constitution Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20210 202.693.6710 Women’s Bureau 1.800.827.5335 www.dol.gov/wb Region I: Boston Jacqueline Cooke, RA 617.565.1988 CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, and VT Region II: New York Grace Protos, RA 212.337.2389 NJ, NY, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands Region III: Philadelphia Lucia Bruce, RA 215.861.4860 DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, and WV Region IV: Atlanta Paulette Lewis, RA 404.562.2336 AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, and TN Region V: Chicago Nancy Chen, RA 312.353.6985 IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI Region VI: Dallas Beverly Lyle, RA 972.850.4700 AR, LA, NM, OK, and TX Region VII: Kansas City Dorothy Witherspoon, RA 816.285.7233 IA, KS, MO, and NE Region VIII: Denver Frances Jefferson, RA 303.844.1286 CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, and WY Region IX: San Francisco Jenny Erwin, RA 415.625.2638 AZ, CA, Guam, HI, and NV Region X: Seattle Betty Lock, RA 206.553.1534 AK, ID, OR, and WA