NOSW at Maryville College Accepting Applications For 2015 Program

Women from Appalachia who haven’t had access to higher education or whose personal circumstances have left them in poverty now have hope for a new beginning, thanks to the New Opportunity School at Maryville College.

The New Opportunity School for Women (NOSW) at Maryville College is still accepting applications for its second program to be held on the Maryville College campus July 12 through Aug. 1, 2015.

The school is designed to improve the educational, financial and personal circumstances of low-income, under-educated, middle-aged women in the Appalachian region. The Women’s Fund of East Tennessee, a fund of the East Tennessee Foundation, along with donors, are providing support for the 2015 program.

Through a 21-day residential program and continuing support, women develop essential tools for advancing their education, gaining sustainable employment and rebuilding self-esteem. Topics covered include Appalachian literature, creative writing, math and budgeting, cultural experiences, personal interest and career exploration, job search skills, internships and leadership development. Career counseling, makeovers, health screenings and clothing resources are all part of the program to help build self-esteem, self-worth and confidence.

NOSW continues to support participants after graduation through one-on-one mentoring, reunions, workshops and scholarship opportunities.

NOSW will accept 14 women into the 2015 program, which is offered at no cost to the participants. Applicants must be between the ages of 30 and 55; have graduated from high school or have a GED or certificate of equivalency; have low income; and highly motivated to change their lives. Classes are taught by college instructors and community professionals.

Out of an urgent need to help women in Appalachia become better educated and employed, the program was founded in 1987 by Jane Stephenson at Berea College in Kentucky. Building on its success, two additional programs were established at Lees-McRae College in North Carolina and Bluefield College in Virginia. Maryville College is the fourth NOSW program, which serves East Tennessee. The program was established at Maryville College in 2013 and welcomed its first class in July 2014.

“In August, we graduated 10 women from our first NOSW program in East Tennessee,” said Linda Ueland, director of NOSW at Maryville College. “Many of our graduates are finding their way to making positive life-changing decisions. The three-week program has a lifelong impact in the lives of women who attend the program, and many women will later receive college degrees or find sustainable employment.
“Through an intensive curriculum, hard work, community internships and career counseling, women who attend the program will tap into sources of new knowledge and skills while realizing the value of their own wisdom, experiences and abilities,” Ueland continued. “In three weeks, these women will begin to rediscover personal strengths, courage and life goals often hidden by overwhelmingly difficult circumstances.”

To learn more about the NOSW program or attending the three-week program at Maryville College, please visit maryvillecollege.edu/nosw or contact Ueland at 865.981.8123 or linda.ueland@maryvillecollege.edu.