Montgomery County Community College: YWCA Tri-County Area Holds YW Empowerment Sundays At MCCC

Press release from the Montgomery County Community College:

Diane VanDyke

March 7, 2022

Building on its mission to eliminate racism and empower women, YWCA Tri-County Area’s
Youth Empowerment Programs department (YEP) recently launched YW Empowerment Sundays
to encourage young women of different ages and stages of life to come together to
be heard, seen and learn from each other.

The program is for three related groups: Girls in Charge (7th and 8th graders), YW
Young Women Rising GLI Chapter (9th through 12th-grade students) and YW Women Rising
(18- to 25-year-olds). The participants meet monthly on Sundays at Montgomery County
Community College. The next event is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, March 13, at MCCC’s
North Hall Gallery, 16 High Street, Pottstown. The program is free and open to all
young women in the community, who can register online.  

online

“We have been working with these students in our separate programs, and YW Empowerment
Sundays is an opportunity to bring them together so they can learn from each other,”
said Kristie Piacine, director of Youth Empowerment Programs. “The goal of the program
is to create a diverse community where they feel seen and heard leaning into self-discovery,
civic engagement, advocacy, self-care and emotional intelligence.”

Combining participants of different ages forms a sense of sisterhood and creates mentorship
opportunities, Piacine said. The program, like all YW YEP programs, uses a trauma-informed
approach, that promotes self-awareness and self-regulation.

“We’ve received great feedback,” Piacine said. Twenty-five participants came to YW’s
Empowerment Sunday on Feb. 20, representing Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties
and spanning six school districts. Piacine hopes to double participation by next year.

“The middle-school students participate in programs like Art of Yoga and work together
to learn about interpersonal communication skills, while exploring what they may like
to do for careers,” Piacine said. “This matches well with MCCC’s Upward Bound program. In fact, all YW’s students will gain access to a wealth of knowledge and
information from our partnership with Montgomery County Community College. We are
so thankful for the collaborative relationship between two organizations that strive
to educate our communities.”

Older students in grades 9-12 focus heavily on YW mission work through the lens of
anti-racism and inclusion, learning about social justice, advocacy, and communication,
finding their voices as they work on leadership skills.

For young women ages 18-25, YWCA has partnered with Truist Bank to work on banking
basics, budgeting, financial wellness, and saving for their futures.

Each YW Empowerment Sunday has its own theme. In February, the participants learned
about social justice in conjunction with World Day of Social Justice on Feb. 20. Students
looked at injustices in their communities and the world and discussed ways they could
make a difference. In March, the social justice theme will be female advocacy issues
and in April it is YWCA’s Stand Against Racism campaign.

MCCC is pleased to partner with YWCA Tri-County Area to host and participate in YW
Empowerment Sundays.

"YWCA’s values, mission and priorities align with MCCC’s programs, such as Upward
Bound, dual enrollment, College Connections Experience, Act 101,” said Amy Auwaerter, Director of Pottstown Campus Operations. “We’re looking forward
to bringing speakers from different areas of the College to talk to the students at
future YW Empowerment Sundays.”

“The valuable knowledge, skills, activities and fellowship shared on YW Empowerment
Sundays will greatly benefit our Upward Bound Program female students and alumni,”
said Angela Scott Ferencin, MCCC Director, TRIO Upward Bound Program. “This partnership
will positively change the lives of our students.”

YW Empowerment Sundays are scheduled for March 13, April 10, and May 15. The program
includes lunch, which is provided by YW’s Dignity Kitchen of Norristown. Through Dignity Kitchen's on the job training program, participants
learn culinary arts skills, kitchen prep and safe food handling practices.

For more information, visit YWCA Tri-County Area’s website or contact Kristie Piacine at [email protected].

This press release was produced by the Montgomery County Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.