I am thrilled to be a part of the Young Women’s Empowerment Institute to offer support to our young female leaders. Please contact me for ways that you too can be involved in this exciting new initiative! – Tiffany Hill

Central Area of The Links, Incorporated and Langston University Partner to Pilot Young Women’s Empowerment Institute

Oklahoma City, OK — The Central Area of The Links, Incorporated and Langston University partnered to present the pilot for the Young Women’s Empowerment Institute (YWEI) program at Langston University on Saturday, February 22, 2014 on the Langston campus.  YWEI addresses the Central Area’s commitment to address retention and success of young African-American women at the 16 Historically Black Colleges and University campuses in the Central Area of The Links, Incorporated.  Alice Strong Simmons, Central Area Director, retired Langston University faculty and Oklahoma City, OK resident along with Tiffany Hill, convened an all-day kick-off session with over 20 freshmen female students at Langston.

The Central Area of The Links, Incorporated Young Women’s Empowerment Institute is a one year program that provides young women between 17-21 years of age, who are first time, full-time, entering freshmen at HBCUs with transformational opportunities which improve their self-esteem and equip them with a Life Plan. Follow up and monitoring of progress of participants’ life plans continues through graduation and two years post-graduation.  Strong Simmons said, “The Central Area of The Links, Incorporated envisions that young women, who are first time, full-time, entering freshmen at HBCUs will be successful in various aspects of college life, graduate and lead a productive life.”  She continued, “The Institute’s goals will leave each participant engaged, empowered and equipped to successfully handle life’s post college challenges and choices.”

The YWEI Planning Committee has developed the Empowerment Institute Model with program components that include Mentoring, Professional Development, Social Development, Life Planning, Health and Wellness.  The Institute will engage participants through a series of meetings, social media platforms and workshops.  The full Young Women’s Empowerment Institute will commence Fall 2014 on the Langston University campus.  “We are extremely fortunate and thrilled to work with the Central Area of The Links, Incorporated in bringing this sorely needed Institute on-line and look towards its success in preparing Langston’s young Freshmen women with the tools and skills to succeed while part of the Langston family and after graduation,” stated Tiffany Hill.

About The Links, Incorporated 

The Links, Incorporated celebrates more than 65 years as a women’s volunteer service organization committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the cultural and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry. A premier international service organization with more than 12,000 members in 276 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, its legacy of friends providing service that changes lives, established by the original circle of nine friends in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1946, is alive and well.

The Links Foundation, Incorporated, the philanthropic arm of The Links, Incorporated, has made more than $25 million in charitable contributions since its founding. With more than 2 million service hours recorded in the past three years, members regularly contribute more than 500,000 documented service hours in their respective communities annually. The Links, Incorporated: “Linked in Friendship, Connected in Service.” For more information, visit www.linksinc.org.

The Central Area of the Links, Incorporated is comprised of 69 chapters in 17 states with over 2,500 members delivering transformational programs based in Excellence, Elegance and Ethics.  For more information visit www.centralarealinks.org

To arrange interviews or photographs please contact the following: 

Kathy Wade, Central Area Communications Chair, 513.518.722 Cell; [email protected]