Wilmington University joined with other members of the Delaware ACE Women’s Network (DAWN) in hosting the first “Power Up Your Profession” event in May. The event was held at Delaware State University (DSU) in Dover to benefit Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC) scholarship recipients in Early Childhood Education at Wilmington University, the University of Delaware, Delaware State University and Delaware Community Technical College.
Preceding the event, DAWN conducted a robust collection of donated professional clothing. The donations of gently used business and business casual attire were made available to student attendees, along with free styling assistance, to help students with their clothing selections. The event also featured breakout sessions focused on financial empowerment and resources, résumé building, interview assistance and networking tips, and confidence building.
“We were so excited to partner with DAWN on the “Power Up Your Profession” event to support our DE RISE scholars,” says Dr. Kimberly Krzanowski, executive director of the Early Childhood Innovation Center at DSU. “The Early Childhood Innovation Center has a mission to unapologetically support the Delaware early childhood workforce through layered support, comprehensive programming, and opportunities for career growth. This inaugural event showcased the powerful partnership between the business, higher education, and early childhood communities through relevant workshops and wellness activities that provided essential information and support to individuals pursuing a national credential, associate, or bachelor’s degree in early childhood education in Delaware. The generous support of our partners made this inaugural event possible, and we look forward to continuing this event in the future so that more early childhood educators can “power up” their careers.”
DAWN provides national leadership in advancing women to executive positions on campus and serves as a national voice for women in higher education. Members also work in collaboration with associations and other groups to improve the status of women in higher education.
Dr. Karen Sheats, senior director of Human Resources at Wilmington University, is currently serving as vice president of DAWN. “We were thrilled to team up with the Early Childhood Innovation Center at DSU for the first “Power Up Your Profession” event to support the DE Rise scholarship program for early education students,” she says. “We received so much help and support from the local businesses who sponsored the event, and we are most grateful for the generosity of the DAWN membership. They provided some amazing resources to kick-start the ECIC scholars’ careers.”
For more information about DAWN, visit www.delawareacewomensnetwork.org.