Teen girls in the area will have assistance in preparing for their futures by participating in the summer Alice Paul Professional Leadership Institute (APPLI): College & Careers programs, thanks in part to two grants from the Investors Bank and Roma Bank Community Foundation.
Alice Paul, born to Quaker parents and raised in Mt. Laurel dedicated her life to the single cause of securing equal rights for all women. She is considered the architect of some of the most outstanding political achievements on behalf of women in the 20th century, according to Alice Paul Institute Executive Director Lucienne Beard.
The Investors grants also provided funding for “Meeting Alice” a two-hour history, civics, and character education program held at Paulsdale — Alice Paul’s home — for fourth- and fifth-grade students, and activities related to the Girls Advisory Council. “Meeting Alice” enables students to act as “history detectives” in an interactive presentation about Alice Paul’s life. The program also includes, among other activities, a tour of the farm and a scavenger hunt.
The Girls Advisory Council is a teen group for girls. Members are interested in leadership, activism, and women’s/girls’ issues on a local, national, and even international level. The meetings are based around the Girls Learn International curriculum, which educates and energizes U.S. students in the global movement for girls’ access to education.
“The Alice Paul Institute is very grateful for Investors Bank’s funding for our ‘Meeting Alice’ field trip to Paulsdale for elementary school boys and girls, the summer Alice Paul Professional Leadership Institutes, and Girls Advisory Council activities that serve high school girls from many South Jersey communities,” said Beard. “Thanks to Investors’ support, we can educate more students about Alice Paul’s legacy and the important role that each of them can take in creating a more equal world for all.”
The two, one-week summer institutes, APPLI: College and APPLI: Careers, are full-day, immersive programs focusing on colleges and careers. In addition to visiting college campuses and workplaces to meet female professionals at area companies, the girls participate in workshops on the college application process, interview skills, financing their education, choosing the right (and realistic) school to match their goals, resume development, business etiquette and more. The program also includes a networking practice session with professional women from a variety of fields and interests.
“These are intelligent, committed young women who eagerly are looking to make their mark on the world,” said Investors Bank assistant vice president/marlton branch manager Angela Venti. “Investors Bank is delighted to support the Alice Paul Institute and its programs, to ensure more young women have an opportunity to explore the options and pathways open to them.”
