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Conference for Young Women introduces high school students to college

March 27, 2017

The 2017 NIU Conference for Young Women: Preparing Women for College and Leadership will be held on Friday, April 28, at the Holmes Student Center on NIU’s DeKalb campus. Organized by the Center for the Study of Women, Gender & Sexuality, the NIU Conference for Young Women introduces high school women to the academic side of college life; inspires them to transform their dreams of going to college into reality; and provides opportunities to interact with successful women faculty, professionals and NIU students.

Now in its nineteenth year, this popular conference has been praised by many participants with diverse interests and backgrounds. According to one young woman, the conference “increased [her] confidence in her future plans to go to college and pursue [her] career goals.” Another participant said, “It was a great experience and fun to connect with other girls that have goals a lot like mine!”

This year’s conference will be more engaging than ever! The day will feature a variety of activities, including hands-on activities; the “Get Involved: College Success Panel,” where participants will hear from NIU student leaders; a mini college class session, where participants experience what a real college-level class is like; lunch with NIU faculty, professionals, students and alumni; and a keynote address presented by Karli Johnson, an extremely successful alum from NIU. Karli is a nationwide speaker, educator and storyteller, who is sought-after to give talks about bullying, dating violence and other important topics. Based on her own experiences, Karli’s talk will focus on inspiring conference participants to turn their dreams into reality.

Thanks to a generous donation, the registration fee for students is $15 before Friday, April 14 ($20 after) and includes a continental breakfast, lunch and all conference materials. Registration is limited to 50 students and is on a first-come, first-served basis. This year’s conference is sponsored by the Center for the Study of Women, Gender & Sexuality; the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women; and the Women & Gender Advocacy Alliance student organization.

More information and conference registration are available online. With questions, contact Rebekah Kohli at rkohli@niu.edu or call 815-753-1044.