MORNING CONCURRENT SESSIONS 10:00 A.M. – 11:45 A.M.

CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS- TALKING WHEN THE STAKES ARE HIGH

Caryn A. Bills, Office for Access and Equity and William G. Jones, University Library

A crucial conversation is a discussion between two or more people where stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong. Unfortunately, it's human nature to back away from discussions we fear will hurt us or make things worse. We're masters at avoiding these tough conversations. You can step up and effectively hold tough conversations about virtually any topic. This session will give you some tools to handle these tough discussions through skill-building and interactive assessments.

EMBRACING OUR INDIGENOUS ROOTS

Diana L. Sanchez, UIC Hospital and Nahuali; Edith Bucio and Susana Bañuelos, Nahuali

This workshop will focus on how embracing indigenous roots through song and dance has impacted the lives of inner city women, as in Chicago and New York. A diverse group of women actively participating in a Mexica ceremonial dance group in Chicago speak of their experiences in re-embracing their indigenous roots through ceremonial dance. Each woman will share insight into how ceremonial dance has impacted their lives and their views of family and community.

MARKETING YOU! FOR THE JOB INTERVIEW

Katherine A. Battee-Freeman, Sarah Barber, and Carmen Guzman, Office of Career Services

Learn basic marketing strategies to market yourself in today's job market and workforce. Through self-assessment, practical assignments, and group discussions, this session will help you improve your interviewing skills and connect them with your career goals. You will complete a personal SWOT analysis, develop a 60-second commercial marketing yourself , and leave with an “Interview Marketing Kit.”

PROSPECTIVE HOMEBUYER WORKSHOP: HOW YOU CAN ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL OF OWNING A HOME

Penny Gomez, Primerica Financial Services (a member of Citigroup) and Kay Taylor, CitiMortgage

This workshop explains how to get the most house for your money. It will also cover the benefits of homeownership, the home buying process, alternative financing options and improving your credit score. Workshop activities will include: Rent vs. Buy Analysis, credit strategies checklist, and essential questions to ask when home buying. FREE Financial Needs Analysis for all attendees.

HOW TO START A BUSINESS

Joseph DeLaGarza, Center for Urban Business/SBDC and Homero Tristan, Tristan Ports, LLC

This workshop is designed to instruct pre-venture and startup business owners on the step-by-step process of starting a business, securing capital, choosing a legal structure, organizing a business plan and maintaining business operations to enhance your chances of success. Workshop participants will receive a business startup kit and a step-by-step guide that includes other valuable resources that can utilized for your entrepreneurial endeavors. Legal issues will also be covered including advantages and disadvantages of the legal structures that you can select for your business (e.g. C-Corp, S-Corp, and LLC), and the Patent and Trademark process and steps you should take to protect your business.

YOU CAN'T BE EVERYTHING TO EVERYBODY

Elizabeth Keys,Counseling Center

We all try to balance a number of different roles, including work and professional responsibilities, relationships with a partner, parenting children at various ages, caring for aging or ill relatives, participating in community and religious activities, continuing our own education, etc. In this session, participants will look at their own particular roles and how they might improve their own balancing of multiple roles through structured self-reflection and discussion with other participants.

EFFECTIVE PROPOSAL WRITING: CATCHY TITLE OR SOLID PROSE? WHAT YOU CAN DO TO GARNER A FUNDING AGENCY'S ATTENTION!

Jennifer Czak, Research Development Services, OVCR

The purpose of this workshop is to provide women who are interested in developing a grant proposal with information and resources to assist them in these activities. Interaction and discussion among the group will be encouraged. Topics to be covered include: where to look for funding; “putting your best foot forward” in your grant proposal; things to consider during proposal development, and strategies to enhance your proposal.

WOMEN AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Nipa Shah, Clinical Family Medicine, Department of Family Medicine

Cardiovascular or heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States, (>500,000 annually), yet many women are not aware of this important fact. I n this workshop, participants will learn how to prevent heart disease in their own lives as well as increase awareness of heart disease in women in their own communities. Group d iscussion will focus on women and the “myths” they have about their heart health. How to help maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle, understand prevention and promoting heart-healthy heart lifestyles will also be covered.

GOT STRESS?

Sue Stock, Counseling Center

Feeling stressed out seems to be a universal experience. Women in particular are often stressed by juggling the multiple roles and demands of family, work, school, and other responsibilities. This interactive program is designed to help participants recognize their own sources and symptoms of stress, as well as identify useful techniques for coping and prevention.

HOW MONEY WORKS SEMINAR

Yvette Goodwin and Ina J. Kelly, Primerica Financial Services

Every good financial game plan begins with education. This workshop is designed to teach the fundamental concepts about managing your finances and getting started on the path financial freedom. We will briefly cover budgeting, income protection, debt management, education funding, retirement needs and asset management.

PURSUING YOUR PASSION: UNLEASHING THE LEADER WITHIN

Megan Deiger, Calder LaTour, Inc. and Courtney Parks, Certified Professional Co-Active Coach

This workshop explores how women naturally become leaders through connecting with and doing what they love. Our belief is that a woman's choice to follow her authentic life path with respect to career, activism, philanthropy or any other large-scale ambition is a radical act from which true leadership emerges. We will discuss the process of discovering and sharing one's innate gifts with the world through interactive exercises, discussions and coaching demonstrations. We will also address common obstacles inherent in the process along with unique challenges facing women of all backgrounds in leadership roles.