Women of Distinction Awards 2017

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The nominations for YWCA's 2017 Women of Distinction Awards are now open! The deadline to submit your nominations is October 31st, 2016.

Our annual Women of Distinction Awards are designed to celebrate the achievements of women and give them a platform to share their stories in a way that empowers, inspires and motivates others to learn, achieve and participate.

To see a list and description of the eight award categories, please click here. 

If you wish to nominate a woman for one of the Women of Distinction Awards, please find our online nomination form here. We recommend that nominators complete a draft of the nomination for in a Word Document (or something of that equivalent) so that progress can be saved over time. This document is meant to serve as a reference to those wishing to complete a nomination for Women of Distinction Awards 2017, and to assist Nominators in preparing responses before making the online submission. All nominations are to be submitted online through the link above. The same format and information are included in the online application, but this document may assist Nominators in preparing responses before making the online submission.

In addition to completing this form, nominators must forward the following two documents to info@ywcastjohns.ca: 

  1. a recent, high resolution photo of the nominee
  2. The WOD Nominee Consent Form signed by your nominee

We look forward to reading your nominations and meeting this years Women of Distinction in the coming months.

Do you know a local businessperson who you could encourage to consider sponsorship of YWCA's 2017 Women of Distinction Awards?  Sponsorship of this event presents businesses with a positive public corporate image through a commitment to recognizing the achievements of women in our community.  Corporate sponsorship aligns your business with this nationally trademarked event which is promoted by YWCA Canada, our country’s oldest and largest women's multi-service agency.  Most importantly, sponsorships support YWCA's ongoing vision of creating a community where all girls and women are safe, supported and empowered.  Full details on the sponsorship opportunities available can be found in our sponsorship package, which you'll find here.

Party of 10!

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YWCA St. John's is excited to be promoting a new and unique way to help support our organization! Interested in hosting a Party of Ten? Here's how it works: First, email us to sign up to host your own "Party of Ten".  Next, choose a party theme (a barbecue, Mexican night, potluck, movie night, house concert - anything!). Then, invite at least ten friends who agree to contribute a minimum of $20 to YWCA. Finally, host your party and remind your guests to make their contributions. The party that generates the most money will win a night out at Piatto consisting of five free pizzas! 

We are asking supporters to let us know by Friday, August 26 if they plan to host a party, however, parties can take place any time between August 10 and September 30.  For more information, or to sign up to host your Party of Ten, please e-mail info@ywcastjohns.ca. We will provide all the information you need including a draft invitation, party tip sheet, and other tools which you may want to use at your party. We can also provide some information about YWCA for you to present to your guests.

As you may know, YWCA St. John's receives no core funding. We rely on project funding, grants, fundraising and donations to support our programs. All funds raised through this initiative will support our vision of creating a community where girls are women are safe, supported, and empowered. 

Young Women's Leadership Program

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YWCA St. John's is happy to announce that we are facilitating a FREE Young Women's Leadership Program on August 26th and 27th! If you identify as a woman and are between the ages of 16 and 19, YWCA St. John’s invites you to participate in the Young Women’s Leadership Program. 

The purpose of this program is to ensure that leadership for young women is given attention and action in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. YWCA's Young Women's Leadership Program aims to equip young women with the required tools to exercise their leadership abilities with peers in their communities.  

Interested in participating in the Young Women's Leadership Program? To be considered, simply fill out this application.
Applications will be accepted until August 3rd, 2016. Due to limited resources, we cannot guarantee that everyone who applies will be accepted to participate for the training in August 2016.
Have questions? Feel free to contact Mona Shannir (726-9922/mona@ywcastjohns.ca) or Deanne Howlett (726-9922/deanne@ywcastjohns.ca). 
Feel free to share this with young women who may be interested in this opportunity.

English Conversation Practice Circle

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YWCA St John's, in partnership with Multicultural Women's Organization of Newfoundland and Labrador - MWONL, will be hosting English Conversation Practice Circle sessions on Thursday nights from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM. The aim of these sessions is to empower women and support participants in increasing leadership skills and reaching language goals. 

These sessions will be held at MWONL Office on 44 Torbay Road and are free of charge. Please contact MWONL by phone (709-726-0321) or by e-mail (kaberi.debnath@gmail.com) to register. 

Child Care Survey

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Did you know YWCA St. John's is developing a new child care program? If you live or work in the St. John's area and you are a parent or guardian (or parent/guardian-to-be) who needs child care now or in the future you can participate in this very short survey. You may even win a gift certificate! Thanks in advance for your participation.  

GirlSpace Registration

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We are excited to announce that registration is now open for GirlSpace! 

GirlSpace is a Signature Turning Point Program offered by YWCA's across Canada. These five sessions will engage girls in learning about a variety of topics, allowing the opportunity for them to build on skills such as leadership, teamwork, self-reliance, increased independence, self-awareness, and positive self-esteem. 

This program will take place at Sobey's Community Room on Merrymetting Road, St. John's and will run on Wednesday afternoons from 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM from July 20th to August 24th. This program is open to anyone who identifies as a girl and is between the ages of 12  and 15.

Registration closes on July 15th, 2016. To register, contact Jillian via phone (726-9922) or e-mail (jillian@ywcastjohns.ca). 

Women of Distinction Awards 2016

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The YWCA St. John’s proudly announces its 2nd annual Women of Distinction Awards following a special reinstatement awards ceremony in 2015 after a hiatus of many years.  This year, more categories have been added to better represent the different ways women can demonstrate their commitment, leadership and inspiration to others.  The categories for 2016 are: Young Women of Distinction; Mentorship and Education; Arts and Culture; Wellness and Active Living; Community and Social Development; Public Affairs; Business; and Lifetime Achievement. To learn about each of the amazing nominees, please click here. 

A number of activities have been planned to highlight The Women of Distinction Awards, 2016. There will be a Nominees Reception on Friday, March 4, 2016 (E.B. Foran Room at City Hall). The Awards Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 (International Women’s Day) at the Suncor Energy Fluvarium. Paulette Senior, CEO of YWCA Canada will join us for this prestigious event.  Finally, the festivities will end with a special Celebration Luncheon for recipients on Wednesday, March 9, 2016 in Government House (by invitation only).