Series for women focuses on money

2/16/2010

A new "Women and Money" series is among the class offerings this semester at the University of Toledo's Catharine S. Eberly Center for Women.

The five-week series, which begins March 17, will teach participants how to develop a household budget, understand credit scores, repair their credit, and save for long-term expenses and retirement.

"We always offer something related to money - last semester we had a class on entrepreneurship, starting your own business, and financial planning - because this is a time when these things are on people's minds," said Charlene Gilbert, Eberly Center director.

Since its inception in 1978, the center has offered classes, support groups, scholarships, and other opportunities for women in transition. These days, that often means working women who have found themselves out of work.

"We're getting people who have been laid off, the companies they worked for have gone out of business, the companies have left town," Ms. Gilbert said. "These women are now in the position of trying to figure out their next steps in an economy where jobs are hard to find."

The classes offered at the Eberly Center are free to full and part-time UT students. Nonstudents pay a minimal fee for some of the classes, including the women and money series, advanced assertiveness training, understanding self-esteem, healthy relationships, and a variety of computer classes.

Among the courses free to all are the 10-week "A Woman's Success Series," which begins Feb. 22 and is intended to help women identify career paths, navigate today's economy, and prepare for a successful future.

Ms. Gilbert said class registrations are taken until the first day of class if space is available.

Registration is available by dialing 419-530-8570; the full schedule can be viewed at womenscenter.utoledo.edu.