Every year the WGST program forms a community outreach partnership with a Charlotte area organization.  A community outreach partner (COP) is an organization or issue that we support via donations and/or volunteer efforts throughout the year.  The idea behind this partnership is to get students and faculty to make small contributions that together add up to something significant.

2011-2012 COP: Girl Talk Foundation, Inc.

This year the WGST program will work with Girl Talk Foundation, Inc.  Girl Talk seeks to empower today’s girls to become leaders of tomorrow by offering five educational and developmental programs for girls ages 11-16. 

The WGST program will support Girl Talk by:

• Collecting dresses for their Prom Project.
• Consulting with Girl Talk regarding their program assessment.
• Working with the Feminist Union to provide space for their girls to meet.

In addition students in our Gender Excellence Learning Community will be working with the girls in Girl Talk.

2010-2011 COP: Charlotte Community School for Girls

Our 2010-2011 COP was the Charlotte Community School for Girls (CCSG).  As part of our 2010-2011 COP:

• We collected 141 books for the new CCSG library
• Fourteen WGST faculty members are giving lessons to CCSG scholars throughout the school year.
•  The Gender Excellence learning community completed a Venture challenge course at UNC Charlotte with the CCSG scholars.
• Gender Excellence students walked in the Race for the Cure with the CCSG scholars and raised over $1,000.
•  Gender Excellence students will host a Dove Love Your Body workshop for CCSG scholars.

2009-2010 COP: United Family Services Shelter for Battered Women

Our 2009-2010 partner was the United Family Service (UFS) Shelter for Battered Women.   As part of our 2009-2010 COP we:

• Hosted a linen drive for the Shelter for Battered Women.  We collected 112 towels; 31 twin sheets sets; 16 twin blankets; lots of hand towels and washcloths.  We also purchased 4 infant car seats for the shelter.
• Ten WGST faculty and students volunteered at the Shelter’s holiday store on December 19th.  The holiday store provides women and children who have received assistance from the shelter with Christmas gifts to give to their family members. 
• We fielded a team in the Avon Foundation’s Walk the Course Against Domestic Violence.  With 30 members the WGST team was the 4th largest at the event.  We raised over $1,500.