Brooklyn Public Library celebrated the culmination of the first year of their LevelUP program, designed to help Black women build wealth and advance professionally in career fields where they have typically had low representation.
The first-year graduates who, after taking 50 hours of classes, are already participating in new jobs and opportunities, including one graduate who will be attending Yale University, according to a press release.
In addition to celebrating the first-year graduates, the Library welcomed the public to a full day of free workshops and networking. In partnership with Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women campaign, volunteers offered individual speed-coaching and tips on professional development, planning and social media reviews.
Participants also attended a variety of workshops including: The Power of the Pivot: Navigating Your Transition with Strategy and Style; Work, Wellness and Black Womanhood; Mastering the ‘5-9’: The Art of After-Hours Networking for Career Advancement; Mental Health and Black Women; Presence and Persona: Cultivating Your Executive Leadership Style; and We’re In this Together: Sisterhood Society for Women of Color.
Black women continue to be disadvantaged in terms of wealth, earnings, and opportunity. Nationwide, a median Black household owns nearly 90% less wealth than the median white household and the gap is slightly larger for single Black women relative to single white men. In Brooklyn, more than 50% of the population live in low-to-moderate income households, over 50% are female and nearly 30% are African American or Black, according to the press release.
The comprehensive LevelUP program provides mentoring, financial coaching, interviewing, and professional etiquette courses along with 10-week career classes in three tracks: real estate, finance and technology. The program is supported by a $500,000 grant from Goldman Sachs’ One Million Black Women initiative.
To learn more or sign up for the next class, visit the website: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/business/levelup.
