This document provides information about an empowerment and confidence workshop for women. It discusses building self-confidence through identifying issues, thinking of solutions, taking steps to improve, self-encouragement, maintaining a positive attitude, and projecting confidence. It also addresses women's changing roles in society and careers. The document encourages women to identify their gifts and talents and use them to contribute to families, friends, and their work. It includes words of inspiration for women.

1. Empowering
& Confidence
Workshop
Women of Opportunities Program
Champaign Housing Authority

2. T E S T I M O N Y
Cindy Christensen’s Story:
An Amazing Story of A Young Adult Woman’s
Success on overcoming Poverty
22 years old

3. Cindy’s Accomplishments
Cindy is a remarkable young adult who has
overcome living in poverty. You would never
guess looking at her that she has come from a
place of physical and emotional lack. She now
has two degrees, a fulfilling full time job, and
tells her story to various audiences, hoping to
make a difference in the way society responds
to poverty.

4. F I R S T T H I N G S F I R S T
Empowerment:
● To promote the self-
actualization or
influence of a certain
individual or group
● To invest with power
● Especially legal power
or official authority
Self-Confidence:
● A feeling of trust in one's
abilities, qualities, and
judgment
● A feeling or belief that
you can do something
well or succeed at
something
● Confidence in oneself or
one's own abilities-
Virginia Wolf

5. S E L F - C O N F I D E N C E
Ways-to-Build-Confidence
Step 1:
Identify the problem
· Figure out what makes you feel
insecure or embarrassed.
· Try talking to someone about it.

6. Step 2
Think of possible solutions
· If it's something you can fix, think about how you can
improve your situation
· If it's something that's central to who you are, focus on
the positive aspects of it.
· Spend some time either working on the issue or
learning to accept it.

7. Step 3
Take steps in the right direction
· Work hard at trying to eliminate the
issue that bothers you.
· Focus on another aspect of yourself
that can take attention away from the
negative one.

8. Step 4
Encourage yourself
· Remind yourself of your many talents and abilities.
· Set a goal and reward yourself for achieving it.
· Find a new activity or hobby you enjoy.

9. Step 5
Stay positive
· Act positive and upbeat, even when you're not. It
will eventually catch on.
· Avoid self-pity, and stay away from negative
people.
· Think of and plan for the future.
· Learn to accept a compliment.

10. Step 6
Project your positive feelings
· Smile. A lot!
· Encourage others and be helpful and
generous.

11. Direct Example
● Personal example from my life
● I needed to write my resume to turn into
multiple agencies

12. Step 1
Identify the problem
● I was nervous that I wasn't going to be able to
write an appropriate resume
● I felt embarrassed that I didn’t have a resume
already and I thought others did
● I talked about this with fellow students and
learned that we all had insecurities and most of
us were writing our resumes for the first time
● I spoke with my advisor who offered to edit my
resume when I completed it

13. Step 2
Think of possible solutions
● I could look up basic resume templates
online to get a basic idea of what a resume
looked like
● I could stop by the career center on campus
to ask for handouts on tips to writing a good
resume
● After talking with my advisor I knew she
could edit my resume to make sure it was
what agencies where looking for

14. Step 3
Take steps in the right direction
● I picked up handouts and downloaded
resume templates online
● I set aside time during my week to begin
work on my resume
● I made a rough draft of my resume
● I had it edited and learned that there was a
lot that needed to be fixed

15. Step 4
Encourage yourself
● While going through the process I reminded
myself that I have accomplished many things
that will look good on my resume
● I rewarded myself for completing my first
draft of my resume by watching my favorite
tv show
● I spent time with friends to get rid of some
stress of writing the resume

16. Step 5
Stay positive
● I told myself i had done my best so far and
would continue to try my best
● I didn’t talk about my resume with other
students who had negative things to say
about the process
● I made a plan to continue to work on the new
edited version of my resume
● I remembered compliments I was given on
aspects of my resume I had done well

17. Step 6
Project your positive feelings
● After going through this process I felt confident
that I would produce a great resume
● I encouraged other students to try their best on
their resumes as well
● :)

18. YOUR ROLE
A S A W O M A N
● Role: “The part played by a person in a
particular social setting, influenced by his
expectation of what is appropriate.”
● Discussion Question: What is your role
right now as a woman?

19. Roles of Women
● Roles of women have definitely changed
overtime which include:
-Business Executives -Politicians
-Leaders -Activists
-Soldiers -Breadwinners
● Studies show that women have advanced
further professionally

20. Article on Women’s Role Changes
USA Today: “Women are the new
breadwinners” - the tables are turning!
“She's a soldier. He's a stay-at-home dad.
She works at a booming software company.
He's starting a graphic design business.
She's a business executive and electrical
engineer. He's quit many jobs to move for her
career advancements.”

21. This is all to say that...
We are ALL needed to fulfill our roles in our
different callings, positions and situations
a. Why?
i. 1) Because you CAN!
ii. 2) Because we are all part of a system (families,
friends, work, etc.)
iii. 3) We all have different gifts, talents that need to
be put to use!

22. YOUR
G I F T S & T A L E N T S
Questions to ask yourself:
● What activities that I engage with make me happy?
● What am I most passionate about in life?
● Listen to your gifts (Motivating others, sports, cooking,
writing, communicate well, singing, working with your
hands)
● Listen to others (Friends, family members, members of
the church)
● Listen to your passions (What makes you angry,
joyful, or excited? )

23. V I D E O
http://vimeo.com/19658397

24. Words of Inspiration
-“A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and
transform.”-Diane Mariechild
-“It doesn’t matter who you are, or where you came from. The ability to triumph
begins with you. Always.”-Oprah Winfrey
- “You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.”-
Beverly Sills
-“Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”-Eleanor
Roosevelt
“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take
it.”-Roseanne Barr