Education Dynamics

“The undereducated, underemployed adult population is a silent crisis in America today and it needs a voice—a very loud voice,” explains Terrence Thomas, EVP Marketing Operations for eLearners.com, which just completed the third series of its Project Working Mom campaign which partnered with colleges and universities to provide more than $5 million in full-tuition online college scholarships; an 18-month campaign that received more than 400,000 applicants.

The Career Stimulus Package and Empowerment Tour is the voice designed to help adult Americans overcome the barriers of time, money and confidence in pursuing a college degree. The scholarships provided by the participating schools, and the scholarship funds raised during the tour, are a small but significant step in helping to alleviate financial burdens. By studying online, students can complete class work from home, during their lunch hour at work, and at any time of day mitigating the obstacle of time. And through the comprehensive Career Stimulus Package efforts, adults can get the knowledge and information they need to feel confident about returning to school.

“Everyone talks about the crisis in education, but nobody is focusing on the root cause—the lack of college educated adults in the United States,” explained Thomas. “Not only is the fact that more than 70 percent of Americans aged 25 and older not having a bachelor’s degree debilitating to the competitive status of our nation, but it’s adversely affecting future generations as these adults ultimately become parents and we need them to be education role models for America’s children.”

The tour’s primary ambassador is Flavia Colgan, a passionate advocate for education over the past decade. She served as the first woman and the youngest Chief of Staff in the country for Pennsylvania’s Lt. Governor Catherine Baker Knoll. Most recently, she has appeared as a correspondent and commentator on several national TV networks including CBS, MSNBC and FOX.

"While the Career Stimulus Package and Empowerment Tour are catalysts for discussion and change, they are certainly not enough," said Colgan. "Funding for non-traditional adult education must become an ongoing national priority. Half of the projected job growth in the United States over the next decade will require a college degree. To truly strengthen America's workforce, we need to equip adults to take on these jobs. If we can educate, we can empower and employ. It's the solution to America's current and future economic woes."

The components of the Career Stimulus Package include: 

Full-Tuition Scholarships

The Career Stimulus Package campaign will award full-tuition scholarships to adults who have applied through http://www.careerstimulus.com. The scholarships allow deserving adults to attend an accredited online college or university tuition free.  The total value of these scholarships, which range from the associate’s level to the doctorate level, is about $4 million. Participating schools providing the scholarships include: American Public University, Ashworth College, Bryant & Stratton College, Capella University, Ellis University, Everest University, Virginia College and Western Governors University. To apply for a scholarship, applicants must submit a short application and essay describing their goals, why they want to go back to school and past instances of triumph over adversity. The participating schools will select the recipients. The deadline to apply for a scholarship is October 31^st.

Job Shadowing
The individuals selected to receive scholarships will also receive a one-week, paid job shadowing opportunity with one of the Career Stimulus Package participating companies, include: CareerBuilder.com, Dictionary.com, ZipRealty, Entrepreneur Magazine, eLance, EducationDynamics, Habitat for Humanity, spud! and Orbitek, LLC. This job shadowing opportunity will provide scholarship recipients the chance to learn more about the industries they have interest in and will also provide the opportunity to network with professionals.

The Tour

The Empowerment Tour:  Educate.  Empower.  Employ. will travel to approximately 40 cities across the country by RV. The tour will launch in Denver on June 12^th and conclude in Los Angeles on September 9^th. The tour will offer free career coaching sessions to help Americans discover what is holding them back from success and how they can unleash their full potential. The two participating career coaches will be available from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations will be accepted online starting June 10^th at http://www.empowermenttour.com; however, reservations can be made on location as well. 

In addition to free career coaching sessions, each Empowerment Tour stop will feature an Education Station where people can apply for a full-tuition scholarship. The Empowerment Tour will also include Donation Stations at each stop where people can donate old suits and other interview appropriate attire. Each tour stop will also include complimentary snacks and drinks. 

For more information on the Career Stimulus Package, the Empowerment Tour and the full-tuition scholarships and job shadowing opportunities, visit http://www.careerstimulus.com.   For additional information on the Empowerment Tour, go to http://www.empowermenttour.com.

Empowerment Tour Schedule
(Subject to Change)