OSU Institutional Diversity to Host Summer Program for Young Leaders

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

(STILLWATER, Okla., July 15, 2009) – The S.T.Y.L.E. – Strengthening Today’s Young Leaders through Education – program will return to Oklahoma State University this summer, bringing 25 young women to campus to learn about college life and personal development.

The second annual S.T.Y.L.E. program will be held July 27-31 on the Stillwater campus. The goal is to help participants develop leadership skills, instill and nurture self-esteem, and see the benefits of higher education. The program exposes the young women to various aspects of positive role-modeling.

Program participants are 14- to 18-years-old and come from across Oklahoma. Each participant is matched with a mentor during the week-long experience. The mentor stays in contact with the young woman throughout the next year. Mentors will encourage the young women to work together and identify commonalities to better understand inclusiveness and facilitate the interchanging of knowledge.

Participants are taught to be aware of cultural resiliency. The program uses a holistic approach to encourage under-represented populations of women to attend college and helps them to become independent thinkers. The program also provides tools to increase success for life during high school and offers skills to understanding the higher education culture.    

The program is sponsored by the Division of Institutional Diversity, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and The Williams Companies Inc.

For more information on S.T.Y.L.E., e-mail Sara Mata at sara.mata@okstate.edu. Or visit http://das.okstate.edu.