Past Programs

The WEE Society’s program history includes:

Counting Women in Community-based Economic Development (CED)
During the course of this program, 16 regional coordinators and 42 local coordinators met with 1,540 women to identify the issues and challenges that prevent or limit their full participation in CED.

Women’s CED Network Pilot Project
Launched in the counties of Cape Breton, Antigonish and Annapolis, this two-year initiative provided a range of services and resources to support women’s full participation in CED,

CED Learning Series
During this 2-year project, the WEE Society partnered with the Bay St. George Women’s Council of Newfoundland and the Women’s Network PEI to produce a women-positive, plain-language learning series about CED.

The Home-based Business Guide
This plain-language guidebook was developed to provide rural women with a collection of ideas and resources for starting home-based businesses.

Women On-line Computer Training
Through this project, young women from Cape Breton, Antigonish and Annapolis Counties were employed to offer IT training to women at local C@P sites in their areas.

Rural Women Get Credit
Through both primary and secondary research methods, the WEE Society studied the barriers rural women face when accessing credit for small business development. Two guides were created, A Women’s Guide to Credit and Making Change - Strategies that Enhance Women’s Access to Credit.

Shelburne County Women’s FishNet CED Network
Under the sponsorship of Shelburne County Women’s FishNet, the WEE Society supported the development of a two-year women’s CED project in that county.

E-business for Women
This project offered rural women information on e-business and gave them both computer and internet support. A women-positive, e-business guide was developed as a result of this project.

The Equality in Technology (ET) Project
The WEE Society partnered with the Hypatia Team to support 24 women entering science and technology programs at the Community College level.

Resources for Home Childcare Providers
In partnership with the Easter Shore Family Resource Association, the project researched information about establishing a home-based childcare facility, resulting in the guidebook, Caring for a Living: a home-based childcare guide.

IT Works for Women - Research Component
Through this project, the WEE Society worked to identify opportunities for rural women to connect to the New Economy workforce.

Public Policy and the Participation of Rural Women in the New Economy
This project looked at the effects of public policies on rural women’s participation in the New Economy.

Changing Lanes - Women in Science and Technology
This project worked with female students, teachers and administrators in high schools and in NSCC, to develop strategies to improve opportunities for women in science, trades and technology careers. As a result of this project as series of In the Picture guides were developed for those audiences.

Indigo
Indigo is an exciting program for young women in Spryfield, a community in the HRM. Indigo women experience twelve weeks of skills development and twelve weeks of work placement. Through a variety of sessions - in such areas as personal awareness, employability and job preparation, upgrading and computer skills - Indigo women learn new skills to expand their career opportunities. Then in carefully selected, supportive work environments with local employers, these women further hone their skills, explore career options and gain confidence.

Women and Co.
Women and Co. is a women-centred CED initiative in the HRM and in Colchester County. This program links to the IT Works for Women project and offers both support and assistance to diverse women so they can develop both the social and economic ventures in their communities.

IT Works for Women - HRM
This program provides computer and employability skills training to women who live in the rural and underdeveloped urban areas of the HRM. Two community developers work with women at local C@P sites and community centres from Hubbards to Sackville and from Musquodoboit Valley to Ecum Secum. They ensure women’s needs are being met by working with small groups and at flexible times when women are available.

IT Works for Women - Colchester County
This program runs in Colchester County where one IT Community Developer works throughout the Western region of Colchester County including Truro and another works throughout the Tatamagouch/North Colchester region through to South Colchester including Stewiacke and Elmsdale.  They provide computer and employability skills training to women at local C@P sites and community centres. Last year, the program partnered with more than 20 community groups to support more than 140 women as they gained new employability skills.

IT Works for Women – Cumberland
In its first year of operation, the program supports women who live in throughout the North Shore region of Cumberland County, including such communities as Amherst, Pugwash, Oxford and Springhill and throughout the Fundy Shore region, including such communities as Parrsboro, Advocate, Joggins and River Hebert, as they gain new computer and employability skills.