Education and Career AdvancementAdministrator2025-01-30T16:13:59-05:00

Education and Career Advancement

Education is a cornerstone of economic security, and we are committed to breaking down barriers to advancement. We research student parents, career training opportunities through apprenticeships and workforce development, and other policies that reduce student debt and make college more accessible for women, particularly women of color.

FPA launch
IWPR Federal Policy Agenda to Advance Gender Equity Now Live

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) is proud to launch its Federal Policy Solutions to Advance Gender Equity agenda—a transformative blueprint outlining our long-term policy vision through actionable recommendations to improve women’s lives and create lasting, systemic change.

CFS Launch
IWPR Launches Connect for Success Initiative to Expand Sexual and Reproductive Health Services for Community College Students

IWPR has proudly announced the launch of its new initiative, Connect for Success—a groundbreaking initiative aiming to significantly increase community college students' access to high-quality, comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care services. The initiative starts with awards to eleven grantees across the country working on the ground to provide students with the support they need to succeed.

Black Single Mothers in College
Understanding the Needs of Black Single Mothers in College

IWPR spoke with 25 Black single mothers as they strive for their college degree about the challenges they face and the programs that help them balance family with their academic careers.

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Prioritizing Student Parents in COVID-19 Response and Relief

Nearly four million U.S. undergraduate college students are parents or guardians of children under the age of 18. These student parents, who already faced immense financial, child care, food, and housing insecurity before the COVID-19 pandemic, are now dealing with multiple new barriers, including school closures, lay-offs, and child care disruptions, among other challenges.

By Lindsey Reichlin CruseSusana Contreras-Mendez and Tessa Holtzman|July 23, 2020|

Bridging Systems for Family Economic Mobility: Postsecondary and Early Education Partnerships

DOWNLOAD REPORT About this Report Promoting family economic security and mobility requires collaboration across key systems that serve families. This report describes opportunities for the early childhood and higher education systems to support each other’s key goals for system advancements to increase economic [...]

By Barbara GaultLindsey Reichlin Cruse and Rachel Schumacher|June 11, 2020|

Student Parents in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Heightened Need and the Imperative for Strengthened Support

Nearly four million undergraduates, or more than one in five college students, are parents of children under 18. These student parents face—in normal times— disproportionate economic insecurity, difficulty meeting basic needs, and significant time and caregiving demands. Yet, in spite of these challenges, they are also incredibly resilient.

By Lindsey Reichlin CruseSusana Contreras-Mendez and Tessa Holtzman|April 15, 2020|

Improving Success in Higher Education through Increased Access to Reproductive Health Services

Pregnancy and childbearing have implications for a number of economic and social outcomes, including educational attainment (Sonfield et al. 2013). Yet young people are often left without the knowledge and tools to make informed reproductive health decisions. The majority of adolescents and young adults are sexually active but many hold incorrect or limited information about how to effectively avoid unintended pregnancies.

By Anna Bernstein and Lindsey Reichlin Cruse|January 31, 2020|