Project Working Mom 2010 Launches, Offering Parents Nearly $5 Million in Tuition-Free Scholarships

HOBOKEN, N.J., Jan. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- eLearners.com (http://www.eLearners.com), a web resource of EducationDynamics, which connects prospective students with online classes, today announced the launch of "Project Working Mom 2010." Project Working Mom 2010 (http://www.projectworkingmom.com) is designed to tackle the crisis of the undereducated adult population in America, particularly among moms. The program will award up to 285 full-tuition scholarships totaling nearly $5 million to participating accredited online institutions, including Ashford University, Everest University, Virginia College, Walden University, Capella University, Saint Leo University, Allied Schools and Ashworth College.

Project Working Mom 2010 is the fourth in a successful series of programs to raise awareness about the education gap in America among adults. More than 70 percent of American adults do not possess a college degree and this gap creates a structural cycle of unskilled workers and under-education and underemployment among American adults. This silent crisis demands that attention be paid to adult education in this country. Demonstrative of the need and demand among adults for education, previous Project Working Mom programs generated more than 435,000 applications for full-tuition scholarships from moms and dads who want to return to school. The programs awarded more than 150 full-tuition scholarships, totaling approximately $6 million.

"When we first started the Project Working Mom program, we knew there were problems adults faced when returning to school, but we were unaware of the magnitude of it," said Terrence Thomas, Executive Vice President of Marketing for eLearners.com. "With single mothers, it is particularly acute as only 16 percent of single mothers have a bachelor's degree. Attempting to overcome the barriers of time, money and confidence is ominous. We were literally flooded with hundreds of thousands of essays and we realized that we need to continue to raise awareness of the issues and physically do what we could to help get people to school."

Project Working Mom 2010 is designed to help adults, particularly moms, overcome the obstacles they face when returning to school: time, money and confidence:

• Time:  Project Working Mom 2010 offers full-tuition scholarships for accredited online colleges and universities. The flexible nature of online schooling allows adults to tailor their education to fit their schedule. By studying online, students also don't have to worry about traveling to campus or finding childcare.
• Money:  Clearly, there is not enough financial aid available for adults to return to school. According to ScholarshipExperts.com, only two percent of all financial aid resources are scholarships and grants directed toward non-traditional students. However, 84 percent of students are not traditional college students, defined as someone 18-22 years old, attending school full-time and living on campus, according to a report titled: "Hidden in Plain Sight: Adult Learners Forge a New Tradition in Higher Education." Project Working Mom 2010 is designed to provide more financial aid relief, with tuition-free scholarships, for deserving adults looking to go back to school.
• Confidence:  The Project Working Mom 2010 website is rich with resources about going back to school. Additionally, the site is filled with inspirational stories of other adults, particularly moms, who have returned to school to improve their lives and the lives of their families.

Additionally, Project Working Mom 2010 will host empowerment events designed specifically for women. These events, "Women Who Rule the World," will take place in six cities from February to September 2010 (a full tour schedule is at www.projectworkingmom.com).

The events will empower women to obtain the education and career they deserve. At the empowerment events, which have partnered with two national charitable organizations, Project Single Moms and Dress for Success Worldwide, women will have the opportunity to network with other moms and professionals in their city, apply on-site for a full-tuition scholarship and receive free career coaching. To attend one of the events, participants must pre-register at www.projectworkingmom.com.

"At this point in my life, had I not won the scholarship, I probably would not have gone back to school because I couldn't justify incurring that type of debt again when I have two sons approaching college age," said Lisa Johnson, a mom from Buffalo, NY and a Project Working Mom scholarship recipient. "This gives me the opportunity to go back to school and provide a great example to my kids that you're never too old to learn."

People interested in applying for the Project Working Mom 2010 scholarships must:

• Complete a short application at www.projectworkingmom.com.
• Write an essay describing their goals, instances of triumph over adversity and why online education is an ideal match for them.

The program runs through September 2010, however scholarships will be awarded throughout the eight-month program. The deadlines to submit an application are March 1, April 27 and September 30. The Project Working Mom scholarships are for online programs from the certificate to Ph.D. level.

"As a working mom and national director of Project Single Moms, I hear the stories of adults, particularly moms, who want to improve their lives and the lives of their families through education," said Stephanie Clark, who is also the national spokesperson for the Women Who Rule the World empowerment events. "They recognize that education is a powerful force not only for their lives but also as they serve as a role model for their children."

About eLearners.com®

eLearners.com is one of several high visibility websites operated by EducationDynamics. Since 1999, eLearners.com has been successfully connecting learners to online education, including online degree and certificate programs, specialized career training, and a variety of online courses. For prospective students, eLearners.com provides a powerful search engine for users to find thousands of online degree program offerings, as well as educational evaluation tools and financial aid resources. For online colleges and universities, the eLearners.com website offers a low-cost, performance-based method to provide national exposure and increase enrollments in their online learning programs. For more information on eLearners.com, visit http://www.eLearners.com.

About EducationDynamics

EducationDynamics, a portfolio company of Halyard Capital, is higher education's leading marketing services company dedicated to helping institutions find, enroll and retain students. Its content-rich and highly visible education websites, including EarnMyDegree.com, eLearners.com, GradSchools.com, StudyAbroad.com, and its more than 50 special interest microsites, make EducationDynamics the premier provider of qualified prospective students for colleges and universities. In addition, the company offers a full suite of Web-delivered services proven to drive enrollment growth and reduce student attrition. Through its Market Research Services division, the company brings a decade of proprietary research, unparalleled market and student intelligence, and best practice insights to its clients. For more information, visit http://www.educationdynamics.com.

About Project Single Moms ™

Project Single Moms (PSM) is a national advocacy & empowerment movement designed to empower, educate, engage, energize, equip and enhance the quality of life for single mothers and their children. The movement strives to organize and create a unified voice for single moms as well as to dispel negative myths and stereotypes by redefining the face and character of single moms in America. This grassroots movement is currently serving more than 1,200 single moms in thirty-eight (38) states in America and has also attracted single mom members from Australia, Malaysia, Ghana, Switzerland, Greece and Germany.

Membership is free and open to single moms from all socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. Learn more at www.projectsinglemoms.com.

About Dress for Success

Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 100 cities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, the UK and the West Indies. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 500,000 women work towards self-sufficiency. Visit www.dressforsuccess.org to learn more.

SOURCE eLearners.com