Grace Institute

We began the day with a get-to-know-you bingo game where we mingled, introduced ourselves, and tried to find people who matched the traits on our bingo cards. We then conducted one-on-one mentoring sessions in which each Grace woman met four American Securities professionals and had a chance to ask questions about the workplace. Next, we broke into eight teams for two activities. First, we introduced ourselves and the Grace students asked questions about our Firm, our professional backgrounds, and career trajectories. Second, each group was given a fictional $1,000,000 to create a non-profit serving a need in New York City, and had to compete to win a second $1,000,000. We described why we created the charity and how, whom it would serve, and how we would measure success. Each group made a presentation that included a logo and a jingle to a panel of Grace staff members who selected the winning non-profit.

Founded in 1897, over 100,000 women have come through Grace Institute’s doors. Today, Grace Institute serves as a leader in workforce development for women. It serves 300 women annually by developing advanced computer and professional skills to prepare students for administrative and customer support positions in industries such as banking, not-for-profit, health care and hospitality.