The Institute of Black Culture director plans to bring a little charm to UF’s campus through her $10,000 program, Project Creating Leaders and Shaping Sisters (CLASS).
Veleashia Smith, the IBC director and founder of Project CLASS, said the 12-week enhancement program begins in Spring and is designed to help college women enhance their professional and personal lives. Through various activities, it will focus on academics, etiquette, effective communication, budgeting and relationships.
The participant who shows the most improvement will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship.
“I’m not looking at someone at the bottom of the barrel to make some drastic change,” she said. “The change starts happening from wherever you are.”
Ashley Jolicoeur, a 19-year-old UF nursing sophomore, said she looks forward to applying because there’s no course that teaches students how to be classy.
The program will meet every Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. Interviews for Project CLASS will begin before Thanksgiving Break and applications for the project will be distributed through the Institute of Black Culture.
A version of this story ran on page 8 on 11/13/2013 under the headline "Gators get classy with new charm program"
