FARMINGTON —  In an effort to help people make life transitions, the Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community  in Farmington is offering a free, three-week training session titled Building Confidence.

The sessions are offered three Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon starting Jan. 26 and continuing through Feb.9 at the Farmington Center, 108 Perham St.

The class attracts a variety of people, including some who want to go back to school, those interested in starting a business or someone who’s been unemployed for a while and needs a boost to continue their job search, Janet Smith from the local center explained. 

The course, previously longer and titled Self Esteem, has been revamped, shortened to the three sessions and the title changed to a more modern term, self-confidence, she said.

The program offered by the Women’s Center is open to anyone. Some men and parents have participated, she said.

During the sessions, Smith will work with them to garner ideas on what they can do to build self-confidence.

“If you’re having negative thoughts about yourself, we’ll identify them and find ways to replace or confront them. Sometimes writing them down shows they are not realistic,” she said.

She also asks people to take a look at past successes, things they may have forgotten they accomplished or didn’t take credit for.  The group support of the sessions also helps as they realize they are not the only one.

The work is intended to get them started, but after three sessions it’s something they need to continue practicing on their own, she said.

People may still register. For more information, contact Smith at 778-2757 or visit www.womenworkandcommunity.org

With centers located across the state, the organization was started in the mid-70s to help displaced homemakers. It has evolved over the years to offer various courses and services, she said.

Here in Farmington, much of the work focuses on career exploration, she said. Helping someone to define what type of job they want and either how to get the training needed or if they have the training how to get the job, she said. There are also programs offered on money management, financing the future, an intensive but basic budgeting course, new ways to look at attitudes about money and how to read or build a credit report.

An introduction to business will be offered this spring at the CareerCenter in East Wilton.

With state and federal funding along with grants, most of these are offered at no charge, but as budgets get tighter, the center does accept donations, she said.

Starting next week, Smith and the center are involved in free tax preparation for area residents.

Women, Work and Community is a statewide nonprofit organization committed to improving the economic lives of Maine women and their families.

For more information about tax preparation or any of the courses provided, call 778-7954.

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