New funding in statewide programs seeks to relieve some of the pressures victims of domestic violence face. The Iowa Women’s Foundation recently awarded the Iowa Youth Writing Project a grant for $5,000 for its Writing for Change program. The funds will support continued programming and become available in January.

Ben Lederer figured it would be his degree in finance from the University of Iowa that would land him a job with an investment firm. No doubt, his degree from the UI’s prestigious Tippie of College of Business garnered him special attention from the many prospective employers who contacted him. But there was something else on Lederer’s résumé that earned him a second look: an Undergraduate Certificate in Writing from the UI, home to the top-ranked writing program in the country.