AAUW Dialog

On campus, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is a welcome distraction from last-minute paper writing and studying for finals. In preparation for time spent with family and friends, we begin to examine not only how important those people are in our lives but also where we are currently in accomplishing our dreams. As young women on college campuses today, we are in a unique position to advocate for programming that encourages women to realize their true potential. As student leaders, we have the opportunity to find issues we are passionate about and make them a focus of our programming efforts.

Right now is a prime time to brainstorm ideas for Women’s History Month in March. We should begin now to plan to recognize the women that came before us and paved the way for us to dream our impossible dreams. Now I know you are probably thinking, I have plenty of time. Don’t put off for tomorrow what can be accomplished today! Around this time each year committees start sending out requests for proposals for the upcoming semester. If you have an idea for an event you would like to bring to your campus, this is the perfect time to ask for funding.

Maybe you’re thinking, I don’t have a clue about what events are out there. No worries! There are plenty of sites that have links to successful events that have taken place on other campuses (National Women’s History Project, NOW, RAINN, Dove campaign), including the AAUW website. My first tip would be to research schools of similar size to your own. Search for women’s centers and women’s groups at those campuses that may have hosted events in the past.

Don’t feel like you have to reinvent the wheel; look back at the history of the programming at your school for possible ideas. Inevitably, when people graduate and move on, traditions have a tendency to die even if they were at one time very successful. What a great opportunity to resurrect an event from your school’s past to celebrate Women’s History Month. Whether this is your first time planning an event or you are a veteran, the sooner you start planning, the more successful you are likely to be.

I am in the planning process for Women’s History Month programming at my school, the University of Nebraska at Kearney. I work with a women’s group, Sister to Sister, and we are planning a kickoff event for Women’s History Month with several departments on our campus. We are also having a film festival and discussion session showing Iron Jawed Angels, Sarafina!, The Joy Luck Club, and Real Women Have Curves.

What event ideas do you have?

Theresa Harrison is a member of the 2009–10 AAUW Student Advisory Council.