Leading the Way

I am all about women in leadership roles. I think it is everyone’s duty, man or woman, to give back to society. Your income, age, education or gender should not hinder you from doing that. It’s called social responsibility. There are things I believe people are required to do as decent human beings in this falls right at the top of that list.


However, there are those of us that do not mind paving the way or being the initiator and I am slowly becoming one of those people. I am proud to say that I have recently been selected to participate in the Women’s Fund Leadership Institute for Political Impact. This is the pilot year for this program and my hope is that others will follow suit and apply for next year’s go round. Here is some more information about the program:

The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts wants local women to make an impact on social change by getting involved in civic affairs including running for political office. To help develop future leaders, the foundation has created the Leadership Institute for Political Impact to train Western Massachusetts women in their civic leadership potential.

The Women’s Fund Leadership Institute for Political Impact is a non-partisan initiative designed to address the civic interests and the skills requested by women of our region. The 12-month institute incorporates intensive workshops, technology, the development of county cohorts and the expertise of mentors. The institute will provide women with education and increased confidence in their political leadership potential through emphasis on four primary focus areas that will build a cumulative portfolio of knowledge and skills. The focus areas include personal leadership, community organizing, legislative process and policy, and running for political office.

A year of educational workshops is scheduled to take place on full-day Saturdays that will cover the topic areas listed above. Participants will work in the large group as well as smaller, county-specific cohorts. One or two mentors will be assigned to each county to support them throughout the year and during the months that they are required to work on topics in their own counties. A completion ceremony will occur in May, 2011.

What initiatives are you getting involved with? Tell me about ways you are positively impacting your community. Share. Discuss.