equipoise news volume 9
March 2008
Lots to talk about this issue! We’ve been busy over the winter months, and we’re ready for all sorts of great happenings – read on!
Atta Girl Nomination – Extended Deadline
Awards Event and Film Premiere – April 25, 2008
Women and Sustainability Conference – May 2 & 3, 2008
Leap Into Leadership – recap of a great event
Womentum News – and Melissa’s appearance in Redbook magazine
In Memoriam
Atta Girl Nomination Period Extended
The Atta Girl Awards nomination period has been extended to March 19, 2008, which gives you an extra week to pull together your nomination of the woman or girl in your community who should be given a pat on the back – and a $500 thank-you! Atta Girls come in all ages and of all interests, so don’t forget to honor that gal today. You can do so online right here!
Atta Girl Awards Event And Film Premiere
Join Equipoise Fund and Equality Initiatives as they shine a spotlight on Wyoming women on April 25th in Casper, Wyoming. Wyoming’s First Lady, Nancy Freudenthal, will present the 2008 Atta Girl awards.
On April 25th, we will also show the world premiere of our documentary film, Don’t Fence Me In, created by filmmakers Bonnie Kreps, Charlie Craighead and Leigh Reagan. The evening will also serve as a highlight for Equality Initiatives’ launch of their media campaign, which is intended to make Wyoming women’s issues a focal point for statewide awareness. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the Nicolaysen Museum or through Equality Initiatives at 307.587.6146.
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 25
WHERE: Rialto Theater (at 5:30) and Nicolaysen Museum (at 7:30) in Casper
And by the way, we welcome the men who support the women and girls of Wyoming! In fact, for the first time, The Equipoise Fund will be presenting an Atta Boy Award to a deserving Wyoming “cowboy” dedicated to increasing the vision, voice and visibility of Wyoming women and girls. Come to our April 25 event to see what it’s all about!
Women And Sustainability Conference
Co-hosted by The Nature Conservancy and Womentum, a project of The Equipoise Fund, this two-day Jackson conference includes speakers, workshops and networking opportunities that tie women’s interests to that one great female, Mother Earth. Speakers include Nancy Freudenthal, First Lady of Wyoming; Melinda Kramer, founding director of the Women’s Earth Alliance; and Laura Hubbard, State Director of The Nature Conservancy.
The purpose of the conference is to raise the level of dialog among women who are working toward environmental sustainability through the arts, science, conservation, faith, business, media and politics, with an eye toward building a grassroots community of activists. For more information on the conference, please click here, or call Annie Jack at 307.733.9225.
Leap Into Leadership Declared A Success
Over 100 women attended the first-ever Leap Into Leadership Conference, hosted by the Wyoming Women’s Legislative Caucus on February 29th. The focus of the conference was on how to build equality in the Equality State, and as a result, women from state and local government, non-profits, private industry and schools flocked to an event that included coffee at State Auditor Rita Meyer’s office, assorted leadership development workshops and a visit to the Wyoming House of Representatives. The youngest participant missed her 5th-grade school day to attend with her mother, as did two high school seniors from Sheridan. And close to 30 undergrad and graduate students from the University of Wyoming attended. In all, 27 participants, ages 18 to over 60, said they were inspired to run for elected office.
Womentum News
We’re so pleased to report that Equipoise Fund’s Program Director and a founder of Womentum, freshman Jackson Councilwoman Melissa Turley, was profiled in an article in Redbook magazine. She was highlighted by the publication, along with four other women from across the country, for achieving success in their communities after attending various Go Run Trainings sponsored by The White House Project. If you’d like to read the article, you can view it here. And if that inspires you to check out The White House Project, you can do so here.
A Tribute To Grandmothers
How many girls can say that their grandmother picked out their prom dress...and they LOVED it? I’m one of those girls who is fortunate to not only have had a loving and generous grandmother, but also a stylish one. Unfortunately, last month, my once vivacious, ever-gregarious grandmother lost a battle with Alzheimer’s and heart disease. Missing her, remembering her, honoring her—that is what we are left with when the ones we love are gone. Thankfully, being part of Womentum and the Equipoise Fund have solidified for me how much the women in our lives, whether friends, relatives, mentors or teachers, mean. The death of my grandmother last month was further confirmation that the wisdom shared with us by our female elders is essential to shaping our lives, our relationships and our communities. So, for those of you who are fortunate enough to have a grandmother in your life, call her, visit her, love her and listen to her. For those of you who have lost your grandmother, honor her by embracing the women’s network and community that organizations like the Equipoise Fund encourage and foster.
Here’s to grandmothers and the wisdom of women!
— Amy Brennan McCarthy
My grandmother:
Eleanor Wallace Albright
February 6, 1920 – January 30, 2008
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