July 2025 Newsletter - A Bolder Way Forward

A Bolder Way Forward Advocates,

Good morning! This month, we are pleased to share the following new updates from A Bolder Way Forward (BWF):

3rd Annual BWF Summit Recording: If you were unable to attend the 3rd Annual A Bolder Way Forward Summit last month, you can view (or review) a recording of the opening session online. Be inspired by Dr. Susan Madsen as she shares the vision of BWF, our progress, and the path forward for Utah. The session also includes brief updates/introductions to each of the 18 Spokes. This recording is also linked on the BWF Overview webpage under “BWF Resources”.

New Updates on Spokes and County Coalitions: We have published recent updates from Spokes and County Coalitions on our BWF Blog. These updates include information on key happenings, current initiatives, and specific ways to get involved. There are many exciting efforts happening across the movement, and we encourage you to connect with those that are of interest to you!

BWF Towns, Cities, and Counties: Utah's Towns, Cities, and Counties are invited to officially join the movement! A new partner designation, municipalities that pass resolutions supporting BWF can become a BWF Town, City, or County. North Salt Lake and Midvale City were the first two to do so and their resolutions can be found at the link as examples. A new Local Government Committee helps towns, cities, and counties better support girls, women, and families.

Supporting Young Leaders: As the new school year approaches, A Bolder Way Forward Young Leaders Clubs are being formed to support young leaders. These clubs are led by teens and supported by adult or college-age mentors. Hosted locally at schools or through organizations like 4-H, they are focused on leadership combined with community impact. This is ideal for teens who want to make a difference at the grassroots level. If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, contact the Young Leaders Subspoke Co-Leads, Jen Werner (coach@jenwernercoaching.com) or Steph Smith (smithsd17@gmail.com). You can also connect with your local County Coalition to get involved in these efforts!

Male Ally Connectors: Counties have begun identifying male ally connectors, similar to Spoke representatives, to bring together other men in the county who want to support A BWF and help them find their place in the movement. If you or someone you know would like to become involved as a male ally connector in your county or learn more, contact deborah.lin@usu.edu or amy.z.anderson@usu.edu.

Welcome New Partners: This month, we are proud to introduce 7 new BWF Partners, which include: Born to Lead, Help Me Grow (United Way of Utah County), League of Women Voters of Utah County, League of Women Voters of Weber County, Soroptimist International (Ogden Chapter), USU Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Research Center, and Utah Humanities. Both Key Partners and Change Partners are vital to this work! You can learn more about becoming a BWF Partner here and contact our Partnership Coordinator (Kathryn Newman) at kathryn.newman@usu.edu to get involved.

New Resources:

• Snapshot: Utah Women and Mental Health: A 2025 Update
• Podcasts: Understanding Male Allyship in Utah, Utah Women, Discrimination, and Sexism: Experiences and Perceptions Part 1, and Utah Women, Discrimination, and Sexism: Experiences and Perceptions Part 2

Finally, visit the BWF Events page to view upcoming events from BWF spokes and partners and check out the UWLP community calendar for all events in Utah for girls and women. To get engaged with BWF, take this Interest Survey, and join us on our social media platforms: LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Subscribe to this newsletter here.

Share this newsletter to help spread the word. Now is the time, Utah is the place, for A Bolder Way Forward!