May 2025 Newsletter - A Bolder Way Forward

A Bolder Way Forward Advocates,

Good morning! We are excited to share the following updates on A Bolder Way Forward for the month of May:

BWF Annual Summit: Registration is still open for the 3rd Annual A Bolder Way Forward Summit, but spots are filling quickly! This event will be held on June 6, 2025, from 8:30am-3:00pm at Zions Bancorporation Technology Campus, and is a powerful gathering of people committed to making Utah a place where more girls, women, and families can thrive! There will be opportunities to engage with leaders and members of the Spokes, Impact Teams, County Coalitions, and those engaged in other ways, along with networking and professional development for all. You can also register to view the opening session online!

Movement-Wide Awareness Campaign: This month’s campaigns are focused on the Childcare/Pre-K Programs Spoke (in honor of National Childcare Provider Day) and the Sexual Harassment & Gender-Based Discrimination Spoke (in honor of Sexual Harassment Awareness Month), which is holding a partnered event next week (May 19) in Salt Lake City. Register for “Beyond Reporting: Prevention In Action” to increase your awareness and understanding of the impact sexual harassment has in the workplace and how to prevent it. Next month (June), we will focus on the Male Allyship Impact Team in honor of Male Allyship Awareness Month and Father’s Day.

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 Partnerships: We have simplified our partnership structure to include just (2) partner types. Key Partners are organizations that are engaged within the movement (i.e. supporting employees to serve as leaders or members of spokes, sub-spokes, impact teams, working groups, or county coalitions; co-sponsoring events and gatherings; co-partnering on research studies and reports; serving in committee or champion roles; and engaging in significant outreach initiatives and efforts). Change Partners are organizations that are working within their own networks to make positive change (for employees, communities, etc.). If you would like to discuss partnership opportunities (or have questions about a current partnership), please contact the Utah Women & Leadership Project's (UWLP) Partnership Coordinator (Kathryn Newman) at kathryn.newman@usu.edu.

New Committee: This month, we formed the Building Bridges Committee, which is composed of individuals who represent various organizations in Utah that work toward ensuring that our communities and state continue to elevate the guiding principles of civility, dignity, kindness, connection, and respect. This Committee will elevate the efforts of BWF to embrace these guiding principles throughout the movement so that more Utah girls, women, and families can thrive. See other BWF committees here.

New Resources:

• Research Snapshots: Women and Finances − What Utahns Need to Know: A 2025 Update and Women and STEM – A 2025 Update.
• Programs for Girls/Young Women: This page lists programs specifically for girls and young women and includes camps for girls during the summer.
• What Utahns Need to Know: Our twelve Impact Teams have created 2-page documents that provide key facts, calls to action, and resources for these important “rim” topics. You can find them listed under “Handouts” on the BWF Resources webpage and on Impact Team webpages.
• Podcasts: Understanding Entrepreneurship in Utah, Understanding Workforce Development in Utah, and Understanding STEM Fields in Utah.

Clarification: We’ve had requests for clarification about who is hosting the BWF. The Utah Women & Leadership Project at Utah State University is the backbone organization for this movement with a mission of strengthening the impact of Utah girls and women. The UWLP is housed with Dr. Susan R. Madsen as part of her faculty research and societal impact work at the Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University (designated as a 501(c)(3)). We are also aligned with USU Extension. Hence, the primary base of support and coordination for a BWF is the UWLP. However, partners and leaders come from all over the state and BWF is a grassroots movement for everyone in Utah!

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!