BWF Spoke Updates - January 2025

In the Bolder Way Forward Framework, there are 18 specific areas of focus (spokes). Each spoke, a key topic area where change needs to occur, is also a movement with a strategy that functions to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts. Effective work within the spokes is needed to create more expansive and cohesive change overall. To learn more about each spoke’s leadership, bold vision and goals, thriving statements, partners, and ways to get involved, please click on the individual spoke webpages (linked below). The following are monthly updates on what is happening within each of the Spokes:

Childcare/Pre-K: Based on many conversations and input from organizations and advocates across the state, the Spoke has updated its structure and focus to better support the efforts of partner organizations by collecting and creating resources, connecting individuals and organizations, and disseminating information to increase awareness of the need for access to affordable, high-quality childcare and early childhood development opportunities. The Spoke Coordinator will be working closely with representatives from Key Partner organizations to elevate current efforts and collaborate on common initiatives. Updated goals are viewable on the Spoke webpage, and those interested in engaging can start by signing up for the Spoke’s monthly newsletter.

Child Sexual Abuse: The Spoke has just launched an Instagram page and an email newsletter. The Grassroots Awareness Working Group is going to split into two groups – one focusing on engaging organizations at the local level (school admins, counselors), while the other group will focus on the organic, neighborhood level (parents). The Research & Data and Marketing Working Groups are collaborating on resource documents to encourage school administrators to make child sexual abuse education a priority and explain the process for how to get this curriculum into schools.

Domestic Violence: The Spoke has worked with the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition (UDVC) to map and create and share a new list of statewide resources. Spoke Leaders are working closely with UDVC (Leadership Partner) to prepare for the upcoming legislative session, where they will focus on gaining funding for Strangulation Exams.  

Entrepreneurship: Based on input from task forces held last summer, the Spoke is finalizing a public “proclamation” which will outline specific things that can be done by individuals and organizations to support and increase female entrepreneurship in Utah. The Spoke is connecting with women-owned businesses across the state to share best practices and recommendations and creating a contact list of all women-owned businesses across the state. The County Rep Community is working on sharing talking points for women to use when talking to their partner about starting a business.

Finance: The Empowering Financial Wellness Program, part of USU Extension (Leadership Partner), has launched their 2025 Winter Webinar Series. Register here to attend these free webinars that teach personal finance strategies. County Spoke Reps for Finance are working to connect with financial education events and organizations in their respective counties. The Corporate Outreach Working Group is working on developing a clear strategy for goal alignment, and the Communications Working Group is planning a Spoke newsletter to be released in the next few months. 

Gender Pay Gap: The Spoke has been focused on strengthening relationships with partner organizations and companies. The Spoke Coordinator is working to personally invite individuals to become County Spoke Reps, and outreach is also being done via the Spoke newsletter and on social media. The Communication/Education Working Group is developing modules for individuals to learn about compensation strategies and plans to create these over the next few months.

Health Across the Lifespan: Spoke Leaders are strategizing how to engage with other healthcare organizations outside of Intermountain Health and University of Utah Health. Subspokes and Working Groups are organizing into community and provider specific working groups to focus on these distinct aspects/perspectives within each area. Spoke metrics are being finalized and webpages will be created for each of the eight Subspokes: Access, Adolescent Health, Mental Health/Wellbeing, Older Adult/End of Life, Perimenopause/Middle Age, Prevention, Reproductive Health, and Trauma Informed Care.

Higher Education Attainment: The Spoke is working to connect with higher-ed students across the state to help raise FAFSA completion rates and get incoming students excited about STEM and graduate degree programs. The goal for student volunteers is to introduce them to BWF through their university work and then help them transition to the spoke that aligns with their work and interests post-graduation. If you are affiliated with a higher ed institution or mentorship program and have students that want to get involved, please reach out to the Spoke Coordinator. The Spoke is engaging in outreach for an additional Spoke co-leader, as well as a working group co-lead for the Barriers Working Group.

Home & Family: Member and partner outreach have been a priority for the Spoke this past month, and efforts have resulted in new organizational partnerships and an increase in social media engagement. The monthly newsletter in January will provide descriptions of each Working Group within the Spoke as volunteers are needed in each (sign up for the newsletter to learn more). The Spoke is working to identify a co-lead for the Sexual Wellness Working Group, as well as individuals to serve as County Spoke Reps for Home & Family. 

K-12 Initiatives: Spoke Leaders and Working Groups are creating a collaborative campaign for Early Numeracy, which will be strategically rolled out over the next few months. The K-12 County Rep Community has launched and will meet quarterly this year to collaborate on statewide initiatives.

Leadership Development: The Best Practices for Organizations (Women) has created interview guides for businesses. The Data Working Group is analyzing results from the Fall Survey to determine implications and priorities across the Spoke. The Best Practices for Organizations (Girls/Young Women) Working Group is working on an outreach strategy to learn more about leadership offerings for girls/young women across the state.

Organizational Strategies & Workplace Culture: Spoke and Working Group Leaders gathered in-person this month to get to know one another better and to strategize for the upcoming roundtable discussion with c-suite executives (in March). The Spoke is working to identify a co-lead for the Communications Working Group.

Political & Civic Representation: The Spoke is meeting with other spokes and working groups across the movement to support advocacy efforts during the upcoming legislative session. Metrics have been gathered to track the engagement of women and male allies within advocacy and civic engagement partner organizations, and the metric dashboard will be available online soon.  

Poverty & Homelessness: The County Rep Community has been meeting monthly and is strategizing ways to reach girls and women experiencing intergenerational poverty across the state. The Spoke is working to increase membership in Working Groups and welcomes any interested in getting involved to contact the Spoke Coordinator.

Sexual Assault: The Spoke is preparing to launch the Start by Believing campaign in Utah on April 7, 2025 (Start by Believing Day). This will be crucial to other spokes, and the County Spoke Reps are working to share this important movement across the state. Outreach is being done to engage sexual assault service providers in Utah with the Spoke so that these crucial services centers can become partners, share resources, and engage with statewide prevention efforts.

Sexual Harassment & Gender-based Discrimination: The spoke is looking at examples from other states for effective trainings that focus on prevention. Spoke Leaders are meeting with the Organizational Strategies & Workplace Culture Spoke to collaborate on developing model policies and trainings for companies. Working Groups are gathering resources to be compiled into a resource page for women seeking help with sexual harassment or discrimination in the workplace. The Spoke is working closely with State Legislators on policies that they are pursuing for the upcoming session regarding harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

STEM Fields: Outreach is being done to identify potential co-leads for the Engineering, STEM Education (Higher Ed), and Mathematics Working Groups. Two new BWF Growth Partners have been welcomed to the Spoke this month, and a LinkedIn page been launched to help share STEM updates and opportunities for women in Utah. The Spoke is working closely with Women’s Tech Council (Leadership Partner) to prepare for the annual SheTech Explorer Day for high school girls from across the state. 

Workforce Development: The Spoke is planning an in-person event in February. The Reskilling & Retraining Working Group is working on sharing opportunities for women in a job wanting to pivot/change paths. The Community Resources Working Group is determining how best to gather and share information on BWF platforms.  A list of companies is being compiled to survey and determine what part-time job offerings exist across the state.