National Women's History Project

National Women's History Project

The National Women's History Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring and preserving women's history. Based out of Santa Rosa, California since 1980, it was started by women's history activists Molly Murphy MacGregor, Mary Ruthsdotter, Maria Cuevas, Paula Hammett and Bette Morgan.

The NWHP started by leading a coalition that successfully lobbied Congress to designate March as Women's History Month, now celebrated across the land.
Today, the NWHP is known nationally as the only clearinghouse providing information and training in multicultural women’s history for educators, community organizations, and parents-for anyone wanting to expand their understanding of women contributions to U. S. history.

Contents

History

Over 25 years of "Writing Women Back into History"

From a Grassroots Organization into a National Institution
• In 1980, the NWHP was a group of women who noticed that women were absent from textbookss. No more than 3% of the content was devoted to women.
• Girls had few role models. Girls and boys and many adults assumed women did nothing important. The founders thought this perception needed to be addressed.
• The NWHP convinced Congress and the White House of the need for our nation to celebrate and recognize women’s role in history on an annual basis. As a result of their efforts, the week of March 8th (International Women’s Day) was officially designated as Women’s History Week. In 1987, the NWHP led the successful campaign to have the entire month of March declared Women’s History Month.
• The NWHP mobilizes the national celebrations of Women's History Month in March each year by choosing an annual theme.
• They promote a multicultural women’s history perspective by honoring women of diverse cultural, ethnic, occupational, racial, class, and regional backgrounds.
• Every year the NWHP sends out 100,000 catalogs and distribute tens of thousands of women's history posters, celebratory materials, books, videos, and curriculum resources.
• The NWHP website has over 1,000,000 visitors a year. Additionally, the staff answers over 2,500 e-mails and letters each year from students, teachers, reporters, and other interested individuals requesting information.
• The staff has conducted women's history training sessions and women's historic site tours in 42 states, and has trained over 30,000 teachers and federal program managers and has delivered over 2,500 speeches.
• The NWHP created a national clearinghouse to provide multicultural women's history information, materials, referrals, and strategies. This service also provides easy access to women's history performers, organizations, museums, and historic site.
• They have designed, developed, and produced more than 200 multicultural women’s history resource materials, such as videos, speeches, posters, celebratory items, guides, program kits, and curriculum units.
• In 1995 and 1998, the NWHP led national campaigns to celebrate and recognize the work of women in expanding and enriching democracy. In 1995, they celebrated the 75th anniversary of women in the United States winning the right to vote and in 1998 the 150th anniversary of the Women's Rights Movement. In 2005, they celebrated the 85th anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment and the 25th anniversary of the women's history movement. In the year 2010 they will mark the 90th anniversary of U.S. women gaining the right to vote.
• In 1997 the NWHP launched a website to serve as the digital clearinghouse for multicultural women's history information. Today, this award-winning website is the first women's history choice on all website search engines.
• The NWHP has worked with the President’s Commission on the Celebration of Women in American History. The Executive Director was appointed by the White House to serve on the Congressional Commission on Women's Historic Landmarks.
• The NWHP believes that "'Our History Is Our Strength"'

Accomplishments

The National Women’s History Project has been recognized for its groundbreaking work in education and its many nationally recognized programs and services by organizations throughout the country, including:
• The National Association for Multicultural Education Award.
• The Jessie Bernard Wise Women Award from the Center for Women Policy Studies.
• The National Education Association’s prestigious Mary Hatwood Furtrell Award.
• The Myra Sadker Equity Award for their work in achievement in gender equity.

Mission

The National Women’s History Project is an educational nonprofit organization whose mission is to recognize and celebrate the diverse and historic accomplishments of women by providing information and educational materials and programs. [1]

They explain their mission this way: The impact of women’s history might seem abstract to some, and less pressing than the immediate struggles of working women today. But to ignore the vital role that women’s dreams and accomplishments play in our own lives would be a great mistake. We draw strength and inspiration from those who came before us – and those remarkable women working among us today. They are part of our story, and a truly balanced and inclusive history recognizes how important women have always been in American society. [2]

Why Women's History

The NWHP promotes women's history because, By walking history’s pathways, we learn to step forward with confidence. The legacy of how others shaped society sparks our own longings to contribute. Everyone needs role models — footsteps enough like our own to inspire us. History must tell the whole story. For girls, knowing women’s achievements expands their sense of what is possible. For all of us, knowledge of women’s strengths and contributions builds respect and nourishes self esteem — crucial to all children and adults now, and in the years to come. [3]
The enduring goal of the NWHP is to “make history” accurate by continuing to recognize and celebrate women’s authentic contributions through current and future projects.[4]

References

  1. ^ www.nwhp.org
  2. ^ www.nwhp.org
  3. ^ www.nwhp.org
  4. ^ www.nwhp.org

Resources


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • National Women's History Project — ▪ American organization       not for profit American organization founded in 1980 to “promote multicultural women s history awareness.”       The NWHP originated with the Educational Task Force in Sonoma county, California, the association that… …   Universalium

  • National Women's History Month — ▪ history       honorary observance of the month of March, as designated in 1987 by the U.S. Congress, in recognition of women s many accomplishments throughout history. A variety of agencies, schools, and organizations observe the month by… …   Universalium

  • Women's History Month — is an annual declared month worldwide that highlights contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. March has been set aside as this month in the United Kingdom and in the United States. In India, this month is celebrated… …   Wikipedia

  • National Women's Rights Convention — The National Women s Rights Convention was an annual series of meetings that increased the visibility of the early women s rights movement in the United States. First held in 1850 in Worcester, Massachusetts, the National Women s Rights… …   Wikipedia

  • Women's history — is the history of female human beings.Rights and equalityWomen s rights refers to the social and human rights of women. One of the first women s rights declaration was the Declaration of Sentiments . From women s involvement within the abolition… …   Wikipedia

  • National Women's Media Centre — The National Women’s Media Centre is a defunct Australian women’s organisation dedicated to the development of a media ethic within Australia which assumes the equality of women and men in all aspects of its operations. The NWMC operated from… …   Wikipedia

  • National Council of Women's Organizations — The National Council of Women s Organizations is an American non profit umbrella organization of women s organizations. Formerly headed by Martha Burk, it has a membership of 11 million women through its 215 member organizations. Its current… …   Wikipedia

  • National Episcopal Historians and Archivists (NEHA) — The National Episcopal Historians and Archivists (NEHA) encourages every congregation, diocese, and organization in the Episcopal Church to collect, preserve and organize its records and share its history. Contents 1 …   Wikipedia

  • National Life Stories — Established 1987 Location 96 Euston Road, London, England, NW1 2DB Website www.bl.uk/nl …   Wikipedia

  • History of the United States (1964–1980) — History of the United States This article is part of a series Timeline …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”