Political leadership program for undergraduate women to be held May 30–June 4
The Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at the University of Maine will host its annual six-day nonpartisan undergraduate student leadership program for women May 30–June 4.
Maine NEW (National Education for Women) Leadership, which aims to educate, engage and empower young leaders, will be held at the Schoodic Institute in Winter Harbor. UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy will be the keynote speaker at the networking and fundraising reception at 4 p.m. May 31.
A group of 28 college students with a variety of majors from 20 institutions around the state, including UMaine, will take part in the 11th residential conference that aims to strengthen political skills and build civic engagement.
Throughout the program, students will participate in workshops hosted by women leaders from politics, business and education. The students will learn skills including public speaking, networking and how to advocate for a cause and run for public office. On June 3, participants will travel to Augusta.
In addition to participating in the free program, students have the option to pay for a three-credit course offered exclusively to Maine NEW Leadership participants. The course — Women and Leadership — is designed to complement the institute’s curriculum, providing students the opportunity to reflect on their own leadership goals and the scholarly research on women’s leadership.
Maine NEW Leadership is offered by the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, which raises funds to support the program and provide it free of charge to participants. Maine NEW Leadership is a nonpartisan program developed to address the underrepresentation of women in politics and is designed to provide students with skills to help them become the next generation of effective civic and political leaders. It is Maine’s only statewide leadership program for undergraduate women.
More information about Maine NEW Leadership is available online or by contacting Amy Blackstone at amy.blackstone@maine.edu or Susan D’Angelo at 581.1648, susan.dangelo@maine.edu. Additional details about the May 31 reception are on Facebook.