The Center for Women’s and Gender Studies received a $100,200 grant, which will initiate a program for women’s empowerment, encouraging a more active participation in politics.

The Embrey Family Foundation gave the grant and will start a nationwide program called the National Education for Women’s Leadership summer program at UT for the first time, according to a press release. The six-day program will bring together undergraduate women from across the state in order to learn more about policymaking.

“We want a diverse group with many interests and non-traditional majors,” said program coordinator Nancy Ewert. “The purpose is [to] get more women interested in politics, so this will benefit anyone interested in policymaking.”

According to the program’s curriculum, activities will include speaking with successful women in a variety of roles in the public sphere, learning about women’s political participation, exploring ideas about leadership and politics and participating in hands-on skill-building exercises. The Embrey grant has made this program possible by covering costs such as housing, food, program materials and staffing.

Applications to attend this program will open in November 2011, with the deadline of March 2012. For the 2012 session, the program will initially accept only 20 students, followed by 30 students for the 2013 session.

Printed on September 8, 2011 as: Program aims to develop women's interest in politics