Women from all across Western Massachusetts and the surrounding areas are sharing their experience of LIPPI. Shining the spotlight on our exceptional community members gives us all the opportunity to recognize and appreciate the expertise and ambition of the women who work hard for gender equity. They are leaders in capital management, higher education, and in other personal or professional pursuits.
Erika Allison, LIPPI ’19
“I highly recommend this program to any women looking to expand their network of powerful and inspiring changemakers. Especially as someone living in the Berkshires, I loved building connections and collaborations with LIPPIstas across all of Western Massachusetts!”
Network with influential women across Western Massachusetts.
LIPPI 2.0 curriculum includes the unit called Understanding of Self and Others which dives into
- Community building
- Cultural humility
- Communication across difference
- Social identity and positionality
- Mindfulness
- Sense of self and self-confidence
Learn how to create policies that are inclusive of many voices.
Understanding Context is a unit which encourages participants to research and read deeply into the context of U.S. policy and history as it pertains to
- Immigration
- Health Care
- Mass Incarceration
- Reproductive Rights
- Environmental Justice
- Nuclear Weapons
- Gun Violence
- Debt
- Education
- Voter Suppression
- Media Conglomerates
- Religious Literacy
- Racial Justice
- Gender Justice
Denise Hurst, LIPPI ’11
“This program is critical for women in Western MA. Western MA is unique with respect to its geography, and women from the Berkshires to the heart of the Valley, Springfield and Holyoke, and up the 91 corridor, need to have access to a quality, nonpartisan program that trains women to prepare for positions of leadership, creating policies and running for elected office. There’s no other program like it in the western part of the state.”
Angelica Castro, ’17
“I am so grateful to the Women’s Fund and the Weissman Center for Leadership’s Community Engagement at Mt. Holyoke College for gifting me the resources and the time to be able to attend the Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact (LIPPI). LIPPI has been instrumental in my personal and professional growth and influential in my ability to manifest unlimited possibilities. The African proverb says, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ and I say, ‘It takes a siSTAR circle to empower a womxn!’ This phenomenal program has blessed me with a circle of loving, compassionate, energized and committed womxn doing the work we are all purposed to do, together.”
“My humble commitment and powerful intention is to do my part in raising the consciousness and vibration of this planet by helping transform individuals, revolutionize organizations, and heal the world! Come join LIPPI so we can make change and do exceptional work together in our local and global communities.”
Learn through experience. Build on tangible skills you can use to influence change now.
Understanding Pathways and Building the Skills of Social Change encompass the last two units which encourages participants to learn the varying roles of changemakers and to learn the skills necessary to effectively influence positive change. Some of the skills participants will build in this unit include:
- Public speaking
- Facilitation
- Social media and digital presence
- How to develop a public persona
- Active listening
- Dialogue or How to have difficult conversations
Fight for gender equity. Believe you have the power. Join the LIPPIsta sisterhood.
Apply to LIPPI 2.0 by August 12, 2019
Do you want to nominate a woman to LIPPI 2.0?
Contact Kelley with her name, number, and email.
