The second annual State of Wisconsin Girls Summit at Alverno College has been moved to Oct. 10.
The reimagined State of Wisconsin Girls Summit will be a virtual program. The new concept emphasizes the health and safety of attendees while also providing an engaging and purposeful experience. Happening the same weekend as the International Day of the Girl, the summit will convene thought leaders and inspiring voices to encourage girls to become more civically engaged and develop their leadership skills.
Mari Copeny, 12, known as Little Miss Flint because of her activism around the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, will be the keynote speaker. In May 2016, when Copeny was 8 years old, she wrote a letter to President Barack Obama detailing the water crisis in her hometown and challenging him to visit. The president visited Flint and subsequently authorized $100 million to repair the city’s water system. Copeny’s activism made national news, and she has been using her voice to fight for social justice since.
The State of Wisconsin Girls Summit is an opportunity for girls, community leaders, agencies that serve girls and the general public to have thoughtful, productive conversations and celebrate the contributions of girls to our community. The event will begin with Copeny’s keynote address. There will also be a panel of girls who are working for change in the community, and a panel discussion with women serving as government officials.
“We continue to be committed to hearing directly from girls in Wisconsin in order to inform our research agenda in an effort to improve the lives of girls in our state,” said Jodi Eastberg, PhD, executive director of the Research Center for Women and Girls. “We know from our research that girls are more likely to be civically engaged, to vote when they come of age and to volunteer, but they are far less likely to imagine themselves running for office or to consider government office as a desirable profession or goal. We are hopeful that through participation in the Girls Summit and engagement with our activity book, they will imagine themselves as leaders and ultimately will be inspired to run for office or serve in government.”
