National Women's History Alliance facts for kids

The National Women's History Alliance (NWHA) is a non-profit group in the United States. It works to celebrate and remember the important things women have done throughout history. The NWHA used to be called the National Women's History Project. It started in Santa Rosa, California, in 1980. It was founded by women's history activists like Molly Murphy MacGregor, Mary Ruthsdotter, Maria Cuevas, Paula Hammett, and Bette Morgan.

The National Women's History Alliance began by leading a group that successfully asked Congress to make March Women's History Month. This special month is now celebrated all over the country. Today, the NWHA is known as a main place to find information and training about women's history. They help teachers, community groups, and parents. Anyone who wants to learn more about women's historic contributions can find help here.

History of the NWHA

Writing Women Back into History

The National Women's History Alliance started as a small group. They noticed that women were barely mentioned in school textbooks. Less than 3% of the content was about women. This meant girls had few role models. Many people thought women hadn't done anything important. The founders of NWHA wanted to change this idea.

The NWHA convinced Congress and the White House that the nation needed to celebrate women's roles in history every year. Because of their hard work, the week of March 8 (which is International Women’s Day) was officially named Women's History Week. In 1987, the NWHA led a successful effort to make the entire month of March Women's History Month.

The NWHA helps organize the national celebrations of Women's History Month each March. They choose a new theme every year. They also make sure to honor women from many different backgrounds. This includes women from various cultures, jobs, races, and regions.

Every year, the NWHA sends out many catalogs. They also give out thousands of posters, books, videos, and teaching materials about women's history. Their website gets over 1,000,000 visitors each year. The staff also answers more than 2,500 emails and letters. These come from students, teachers, reporters, and others looking for information.

The NWHA staff has held training sessions and tours of historic women's sites in 42 states. They have trained over 30,000 teachers and government program managers. They have also given more than 2,500 speeches.

The NWHA created a national center for information. This center provides details, materials, and ideas about multicultural women's history. It also helps people find women's history performers, groups, museums, and historic places easily.

They have created over 200 different resources about multicultural women's history. These include videos, speeches, posters, guides, and teaching kits.

In 1995 and 1998, the NWHA led national campaigns to celebrate women's work in making democracy stronger. In 1995, they celebrated 75 years since women in the United States won the right to vote. In 1998, they celebrated 150 years of the Women's Rights Movement. In 2005, they marked 85 years since the Nineteenth Amendment was passed. This amendment gave women the right to vote. They also celebrated 25 years of the women's history movement. In 2010, they marked 90 years since U.S. women gained the right to vote.

In 1997, the NWHA launched its website. It became a digital center for women's history information. Today, this award-winning website is often the first result when you search for women's history online.

The NWHA has worked with important groups like the President’s Commission on the Celebration of Women in American History. Molly Murphy MacGregor, the executive director, was chosen by the White House to serve on the Congressional Commission on Women's Historic Landmarks. The NWHA believes that "Our History Is Our Strength."

NWHA Accomplishments and Awards

The National Women’s History Alliance has been recognized for its important work in education. Many groups across the country have honored their programs and services. These honors include:

• 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 special Mary Hatwood Furtrell Award.
• The Myra Sadker Equity Award for their work in achieving fairness for all genders.

NWHA Mission

The National Women’s History Alliance is an educational non-profit group. Its main goal is to recognize and celebrate the many important things women have done throughout history. They do this by providing information, educational materials, and programs.

They explain their mission like this: Learning about women’s history might seem far away or less important than today's challenges. But it would be a big mistake to ignore the vital role that women’s dreams and achievements play in our lives. We get strength and ideas from those who came before us. We also learn from the amazing women working among us today. They are part of our story. A truly fair and complete history shows how important women have always been in American society.

Purpose of the NWHA

The NWHA promotes women's history because: By looking at history, we learn to move forward with confidence. The stories of how others shaped society make us want to contribute too. Everyone needs role models. We need examples that are enough like us to inspire us. History must tell the whole story. For girls, knowing what women have achieved helps them see what is possible for themselves. For all of us, knowing about women’s strengths and contributions builds respect and helps us feel good about ourselves. This is important for all children and adults, now and in the future.

The main goal of the NWHA is to make history accurate. They do this by continuing to recognize and celebrate women’s real contributions through their current and future projects.

Women's History Month Themes

Women's History Month is celebrated every March. The NWHA chooses a special theme for each year. To see the themes, visit: Women's History Month.

Resources

• National Women's History Alliance Official Site.
• War Letters "Women's history during WWI and WWII"
• American Women's History "A resource guide"