National Women's History Alliance facts for kids

The National Women's History Alliance (NWHA) is a group in the United States that works to celebrate and save the stories of women throughout history. It's a non-profit organization, meaning it doesn't make money for itself. The NWHA started in Santa Rosa, California, in 1980. It was founded by five women who cared deeply about women's history: Molly Murphy MacGregor, Mary Ruthsdotter, Maria Cuevas, Paula Hammett, and Bette Morgan.

The NWHA was first known as the National Women's History Project. This group helped convince the United States Congress to make March Women's History Month. This special month is now celebrated all over the country. Today, the National Women's History Alliance is a main place to find information about women's history. They offer training and resources for teachers, community groups, and parents. Anyone who wants to learn more about the important things women have done can find help here. Martha Wheelock is currently the president of the NWHA's board.

History of the NWHA

Writing Women Back into History

The National Women's History Alliance started as a small group. They grew into a national organization over more than 30 years.

How the NWHA Began

• In 1980, the NWHA founders noticed something important. Women were barely mentioned in school textbooks. Less than 3% of the content was about women.
• This meant girls had few female role models to look up to. Many people, both kids and adults, thought women hadn't done much that was important. The founders of NWHA wanted to change this idea.
• The NWHA worked hard to convince Congress and the White House. They showed why the nation needed to celebrate women's history every year.
• Because of their efforts, the week of March 8 (which is International Women’s Day) became Women's History Week.
• Then, in 1987, the NWHA led a successful effort to make the entire month of March Women's History Month.

Celebrating Women's History Every Year

• Each year, the NWHA helps organize the national celebrations for Women's History Month in March. They choose a special theme for each year.
• They make sure to include women from all different backgrounds. This means women of various cultures, ethnic groups, jobs, races, and regions.
• The NWHA sends out many catalogs each year. They also give out thousands of posters, books, videos, and learning materials about women's history.
• Their website gets over 1,000,000 visitors every year. The staff also answers more than 2,500 emails and letters. These come from students, teachers, reporters, and others looking for information.
• NWHA staff have traveled to 42 states to lead training sessions. They have also given tours of historic places related to women.
• 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 sites.
• They have created over 200 different learning materials. These include videos, speeches, posters, guides, and lesson plans.
• In 1995 and 1998, the NWHA led national campaigns. These celebrated women's work in making democracy stronger.
• In 1995, they celebrated 75 years since women in the U.S. won the right to vote. In 1998, they marked 150 years of the Women's Rights Movement.
• In 2005, they celebrated the 85th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment. 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. This website became a digital hub for women's history information. Today, it is often the first result when searching for women's history online.
• The NWHA has worked with important groups like the President’s Commission. Molly Murphy MacGregor, the executive director, was even chosen by the White House to serve on a special commission about women's historic places.
• The NWHA believes that "Our History Is Our Strength."

Awards and Recognition

The National Women’s History Alliance has been honored for its important work in education. Many groups across the country have recognized their programs and services. These 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 Mary Hatwood Furtrell Award.
• The Myra Sadker Equity Award for their work in making things fair for all genders.

What the NWHA Does

Mission of the Alliance

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, learning materials, and special programs.

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

Why Women's History Matters

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 similar enough to our own lives to inspire us.

History must tell the whole story. For girls, knowing what women have achieved helps them see what they can do. 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 continue 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

See also

• Molly MacGregor
• Martha Wheelock

Resources

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