Upcoming events for Women's History Month to be held during the second half of March include the following in-person and virtual events, and more -- check the individual entries in the schedule below for more information on how to attend:
Penn State University Park events include:
- Pride in Your Ride Night: Women and Queer Night at the Bike Den — March 23, 5:30–7 p.m.
- "Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance" Book Discussion with Jessamyn Stanley — Thursday, March 24, 6–7 p.m.
- Wikipedia Editathon: Native American Women Activists — Tuesday, March 29, 10 a.m–3 p.m., virtual.
- EmpowHERment Summit — Thursday, March 31, virtual
- Keynote speaker Dr. Shelia Patel: "Shifting the Paradigm: Providing Hope and Healing through the Integration Allopathic and Complementary Medicinal Practices" — Thursday, March 31, 7 p.m., virtual.
In addition, Penn State Altoona, Berks, Brandywine, Lehigh Valley, and Scranton offer events. More details are available below.
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Editor's note: These events have been updated as of March 15.
Penn State student organizations and units at campuses across the commonwealth will be holding events in honor of National Women’s History Month. Here’s a look at some of the events taking place at the University’s campuses during the month of March. This list will be updated as events are added throughout the month.
According to the National Women's History Alliance, the theme of National Women's History Month this year is "Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope," which is both a tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and front-line workers during the ongoing pandemic and also a recognition of the thousands of ways that women of all cultures have provided both healing and hope throughout history.
Penn State University Park
IST Identity Talks: Women in Tech — Feb. 28, 6-7 p.m., online. Members of the Penn State community are invited to join alumnae of the College of Information Sciences and Technology as they provide their unique perspectives as women working in a male-dominated industry. Panelists include Janay Coles, senior cyber analyst at Textron; Shelly Gasperine, consulting solutions transformation director, technology sector at PwC; Angela Govila, executive director, product lead for embedded banking at J.P. Morgan Payments; and Neha Sharma, senior consultant at IBM. Learn more here and register here.
Love Your Body Yoga class with Jessamyn Stanley — Tuesday, March 1, 4–5 p.m., IM Building, Gym 3. This yoga session is for all body sizes and types as well as attendees of all skill levels. Stanley is an internationally acclaimed leading voice in wellness whose work focuses on 21st-century yoga and intersectional identity. Stanley, a self-described “fat-femme” working to break stereotypes, has written two books and is a regular contributor for SELF Magazine. Registration is required at this link.
"Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope:" Q&A and book-signing with Jessamyn Stanley — Tuesday, March 1, 6:30–7:30 p.m., Freeman Auditorium: HUB-Robeson Center. Jessamyn Stanley is an author, podcaster, yoga teacher, entrepreneur and advocate, and an internationally acclaimed leading voice in wellness whose work focuses on 21st-century yoga and intersectional identity. Stanley, a self-described “fat-femme” working to break stereotypes, has written two books and is a regular contributor for SELF Magazine. Join the livestream link here.
In addition, join us after the talk for a moderated Q&A where we will discuss hope, healing, yoga, self-acceptance and more, pulling from the themes from Stanley's book "Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance." After the discussion, in partnership with the Penn State Campus Bookstore, a book signing will be held where copies of the book will be available to purchase and be signed by Stanley.
Theatrical Performance: “Waitress” — March 3, 7:30 p.m., Eisenhower Auditorium. Touring Broadway returns to the Center for the Performing Arts with the debut of the hilarious, empowering hit. Jenna is a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of a way out of her small town and rocky marriage. When a baking contest in a nearby county shows her a chance at a fresh start, she must find the courage to seize it. “Waitress” is the first Broadway musical in history to have four women in the four top creative team spots — with a book by Jessie Nelson, a score by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, choreography by Lorin Latarro and direction by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus. Visit “Waitress” for information and to purchase tickets.
Menstrual Health Expo — March 16, 5:30–8 pm., Flex Theater, HUB-Robeson Center. This event is a collaborative effort to bring awareness and attention to menstrual health. Students will be able to drop in at any point in the evening and learn about contemporary topics regarding menstruation such as sustainable options, disparities in access, reproductive coercion and inclusive language. Open to both menstruators and non-menstruators, we hope to engage the Penn State campus in a robust share of knowledge, activities, and resources aiming to erase the shame and stigma around menstruation.
"Human Trafficking Awareness" with Professor Glenn Sterner — Thursday, March 17, 5-6 p.m., Freeman Auditorium. Many people attribute human trafficking to movies like "Taken," however it can occur everywhere, even in our own community. Sign up for this event hosted by Hope Here, Hope Now; Unicef; the Student Programming Association; and the Penn State Gender Equity Center. Glenn Sterner, Penn State assistant professor of criminal justice, will discuss digitally exploitative trafficking practices and what people can do to help prevent it. This talk is free and open to the public. Register here.
Zine Workshop for Self-Acceptance — Thursday, March 17, 6–7 p.m., Pattee Library W315 (Arts and Humanities Library, third floor West Pattee Library). Join University Libraries for a zine workshop all about self-acceptance. Zines are independently published, homemade publications devoted to specialized or unconventional topics designed for knowledge creation and to leverage under-represented voices, and as such are perfect conduits for promoting hope and healing. Following a moderation discussion with Jessamyn Stanley, this workshop will lead participants through the steps to create a zine focused on developing acceptance of all parts of oneself. All supplies will be provided for this free workshop. Registration is required to attend.
Pride in Your Ride Night: Women and Queer Night at the Bike Den — March 23, 5:30–7 p.m., Penn State Bike Den at the ground level of the West Parking Deck. Join the Gender Equity Center, the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, and the Bike Den for a night celebrating women, femmes, non-binary, and queer LGBTQ+ folks, an opportunity to learn about cycling, fixing your bike, bike maintenance, and/or a positive space to just hang out. Cyclists of all levels and experiences are welcome. The Bike Den will lead discussions on Bicycle Safety 101 and host a discussion, “Ride or Die: The Forgotten History of Bicycles and Feminism.” Learn more about Women and Queer Night at the Bike Den here.