Getting started

There are many benefits to taking the lead and organizing an EYH.  Conference organizers gain recognition and professional credibility among peers and the community for leading conferences.  Conference organizers also gain project management experience and get satisfaction in seeing their efforts come to fruition.

Planning an EYH conference is not a task for just one person.  After you have checked to make sure there is not an EYH within approximately 50 miles of your city or town,  and you’ve decided to explore putting on a conference, the first thing you should do is to contact your local chapter of the American Association of University Women.

AAUW co-sponsors many EYH conferences throughout the United States and they can be a good partner in helping you initiate a conference.  After you have contacted AAUW, ask them if they have any local connections at  local universities or junior colleges,  since conferences are usually held at institutions of higher education.  Then,  call or email some women faculty who work in the science or math departments.   It’s also helpful to connect with Women Deans of departments.   In the introduction,  introduce EYH and direct them to the EYH website and indicate your interest in partnering to start a conference for girls in science and math.

After you have done this,  it’s time to think of how to organize a planning committee.  A good planning committee should have at least 6-8 dedicated individuals. The national office has a comprehensive organizational packet to help you determine which committees you will need and what they should do. Sample committees may include a facility committee, a fundraising committtee, a program committee, and a marketing and publicity committee.

How to recruit committee members:

1. If on faculty at a University, contact female colleagues who are involved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers. If you are not already part of a university contact the school of engineering or computer science and try to locate female faculty to introduce them to our program.
2. Contact your local chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW.org). Many local chapters already co-sponsor EYH conferences. Tell them a bit about our program and ask them if their chapter is interested in taking on a community service project to get more middle and high school girls interested in STEM careers.
3. Once interest is built, set an initial planning meeting to bring these parties together.
4. The Executive Director often attends the first planning meeting to help get the committee started. She will come to your city with all of the planning materials you need to organize your conference from start to finish.

To summerize:

• A minimum of 6-9 committed volunteers is needed who can devote the next year to planning and executing the conference. They do not have to work on the conference full-time, but they should be able to attend a monthly meeting and do some other work as requested.
• You will need a place to hold your EYH conference such as a local junior college or a university.
• You will need to make contact with schools and other necessary affiliates

Ready to get started? Register your conference now.

Not quite ready to organize your own EYH, but are you interested in leading a hands-on workshop?   Check out our area for EYH workshop leaders.