NEW Leadership Nevada

National Education for Women's Leadership (NEW Leadership) is an award-winning program developed in 1991 by the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, to educate and empower the next generation of women leaders. The NEW Leadership program features an innovative curriculum designed to:

• Teach students about the diversity of women's historical and contemporary participation in politics and policymaking;
• Connect students with women leaders who make a difference in the public sphere,education, gaming, business, law, politics, banking, community activism, and more;
• Help students explore the demands of justice based, effective, and ethical leadership in a diverse society;
• Cultivate students' leadership skills;
• Enable students to practice leadership through action; and
• Build a statewide network of peers and mentors.

The NEW Leadership Development Network builds and supports women's civic leadership and education at colleges and universities across the United States. The program is currently running in 15 schools nationwide, including Rutgers, Chatham College, American University, University of Illinois, University of Washington, Portland State University, University of Missouri, St. Louis, University of Oklahoma, and The Ohio State University. In 2001, the Women's Research Institute of Nevada was invited to join the NEW Leadership Development Network and in 2003, NEW Leadership Nevada held its first program. The Women's Research Institute of Nevada at UNLV is the only site in the southwestern United States to host this program.

NEW Leadership Nevada consists of a 6-day summer institute that brings together 25 college students from across the state to learn about women's leadership and civic participation from accomplished women leaders. Students meet formally and informally with these leaders through a series of panels, lectures, and interactive workshops and create lasting networks and mentoring relationships. NEW Leadership Nevada graduates are supported throughout their future endeavors by WRIN, our growing alumnae network, and our community partners.  Furthermore, they are invited back to attend statewide events, like Grassroots Lobby Days, and special programs throughout the year.

NEW Leadership Nevada is open to all undergraduate students attending a college or university in Nevada and to Nevada residents attending schools in other states. While there is an emphasis on politics and civic engagement, we have found that students from all academic disciplines benefit from our program. The scope of the program is designed so that students can build leadership skills that are applicable to their chosen field. Program speakers come from a variety of backgrounds, including law, business, politics, education, community activism, non-profit organizations, banking, gaming, small business, real estate, and more.

Students who attend NEW Leadership Nevada are encouraged become active in their community through political and civic engagement. WRIN and our community partners continue to motivate students to build their leadership skills through a variety of events and activities. Students in Nevada have taken on a number of projects, including initiating a voter registration and education drive at Great Basin College, creating a community assistance organization (Random Acts of Kindness) at University of Nevada, Reno, forming a support group for young mothers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, producing an original research project at Truckee Meadows Community College. Many students made connections to businesses and organizations in their communities during NEW Leadership Nevada and parlayed them into volunteer, internship, or work opportunities, such as volunteering for political campaigns, forming student organizations on their campuses, interning in the offices of Governor Kenny Guinn and Senator Harry Reid, and working for Safe Nest, a domestic violence assistance organization in Las Vegas.