WEEA Equity Resource
Center
Gender equity in education is the mission of this organization,
one of many that collaborate with ENC
by Gay Gordon, ENC (Eisenhower National Clearinghouse) Publishing
In 1974, the Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA) established
a program to promote gender equity in schools and other community
organizations. The law created an annual grant competition administered
through the US Department of Education, as well as a national
resource center designed to support the work of these grants
and disseminate the learning.
Since its founding in 1976, the WEEA Equity Resource Center
has been housed at Education Development Center in Newton, Massachusetts.
Originally it served as a technical assistance center and publishing
house for WEEA grantees, but it has broadened its reach over
the years. Currently, the WEEA Center has published more than
350 titles on gender equity issues and provides technical assistance
to implement and expand gender equity programs in the larger
K-16 education community, with special emphasis on underserved
populations of girls and women. In 1998 the Center responded
to more than 1,200 technical assistance requests on topics such
as sexual harassment, gender equity awareness, mentoring, and
effective classroom practices.
The WEEA Associates program began in 1998. It enables the WEEA
Equity Resource Center to extend its reach by working with
other organizations that are willing to assist WEEA in accomplishing
its mission. WEEA Associates are located throughout the country
and can respond to technical assistance requests in their regions
in a cost-effective manner. WEEA Associates are affiliated
with a wide variety of organizations, including Comprehensive
Assistance Centers, universities, regional education labs,
mathematics and science consortia, state departments of education,
and other organizations devoted to gender equity issues.
Beyond providing technical assistance, Associates agree to work
with WEEA in several ways, including facilitating online discussions,
representing WEEA at conferences, reviewing and/or writing
publications and other materials, and providing information
and resources for the WEEA web site (www.edc.org/WomensEquity).
In turn, WEEA supports the Associates program by holding a
yearly orientation and updating Associates on activities; maintaining
a private listserv; providing copies of all WEEA publications;
supplying WEEA materials for conferences and meetings; marketing
the availability of the Associates program; and providing monthly
updates on WEEA activities.
ENC participates in the WEEA Associates
program, and I am the contact person. ENC includes WEEA publications
on issues related
to math and science education in our online catalog of resources.
This year, we also expect to feature one of the Equity Center's
important products, an online course for educators, "Engaging
Middle School Girls in Math and Science."
I have worked with the WEEA Equity Resource Center over the past
year to facilitate an online discussion on women in science
and then to prepare a companion publication. The online discussion
included several national and international panelists who raised
numerous issues concerning women as full participants in science
as a profession. The issue with which I am most concerned is
maintaining girls' interest in science beyond the middle school
years. Many people participated in the discussion, sharing
their concerns, programs, and ideas. It was a very lively discussion,
and the publication is in the works.
To subscribe to the EDEQUITY listserv, send an email message
(majordorno@mail.edc.org). The subject must be left blank and
the body of the message should read: subscribe edequity (no
quotation marks or other punctuation).
For additional information about WEEA services or the Associates
program, contact:
WEEA Equity Resource Center
Education Development Center, Inc. 55 Chapel Street
Newton, NIA 02458-1060
(617) 969-7100 / Fax: (617) 332-4318 (800) 225-3088
Email: WEEActr@edc.org
www.edc.org/WomensEquity |
