January 2024 Newsletter: A Bolder Way Forward

Colleagues,

Welcome to the new A Bolder Way Forward (BWF) monthly newsletter! The BWF is growing daily and moving forward on many fronts. This mid-month newsletter will keep you updated (it will change in the next month or two with a new look and feel). See updates to seven areas below:

HOMEPAGE REFRESHED: We have recently launched a newly designed BWF homepage, and we welcome you to check out its content, including the overview video, new or refreshed documents (framework, thriving, business partner opportunities), and more. You can link from the landing page to information about the 18 spokes, the 12 impact teams, the county coalitions, key committees, partners, champions, and funders.

NEW RESEARCH: In partnership with BWF leaders, the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) conducted a fall statewide survey to establish a baseline of public perceptions related to the awareness, understanding, and attitudes around challenges that Utah women and girls face. To learn more about the study, review this document: Background & Methods. Today, we are thrilled to release the first three research summaries by spoke (area of focus): Childcare/Pre-K Programs, Child Sexual Abuse, and the Gender Pay Gap. Thanks to all those who helped distribute and who took the survey!

LEGISLATION: The Utah Legislature is now in session. In the next week or two, we will have a webpage that lays out the legislation that is being lead and/or supported by the 18 spokes, based on the bold goals they have set for 2026 and 2030. We are still putting that together, and you will see some related social media from the BWF coming out that will keep you updated. We have many partners who are moving legislation in areas like the gender pay gap, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, childcare, civic engagement, K-12 math, and sexual harassment. Thanks to all who are involved in this work.

SPOKES: You can check out the 18 spoke webpages anytime to learn more about their bold visions and goals, related metrics, and how to get involved. We are finishing these by end of January (so they are still shifting a bit right now), and you’ll see links to related visual dashboards within the next month. You will be able to see the 2023 baseline and how we plan to change by 2026 and 2030. If you are interested in a variety of areas, you can take this Participant Interest Survey, and we’ll contact you to communicate about opportunities. If your company/organization would like to get engaged, you can complete this Organizational Interest Survey. We have many spots for leaders, so if you want to lean into this important movement, let us know!

IMPACT TEAMS:  We currently have 12 Impact Teams that address issues that permeate across and influence each spoke that will need attention. Deep work will need to occur in all these areas for successful societal change in Utah. The four overarching "rim" topics include sexism, male allyship, culture (i.e., arts/music and women's history), and identity (i.e., race & ethnicity, LGBTQ+, neuroequality, disabilities, refugees and immigrants, age, interfaith, and veterans & service women). Contact Brie Sparks at brie.sparks@usu.edu if you have questions or want to serve on an impact team.

COUNTY COALITIONS: We are thrilled to announce that since August, A Bolder Way Forward County Coalitions have been established in 16 of Utah's 29 counties: Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Grand, Iron, San Juan, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Washington, and Weber. The support has been remarkable, and the momentum is growing as the need for this movement is felt across the state. Work at the grassroots is key to making long-term societal change, and that means getting the message to every city, neighborhood, and family in Utah. County coalitions in each of the 29 Utah counties will ensure that happens. We encourage you to get involved in your own county coalition. If you are in the remaining 13 counties (i.e., Beaver, Daggett, Garfield, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, Sanpete, Wasatch, and Wayne), we can use your help today in helping set things up for our upcoming visits in April and May. Please reach out to Deborah Lin at deborah.lin@usu.edu or Amy Anderson at amy.z.anderson@usu.edu. 

Join us on the BWF social media platforms: LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Subscribe at www.abolderwayforward.org to receive these updates to your own inbox if you received a forwarded email.

Best,
Susan

Prof./Dr. Susan R. Madsen
Inaugural Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership
Director, Utah Women & Leadership Project
Jon M. Huntsman School of Business
Utah State University
Phone: 435-797-0873
Web: utwomen.org
Email: susan.madsen@usu.edu

A Bolder Way Forward
Jon M. Huntsman School of Business
Utah State University
3550 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-3550
Web: abolderwayforward.org