Despite gains over the past decades, women and girls continue to be underrepresented in leadership and key professional positions.

In 2003, AAUW launched the Leadership and Training Institute,a 501(c)(3) organization within the association, to increase its commitment to these issues. Through institute programs, women and girls acquire the skills they need to succeed and assume leadership roles in their academic, professional, and personal lives.

What does AAUW's Leadership Training Institute provide?
The institute offers programs to promote the total woman: economic self-sufficiency, leadership development, career advancement, and technical skill development. This is accomplished through a variety of structured and experiential conferences, workshops, and seminars – providing replicable programs for learners and trainers alike. The institute disseminates these resources to a diverse community of students, educators, professionals, and women in every facet of the private and public sectors of society. Programs are designed to have broad appeal, through the creation of programmatic models, educational resources, and national partnerships. These resources enhance the ability of women and girls to make a difference in their lives and expand institutions' and neighborhoods' ability to make a difference in the lives of those who study, teach, work, and live in their communities.

Financial skills are critical to women’s economic security and will invariably impact community development and the wider society. Thus, the institute has embraced financial literacy for women as a key part of its mission. The main objective of this initiative is to empower women to become economically self-sufficient and financially savvy. The program, under development, will offer comprehensive financial literacy training for women in all stages of life. Recognizing that financial literacy is an evolving process, we are developing a multi-faceted program to address women’s financial situations across the lifespan — college women, at the crucial stage of establishing financial habits; middle-aged women, juggling careers, the needs of their children, and perhaps the care of aging parents; and retirees, women striving to remain financially fit — and offered at introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels of understanding.

The institute's leadership literacy program supports a number of significant activities:

• Campus Action Projects - To give campus professionals and students the necessary tools to help improve campus environments, the institute supports projects at universities around the country by providing small grants and technical assistance. The goals of this initiative are to create action on campus through exceptional projects and to provide an avenue for ongoing leadership training and support of women leaders.
• National Conference for College Women Student Leaders - Designed for college and university women in campus or community leadership roles — and those who have leadership aspirations — this annual conference offers students an opportunity to gather the information, skills, and resources needed to embrace today's leadership challenges. Students from across the nation attend to interact with top women professionals; hone skills in leadership, advocacy, civic engagement, networking, and career planning; build relationships with peers and other women who can support their professional and personal growth; and create practical solutions to challenges on their campuses and in their communities.
• AAUW Leadership Development DVD/CD Webinar - The new Leadership Development DVD/CD is designed to be an accessible training tool and resource for state and branch leaders on a wide array of AAUW programs and projects. This webinar reviews the DVD, the components of its seven modules, and step-by-step instructions for using the materials to create an interactive education program.
• Teleseminars - The institute is piloting a novel way to share the knowledge and tools necessary for effective community leadership: interactive teleseminars, also known as "webinars." Participants join a telephone conference call while following along on the Internet as presenters share documents, web pages, and other visuals. Interactive sessions invite participants to respond to poll questions and see immediate responses and to submit questions electronically to be answered as the presentation progresses. Covering the topics of communication, development, membership, and programming, teleseminars provide time-tested and new ideas and tools.

AAUW currently provides a variety of leadership resources to members and nonmembers, from leadership opportunities within the organization, to the opportunity to network with women nationwide at national, regional and local meetings, to toolkits and best practice examples. Explore the leadership opportunities and resources available.

The institute relies on contributions and grants to support its work, and so we invite you to contribute to the Leadership and Training Institute.

For more information on AAUW's Leadership and Training Institute, please e-mail lti@aauw.org.