Please consider supporting the League this holiday season!
Dear WL friends,
As we enter this holiday season, the MIT Women’s League has many things to celebrate. Chief among them is the renewed interest and growth in our community programming, aided in part by the return to in-person gatherings on campus and your continued enthusiasm and support. We are deeply grateful to all of you, our members and friends, who have helped make this past year especially productive and inspiring.
In that spirit, we were thrilled to see so many old friends and new faces at our 110th Anniversary and Open House in October. This past year, many of our interest groups have been boosted by an increase in participation, including the MIT Women’s Chorale, which welcomed over 20 new singers this fall. The Chorale, which is in its 90th year as a WL interest group, performed a holiday concert on December 10.
The book discussion group is also thriving on Zoom and will hold an in-person meeting in the spring. This fall we sourced 100 items of winter clothing for MIT students with the greatest financial need. This is our 28th year of sourcing winter clothing for students. Thanks to all of you who have purchased clothing or gift cards for these students.
In late November, we were delighted to partner with our colleagues in the International Scholars Office, who supported our wreath making event this year. This unbroken, annual tradition stretches back to the 1930s, and many spouses and partners of MIT’s international community joined us in late November to learn about this special tradition and to help us once again adorn the main entrance to MIT with holiday cheer.
We continue to support students with scholarships and fellowships and last spring we were pleased to present the first annual Christine Reif Professional Development Award. This fund was established by the League, in honor of our former first lady, to support members of the MIT Spouses and Partners Community, particularly those who are transitioning their lives and careers to a new community and in some cases learning a new language as well.
We are looking forward to a busy spring of tours and programming and are especially pleased to announce the return of the Stratton Lecture in March. This year’s topic will be Women and Artificial Intelligence, featuring talks about how AI will impact women’s health, women in the workplace, and in society.
Behind the scenes our Board has been hard at work thinking about the League’s history and future, and we thank all of you who took our survey this fall. We learned a great deal about who you are and what you hope the League can do to support you and our community going forward. It is also clear that meeting other women at MIT face-to-face continues to drive our membership and is one of the most rewarding aspects of participation in the League.
In the year ahead, please continue to join our events, follow us on social media and read our newsletters. We’ve been working hard to increase our reach and visibility and I want to express my special appreciation to Kirsty Bennett, the manager of the League, who makes it all happen and to the President’s Office for their guidance and support.
Of course, we could not do any of this without you. Your yearly donations help us keep the programming and service going and we hope that you can consider a first time or continued gift this year.
With gratitude and warmth,
Nancye Mims
Board Chair
Photo credit: Ron Hoffman