From the Desk of SWE
From the President - June Update
June 22, 2021
Hello Wichita SWE,
We held our final General Meeting of Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) on Monday June 7th over Zoom, where we re-capped our Annual Banquet, silent auction results, and discussed our final events planned for FY21.
The Virtual Game night held in May gave us a chance to socialize while enjoying Trivia and other Jackbox games after a very busy Spring!
Then on May 25th, we held our annual banquet celebrating FY21 virtually as well. We reviewed the events of the year, inducted new officers, and had a really moving keynote speech from Amanda Simpson, VP of Research and Technology at Airbus Americas. It was also great to hear from the silent auction beneficiary, Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center (WASAC), during the banquet. With the silent auction, we raised $905 for WASAC! Way to go!
This month we held a SWE Chef night where members made Enchiladas while following along with a YouTube video and recipe. Talk about hard work in the kitchen! But we all had fun and enjoyed a yummy meal!
Tonight, June 22nd @ 6pm, join us on Zoom for our monthly Podcast Club discussion. The podcast selection this month is The History Chicks Episode 171: The Harvey Girls. If you have any questions, contact Alexis at president-elect@wichitaswe.org.
I want to say THANK YOU to all of our Outgoing officers and Committee Chairs! It has been great working with you all over the past year, and I’m so happy with everything we were able to accomplish in an almost entirely remote environment!
The Wichita SWE Officers for FY22, starting their term on July 1st, 2021, will be:
President – Alexis Fitzpatrick
President Elect – Kait Weston
Secretary – Elena Davidson
Treasurer – Sarah Niles
Treasurer Elect – Minisa Childers
Keep an eye out for information on an FY22 Planning Meeting to kick off the new fiscal year!
Wichita SWE – thank you ALL for a wonderful year! As always, if you'd like to get more involved with SWE, have future event ideas, or questions, please email president@wichitaswe.org. Thanks for being a part of SWE, and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Best Regards,
Shaina Shapiro
FY21 Wichita Section President
Society of Women Engineers
From the President - May Update
May 10, 2021
Hello Wichita SWE,
The May General Meeting was held on Monday May 3rd over Zoom, where we re-capped Engineering Expo and discussed our upcoming events, including the annual Banquet where we will celebrate FY21 and induct the new slate of officers for FY22.
Our first Virtual Engineering Expo was a success! We received lots of pictures and videos of kids doing their activities and so much positive feedback. A big thank you to the Engineering Expo committee and volunteers for all their hard work planning the event and helping to make this happen! The videos will remain on our Engie Does STEM YouTube channel, so please share with anyone who may be interested. Many of the materials are likely available at home, or shopping lists and more information can be found on our website at https://wichitaengineeringexpo.org/. Great job everyone!
On Wednesday, May 19th @ 6pm, we will be holding a Virtual Game Night. PLEASE RSVP HERE so we can get an idea of how many people the games will need to accommodate! You can also let us know if you have any game ideas or suggestions when you RSVP. Hope to see you there!
The Annual Banquet will be held virtually this year, on Tuesday May 25th from 6:00pm – 8:30pm! We're going to do a year in review presentation, install our new officers, present awards and hear from guest speaker Amanda Simpson, VP of Research and Technology at Airbus Americas. We are sending out gift cards for dinner. RSVP HERE by Tuesday May 18 to receive $20 to a local restaurant.
Thank you to all who voted in our officer elections! The Wichita SWE Officers for FY22 will be:
President – Alexis Fitzpatrick
President Elect – Kait Weston
Secretary – Elena Davidson
Treasurer – Sarah Niles
Treasurer Elect – Minisa Childers
They will be inducted at the banquet and begin their term on July 1st, 2021. Congratulations!
We will also be holding a virtual silent auction during the banquet to support a local charity. If you'd like to donate an item (a basket, art, a craft, a baked good, etc.), please contact Elena at kathydelena@gmail.com or Melody at parkh008@gmail.com. If you know a local charity you think we should support, we'd also love to hear from you!
There will be no Podcast Club meeting this month. Discussions will resume in June!
Our final General Meeting of FY21 will be held Monday, June 7th at 6pm over Zoom. If you'd like to get more involved with SWE, have ideas for future events, or have questions, please send an email to president@wichitaswe.org. Thanks for being a part of SWE, and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Best Regards,
Shaina Shapiro
FY21 Wichita Section President
Society of Women Engineers
From the President - April Update
May 2, 2021
Hello Wichita SWE,
The April General Meeting was held on Monday Apr 5th over Zoom, where we discussed our upcoming events as well as Engineering Expo!
A big thank you to the Engineering Expo committee for all their hard work planning the first Virtual Engineering Expo hosted by Wichita SWE! We received lots of picture and video submissions of kids enjoying the activities and so much positive feedback - kudos to the team! The videos will remain on our Engie Does STEM YouTube channel, so it’s not too late to spread the word to anyone who may be interested in checking them out with their kids. Mayor Brandon Whipple helped us kick the event off, so be sure to check out our videos with him! More information can be found on our website at https://wichitaengineeringexpo.org/. An additional thank you to volunteers who helped pack and distribute material kits to the community. We couldn’t have done this without you!
Engineering Expo was the focus of this month. As we look forward to May we’ll be planning a fun section event -- keep an eye out for information about a Zoom Game Night!
Planning is underway for our annual Spring Banquet as well, where we’ll celebrate the accomplishments of the past fiscal year and induct the next slate of officers for FY22. Voting is now ongoing for FY22 Officers here through May 7, 2021. You must be a current paid member to vote. If you have any trouble finding your SWE member number, send an email to president@wichitaswe.org.
Wichita SWE Podcast Club will be meeting on Tuesday, April 27th at 6pm. The April podcast selection is 99% Invisible, Episode 363, Invisible Women. Listen here! For more info, check out the Facebook Event and RSVP here to receive the Zoom link!.
Our next General Meeting will be held Monday, May 3rd at 6pm over Zoom. If you'd like to get more involved with SWE, have ideas for future events, or have questions, please reach out to me at president@wichitaswe.org. Thanks for being a part of SWE, and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Best Regards,
Shaina Shapiro
FY21 Wichita Section President
Society of Women Engineers
From the President - March Update
March 17, 2021
Hello Wichita SWE,
The March General Meeting was held on Monday Mar 1st over Zoom, where we discussed our upcoming events as well as Engineering Expo, and we also met a few new members!
The first Engineering Expo planning meeting of this month was held Monday Mar 8th as the team works to bring everything together for the event, which is April 17th-18th. Sign-Up is OPEN for Engineering Expo activity kits, so spread the word! We’ll have 500 kits available for each grade level group – Grades K-2, Grades 3-5,& Grades 6-8. More information can be found on our website at https://wichitaengineeringexpo.org/, and the sign-up for material kits will be open HERE until March 31st. The next Expo planning meeting will be held Monday Mar 22nd at 6pm over Zoom.
In preparation for Expo- We are looking for volunteers to help pack the material kits. We will be meeting in person at Exploration Place on Saturday, March 27th from 10am – 5pm, and if you are able to stay all day lunch will be provided. Please sign up here if you are interested. If you are not comfortable meeting in person, there are still ways you can help prepare materials at home. Please reach out to Angela at expovolunteers@wichitaswe.org with any questions.
Last week, we held a panel discussion called Entrepreneurial Engineers with a presentation by Danielle Cornejo, attorney at Martin Pringle, about starting your own business. Several Wichita SWE members served as panelists and shared their experiences as entrepreneurs. So much great info was shared, so a big thank you to all who participated, and we hope all attendees enjoyed the event!
Coming up this weekend, we have a Clean Crafted Wine Tasting with SWE member Elisa on Saturday Mar 20th at 5:30pm. Wine samples will be made available for pickup prior to the virtual event. *Must be 21 or older to participate* Enjoy 4 samples, snacks, and learn about clean crafted wine. For more information, check out the Facebook event. Sign up here before Friday Mar 19th!
Wichita SWE Podcast Club will be meeting on Tuesday, March 23rd at 6pm. The March podcast selection is Black History for White People, Episode 15, Fannie Lou Hamer. Listen here! For more info, check out the Facebook Event and RSVP here to receive the Zoom link.
Our next General Meeting will be held Monday, April 5th at 6pm over Zoom. If you'd like to get more involved with SWE, have ideas for future events, or have questions, please reach out to me at president@wichitaswe.org. Thanks for being a part of SWE, and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Best Regards,
Shaina Shapiro
FY21 Wichita Section President
Society of Women Engineers
From the President - February Update
February 12, 2021
Hello Wichita SWE,
We held our February General Meeting on Monday Feb 1st over Zoom, where we re-capped our January event and began making plans for the next couple months. We had a great discussion at our Wine and Webinar event in January after watching a webinar from the SWE Advance Learning Center. If you haven’t already visited the learning center at swe.org, I encourage you to take a look at all of the content available FREE to members!
With Engineering Expo approaching quickly, meeting cadence has increased to twice per month on the second and fourth Mondays. The next Engineering Expo planning meeting will be held Feb 22nd at 6pm over Zoom. We hope you can join us if you are interested in helping on the planning committee for our first virtual Expo! Keep an eye out for the awesome video content the team is creating!
An outreach opportunity is available this month to support a remote STEM tournament (Science Olympiad) for schools from across the state as a Judge via Zoom. A checklist would be provided for scoring. This can be done any time between February 15-26 (during the week – before, during, or after school – or on the weekend). To volunteer, please contact Jill Fisher and let her know when you are available to have a livestream with the teams. Teams will sign up for times based on volunteer availability.
Wichita SWE Podcast Club will be meeting on Tuesday, February 23rd at 6pm. The selection will be determined by poll in the Facebook Event, so you will be able to vote for your choice there! Be sure to RSVP here to receive the Zoom link for the discussion.
Our section event this month will be a Clean Crafted Wine Tasting with SWE member Elisa on Saturday Feb 27th at 5:30pm. Wine samples will be made available for pickup prior to the virtual event. *Must be 21 or older to participate* Enjoy 4 samples, snacks, and learn about clean crafted wine. For more information, check out the Facebook event. To sign up, click here!
In March, we are working to put together a Talk/Panel on Starting Your Own Business. I know we have many members who have started their own businesses, and we’d love to hear from you! Contact Alexis Fitzpatrick and Elena Davidson if you’re interested in speaking or participating on a panel for Q&A.
Our next General Meeting will be held Monday, March 1st at 6pm over Zoom. If you'd like to get more involved with SWE, have ideas for future events, or have questions, please reach out to me at president@wichitaswe.org. Thanks for being a part of SWE, and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Best Regards,
Shaina Shapiro
FY21 President, Wichita Professional Section
Society of Women Engineers
From the President - January Update
Hello Wichita SWE,
Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed the holiday season. We held our January General Meeting on Monday Jan 4th over Zoom, where we re-capped our fun December events and began making plans for the coming year. We had lots of fun in December with our Zoom Holiday Party, Secret Santa Gift Exchange, and Cookie Decorating Contest. Congrats to Kristen Bruce on winning the cookie decorating contest!
Coming up Jan 18th at 6pm, the Engineering Expo planning meeting will be held over Zoom. We hope you can join us if you are interested in helping on the planning committee for our first virtual Expo! If you haven’t checked out the awesome Engie Does STEM videos yet, head on over to the YouTube channel and watch these adorable, educational videos for kids!
Our event this month will be a virtual Wine & Webinar on Thursday, Jan 21st at 6pm, featuring a webinar from the SWE Advance Learning Center. Grab a glass (or bottle) of your favorite wine and join us! Check out the Facebook event and vote for a webinar topic. SWE Members, if you haven’t already visited the learning center, I encourage you to take a look at all of the content available FREE to members!
Wichita SWE Podcast Club will be meeting on Tuesday, January 26th at 6pm. The selection for this month is Genie Chance and the Great Alaska Earthquake – listen here. Be sure to RSVP to receive the Zoom link for our meeting.
For an event this Spring, we are looking to put together a Talk/Panel on Starting Your Own Business. I know we have many members who have started their own businesses, and we’d love to hear from you! Contact Alexis Fitzpatrick and Elena Davidson if you’re interested in speaking or participating on a panel for Q&A.
Our next General Meeting will be held Monday, February 1st at 6pm over Zoom. If you'd like to get more involved with SWE, have ideas for future events, or have questions, please reach out to me at president@wichitaswe.org. Thanks for being a part of SWE, and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Wishing you a very happy and healthy 2021!
Best Regards,
Shaina Shapiro
FY21 Wichita Section President
Society of Women Engineers
From the President - November Update
November 16, 2020
Hello Wichita SWE,
We held our November General Meeting on Monday Nov 2nd over Zoom, where we re-capped our fun October events and began making plans for November and December. Tonight, Nov 16th at 6pm, we will hold the next Engineering Expo planning meeting over Zoom. We can’t wait to get Engineering Expo 2021 rolling and hope you can join us if you are interested in participating on the planning committee! If you haven’t checked out the awesome Engie Does STEM videos yet, head on over to the YouTube channel and watch these adorable, educational videos for kids!
We had three exciting events in October with our trip to Applejack Pumpkin Patch, a Halloween movie Netflix Party, and a pumpkin decorating contest! Whether or not you participated in any of our October events, please fill out our feedback survey.
This month, SWE participated in the 26th Annual Wichita Alternative Gift Market on Nov 14th selling pencil and shoe ornaments (cut by 41st & Lynn) to raise donations for Love Without Boundaries (LWB) in Cambodia. LWB works to provide children with shoes, uniforms, and safe transportation to school. A great collaboration for a great cause!
The annual SWE Conference, WE20, also took place this month and for the first time it was all virtual. Hopefully everyone who attended found the sessions as useful as I did! Our next event will be a virtual Wine & Webinar featuring one of the presentations about Preventing Burnout. So grab a glass (or bottle) of your favorite wine, and join us for the virtual Wine & Webinar on Thursday, Nov 19th at 6pm!
Wichita SWE has also started a Podcast Club! It is similar to a book club, but we will be listening to a podcast episode (or two) and discussing together on the 4th Tuesday of every month. The next Podcast Club meeting will be Tuesday, Nov 24th. Contact Alexis Fitzpatrick if you’re interested!
Our next General Meeting will be held Monday, December 7th at 6pm using Zoom. We are also working to arrange volunteer opportunities and another decorating contest (Holiday-themed) this year, so keep an eye out for more info via email.
Although this year has been far from typical, Wichita SWE will still be holding a Holiday Party for 2020 (via Zoom of course). We’re going to play online games and do a Secret Santa gift exchange! Sign up to be included in the gift exchange here. The sign-up will be open until Sunday, Nov 22nd at 11:59pm. The Holiday Party will be Friday, December 11th at 6pm so you will have a couple weeks to shop. Gifts will be delivered Dec 5th-10th. Members outside of the Wichita Metro are not excluded! Please contact Elena Davidson if you have any questions.
If you'd like to get more involved with SWE, have ideas for future events, or have questions, please reach out to me at president@wichitaswe.org. Thanks for being a part of SWE, and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Best Regards,
Shaina Shapiro
FY21 Wichita Section President
Society of Women Engineers
From the President - October Update
October 21, 2020
Hey Everyone,
We held our October General Meeting on Monday October 5th over Zoom, where we discussed the fun events planned for this month, as well as event ideas for November. Oct 19th at 6pm, we held the monthly Engineering Expo planning meeting over Zoom. We can’t wait to get Engineering Expo 2021 rolling and hope you can join us for a future meeting if you are interested in participating on the planning committee!
We had our first in-person event of FY21 this past weekend with some outdoor fun at Applejack Pumpkin Patch. It was great to see some SWE members face-to-face for a change! If you missed that, we still have two fun virtual activities planned this month, so be sure to check them out:
Family Friendly Halloween Netflix Party – October 24th @ 6pm
Join us to watch a Halloween Movie and receive a $10 GrubHub eGift Card (limited to the first 30 people to RSVP)! We will set up a Netflix Party for live watch and chat. Netflix Party is a Google Chrome browser extension - go ahead and download it now.
RSVP by Friday October 23 at 5pm and vote for your Halloween Movie choice here. The options are: The Witches (1990), Hubie Halloween (2020), A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting (2020), Goosebumps 2 (2018), All Hallows' Eve (2016), and The Addams Family (1991). We will email out the winning movie, Netflix Party link and your eGift Card.
Pumpkin Decorating Contest, submissions open through October 25th
Join us this year for a pumpkin decorating contest! Decorate using your choice of carving, painting, glue, etc. Decorations must be done by hand. Submit a photo of your masterpiece here by 11:59pm Sunday, October 25. Voting will commence Monday Oct 26 on our Facebook page. There will be a sweet, sweet prize for the winner of the adult category and for the children category. The winners will be announced Saturday, October 31.
Our next General Meeting will be held Monday, November 2nd at 6pm. We will continue to utilize Zoom for the time being. The WE20 Conference will be fully virtual this year, beginning Nov 2nd and continuing through Nov 13th. We are looking into planning a watch party for a conference session, so keep an eye out for more info coming soon! Click here to check out more info about the WE20 Conference.
Also coming up in November, we are excited to be participating in the 26th Annual Wichita Alternative Gift Market on Saturday, November 14th. Our chosen organization for donations this year is Love Without Boundaries (LWB) in Cambodia. LWB increased school enrollment in their area from 8% to 80% in only five years by providing children with shoes, uniforms, and transportation. Our ornaments this year will be pencils and shoes! If you are interested in painting ornaments or supporting the project, email Kim ksbswe@gmail.com or Sara secclk@aol.com to get involved! Also, be sure to check out the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/3180105442060753/.
If you'd like to get more involved with SWE, have ideas for future events, or have any questions, please reach out to me at president@wichitaswe.org.
Thanks for being a part of SWE, and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Best Regards,
Shaina Shapiro
FY21 Wichita Section President
Society of Women Engineers
From the President - September Update
September 21, 2020
Hello Everyone,
We held our September General Meeting on Monday August 31st over Zoom, where we discussed the upcoming SWE Paint Party, as well as event ideas for October. Tonight, Sept 21st at 6pm, we will hold the Engineering Expo planning kick-off meeting over Zoom. We can’t wait to get Engineering Expo 2021 rolling! If you are interested in participating on the planning committee, please fill out this survey.
Hopefully everyone who was interested was able to get their DIY kit purchased from 41st & Lynn for the upcoming SWE Paint Party on Saturday, September 26th at 3pm. Jess Stitt & Michelle Strait of 41st & Lynn will be hosting a 2.5-hour virtual guide through the process of making our own work of art! If you missed the deadline to purchase a kit for this party, still go check out all their awesome door hangers and other designs at www.41standlynn.com!
Don’t forget - WE Local Award applications for FY21 remain open through September 30, 2020. This includes awards for professional and collegiate SWE members, SWE groups (including sections, affiliates, affinity groups, employee resource groups, and all other groups of SWE members), and employers. Awards will be presented at WE Local conferences in early 2021. Check out the 2021 WE Local Awards Packet for the list of awards and application instructions.
Our next General Meeting will be held Monday, October 5th at 6pm. We will continue to utilize Zoom for the time being. We are in the process of planning a couple events for October with fun Halloween themes including a Halloween movie watch Netflix Party and Pumpkin Carving Contest, as well as looking into a Family Fun night at a local Pumpkin Patch. Keep an eye out for more info on these events coming soon!
Save the Date! Once again we are excited to be participating in the 26th Annual Wichita Alternative Gift Market, scheduled for Saturday, November 14th. The market will be different this year with strict limitations on how many people can enter the room at one time, and the organizers are still revising plans, but our goal is the same: make the world a better place! We have until November 14th to design and create 100 simple ornaments. Our chosen organization for donations this year is Love Without Boundaries (LWB) in Cambodia. LWB increased school enrollment in their area from 8% to 80% in only five years by providing children with shoes, uniforms, and transportation. Feeling inspired with an ornament idea yet? Email Kim ksbswe@gmail.com or Sara secclk@aol.com to get involved! Also, be sure to check out the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/3180105442060753/.
If you are interested in getting more involved with SWE, have ideas for future events, or have any questions, please reach out to me at president@wichitaswe.org.
Thanks for being a part of SWE, and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Best Regards,
Shaina Shapiro
FY21 Wichita Section President
Society of Women Engineers
From the President - August Update
August 17, 2020
Hello Everyone,
We held our August General Meeting on Monday August 3rd over Zoom, where we discussed the upcoming Virtual Banquet, as well as event ideas for September. Remember that today (Monday, August 17th) is the last day to order food for pickup or delivery on banquet night, so Register Here if interested.
The Banquet will take place on Tuesday, August 25th from 6:00 – 8:30pm on Zoom. You can look forward to a celebration of FY20 including a special segment from Cindy Hoover on her time as President of SWE, awards, silent auction, and keynote speech from Lacey Cruse, District 4 Sedgwick County Commissioner. Don’t miss out, register at the link above!
Our next General Meeting will be held a week early due to the Labor Day Holiday, so join us on Monday, August 31st for the “September-Eve” meeting. We will continue to utilize Zoom for the time being. September is also time for Engineering Expo planning kick-off. We can’t wait to get Engineering Expo 2021 rolling! The kickoff meeting will be held online on Monday, Sept 21st. If you are interested in participating on the planning committee, please fill out this survey.
Save the Date! Coming up in September, we have an exciting event planned for Saturday, September 26th. Wichita SWE members Jess Stitt and Michelle Strait have started making custom accessories and home decor. Check out their awesome door hangers and other designs from 41st & Lynn at www.41standlynn.com! They will offer 4 design options to choose from, put together DIY kits for only $25 each for this SWE event, and provide live instruction via Zoom for assembly. More info to come for purchasing kits and signing up, but I am so excited for this event!
WE Local Award applications are now open! Applications for FY21 are open from August 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020. This includes awards for professional and collegiate SWE members, SWE groups (including sections, affiliates, affinity groups, employee resource groups, and all other groups of SWE members), and employers. Awards will be presented at WE Local conferences in early 2021. Check out the 2021 WE Local Awards Packet for the list of awards and application instructions.
If you are interested in getting more involved, have ideas for new SWE events, or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at president@wichitaswe.org.
Thanks for being a part of SWE, and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Best Regards,
Shaina Shapiro
FY21 Wichita Section President
Society of Women Engineers
Join the 2021 Engineering Expo Committee
August 3, 2020
We are looking to get the ball rolling with Engineering Expo 2021! We would love to have you on the team to help us plan the best event yet!
If you are interested in participating on the Expo Planning Committee this year, please fill out this quick survey.
If you have any questions, please reach out expo@wichitaswe.org. We look forward to seeing you (virtually) soon!
From the President - July Update
July 19, 2020
Hello Everyone!
Summer is a fresh start for Wichita SWE, as we started our new Fiscal Year on July 1st. As with everything else in life right now, SWE will look a bit different for a while as we work to ensure we are making the safest and healthiest choices for our members and the community. While we may not be meeting in person for now, you can expect to see a number of events held via virtual platforms over the coming months. If you have not yet renewed your membership for FY21, please consider doing so at swe.org!
We held our first General Meeting of FY21 on Monday, July 6th over Zoom, where we began discussing event ideas we will work to coordinate for this year. For now, we will continue to hold our regular General Meetings on the first Monday of each month at 6pm over Zoom. So please join us on Monday, August 3rd if you can!
Also coming up in August, we will hold the FY20 Banquet which was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions. At this time, we feel the safest option for our members is to hold the banquet virtually. The Banquet Committee is working to coordinate all the details, which will be sent out as soon as possible, but it is still planned to be held the evening of Tuesday, August 25th with guest speaker Lacey Cruse, District 4 County Commissioner. If you have any questions, please contact Hannah Morris and Elena Davidson.
With the start of a new year, we have several committee positions to fill, so if you would like to get involved with Outreach, Social Media, Awards, Banquet, or Nominating Committees, or would like any information about opportunities for involvement, please reach out to me at president@wichitaswe.org.
Thanks for being a part of SWE and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Best Regards,
Shaina Shapiro
FY21 Wichita Section President
Society of Women Engineers
We Love You, Wichita!
June 25, 2020
Thank you to everyone who voted the Society of Women Engineers Wichita Section to be in the 2020 Best of Wichita Awards - we WON!
Our section couldn’t do what we do today without the love and support of everyone who comes to our Engineering Expo, helps volunteer for outreach events, or even just cheers us on from afar. We appreciate each and every one of you, thank you!
While this year has been a little quiet from us due to COVID, we’re excited to get back into the community and show how fun STEM can really be! See you soon, Wichita, and stay safe!
Society of Women Engineers Wichita Section Receives 2020 Best of Wichita Award
Society of Women Engineers Wichita Section has been selected for the 2020 Best of Wichita Award in the Community Organization category by the Wichita Award Program.
Each year, the Wichita Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Wichita area a great place to live, work and play.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2020 Wichita Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Wichita Award Program and data provided by third parties.
About Wichita Award Program
The Wichita Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Wichita area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.
The Wichita Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.
Call for Officer Interest
February 21, 2020
Hi Wichita SWE!
It is that time of year again! We are looking for members interested in an FY21 section officer position. Serving as an officer within the Wichita SWE Section is an excellent way to grow your leadership skills and learn more about SWE. This year we have 5 positions open: President, President-Elect, Treasurer, Treasurer-Elect and Secretary. Not sure what each position includes and want some more information? Fill out the interest survey and we will follow up with you to answer your questions!
Please consider nominating yourself or recommend a friend who would make a good fit. Submit your interest by March 15th using this link. If you have any questions about positions or the nomination process, please reach out to your FY20 Nominating Committee who are CC’d here.
We are looking forward to your response!
FY20 Nom Com
From the President - December Update
December 3, 2019
I blinked and it is December! It seems crazy to think the year is over and the SWE year is half over. After a very busy Fall, we are intentionally having a slow month of events and activities to help everyone take a breath and enjoy themselves this December before we ramp up with activities again at the start of the year.
November was an exciting month for us as many of our section were able to attend WE19 in Anaheim and support our very own Cindy Hoover as she presided over the events. A few of us were even able to sneak away and enjoy Disneyland. While several of the section were in California, we had great representation at the Alternative Gift Market. Special thanks to Kim Burton for spearheading that effort and Ariel and Elena for helping at the market sell our ornaments.
After we got back from conference several of us met at The Anchor for a conference recap and followed up the evening by throwing Axes at Blade & Timber. It was a hit 😉
We recently were contacted by the Kansas City SWE section as they are starting an advocacy group and want to know if Wichita would be willing to partner with them on their Kansas efforts. Last night we discussed it at the general meeting and we all feel it would be a good thing to support. If you are interested in learning more about it, please send me an email.
I’m also pleased to announce that today we received word that the Wichita Section will be well represented with WE Local Awards. As a section, we won the SWE 2020 WE Local Outstanding Outreach Event Award. I won the SWE 2020 WE Local ELiTE Award and Michelle Boehm won the SWE 2020 WE Local New ELiTE Award! We plan to accept these awards at the Des Moines WE Local April 17 and 18, 2020 if any of you would like to attend as well. Thank you to everyone that helped with the application process for all of these.
The only event we have planned for this month is our annual holiday party. It is scheduled for Friday December 13th at the home of Bonnie Johnson. Wear your favorite holiday sweater/shirt. We will be doing a Sock Exchange this year rather than the traditional White Elephant. For the sock exchange, buy a pair of socks and then fill them with your favorite goodies. The minimum is $10 not including the cost of the socks. We are also treating this as a potluck, with SWE providing the main protein. If you haven’t already signed up, you can do that here.
I also want to add that if you are interested in being on the Awards, Nominating or Banquet committees please send me a note and I'll get you more information. All three of those committees will be doing more work this Spring and need some help.
Thanks for being a part of SWE and I hope to see you at one of our events this month.
DECEMBER EVENTS TO PUT ON THE CALENDAR
12/13/19 Holiday Party Contact: Jess Stitt
12/16/19 Expo Planning Meeting at Picasso’s Pizzeria in Delano Contact Sarah Niles and Hannah Morris
Jessica Stitt
FY20 Wichita Area Section President
Society of Women Engineers
SWE Holiday Party
November 13, 2019
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! It's time for the Annual SWE Holiday Party.
On Friday December 13th, we will enjoy the festivities at the home of Bonnie Johnson. Wear your favorite holiday sweater/shirt. We will be doing a Sock Exchange this year rather than the traditional White Elephant. For the sock exchange, buy a pair of socks and then fill them with your favorite goodies. The minimum is $10 not including the cost of the socks.
We are also treating this as a potluck. SWE will be providing the main protein.
WHAT: Holiday Party
WHERE: Bonnie's House (address will be sent after RSVP)
WHEN: December 13th, Arrive anytime after 6:00pm. Dinner will be at 7:00pm. Sock Exchange will start at 8:00pm
RSVP: Please sign up here so we have enough food.
From the President - November Update
November 4, 2019
November is officially here! This month brings the WE19 conference and I’m excited to see our very own Cindy Hoover represent us all as the president at the event. This is one of the largest groups from Wichita attending and I’m excited for so many new people to get to experience the conference—more on that in a bit.
October was a busy month for us! We had one of the largest turn outs I’ve seen for a SWE event in a very long time at our Check Your Privilege event with Shana Chivon Stephens. It was a great opportunity to connect with new people in the community as well as provide an avenue to talk about something that isn’t always fun. Special thank you to Charity Kennedy for helping us make the connection and to Shaina Shapiro and Elena Davidson for helping set up.
Elena and Kim also made the ornaments we will be selling at the Alternative gift Market on Saturday November 9th. Kim is still looking for volunteers to help her staff the booth since so many of us will be at the conference. If you are available to help with a shift, please sign up here.
We also had a fun family night at the Klausmeyer Pumpkin Patch and Dairy Farm. I was sad to miss it due to work travel, but it looks like those that were able to attend had a lot of fun!
We finished out the month of October by volunteering at Wichita State’s Expanding Your Horizons. Special thanks to Sarah Niles for leading that effort as the main point of contact for the event.
The Society Conference this year is taking place this week. Many of us are attending to support her, the companies we work for, or to just experience it for the first time. If you’d like to be a part of the Wichita SWE group message for conference, please respond to the president’s email with your phone number and we will create a special WE19 Groupme. Due to the conference, the only event we will be having is the conference recap dinner and axe throwing at Blade & Timber. If you’d like to join us for dinner and the discussion at The Monarch on Tuesday November 12th at 5:30, please sign up here so we have enough table space for everyone. After dinner (7:30), we’ve reserved 12 spots at Blade & Timber to throw axes for 90 minutes. This event will be $20 per person that you can pay there. Due to the limited number of spaces we have, please make sure you RSVP here.
We also have our annual Holiday Potluck that will be happening on December 13th. This is your official Save the Date Reminder as we always have a good time, but more information will be coming soon! Bonnie has graciously offered her home for us to use so we will get to see that as well.
I also want to mention that our new website has gone live! While we’ve done the best we can checking for any broken links or information that is missing, please check it out at www.wichitaswe.org. There is an option to send feedback via the Contact Us page.
NOVEMBER EVENTS TO PUT ON YOUR CALENDAR
11/9/19 – Alternative Gift Market Contact: Kim Burton
11/12/19 – Conference Recap Dinner and Axe Throwing Contact: Jess Stitt
11/18/19 – Expo Planning Meeting Contact: Sarah Niles & Hannah Morris
We’ve Gone Live - October 19th, 2019!
October 30, 2019
For the last few months we’ve been working behind the scenes to build a new website. On October 30th we made the jump and transitioned to our new site. With that transition comes challenges. While we’ve done our best to make sure we haven’t broken anything, we’d appreciate any feedback if you see something not working. We’re still making additions to the site so come back and visit to see what’s new.