Women + Girls Research Alliance awarded funding for 2021 Summit

The Women + Girls Research Alliance is partnering with Ally Financial to present a research summit in March 2021, focused on education, employment, health, the impact of COVID-19, and dialogue centered around the economic mobility of women and girls in our community.

Ally has awarded W+GRA a $10,000 grant to support the summit, a biennial event that brings together researchers, students, and community partners to focus on national, state and local issues affecting women and children. The 2021 event is scheduled for Wednesday, March 10 from 8 am – 4 pm.

“The summit’s theme, Recovery and Discovery: Women and Girls in a Dual Pandemic, hopes to examine what policies and practices are successes, as well as what we can collectively learn from the challenges this unique moment in history has presented to us. Moreover, it is our hope that participants will leave the summit with definitive ideas on how to build a strong future for women and girls and help guide the Alliance’s research agenda for the next two years.” said Dr. Michelle Meggs, who was named Executive Director of the Alliance in Feb. 2020.

The 2021 summit will be held virtually. Registration is required, and details will follow.

In the run-up to this summit, the W+GRA is continuing its series of community discussions about specific facets of research and practice on issues affecting women and girls in our community.

On Jan. 12, W+GRA is hosting a panel discussion about access to technology and the social determinants of health. With most students learning remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, this topic has the potential to exacerbate existing educational gaps in our community if we do not adequately address the impacts of disparities in access.

Panelists include Dr. Cortney Harris, Executive Vice President of Education at Junior Achievement of the Carolinas; Dr. Frank Barnes, Chief of Equity & Accountability Officer for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools; and Dr. Kami Anderson, founder and CEO of Bilingual Brown Babies.

The panel will be moderated by longtime news anchor Sonja Gantt, now Executive Director of the CMS Foundation.

The virtual event, scheduled for 12-1:30 pm, is free, but registration is required. You can register online here.

The W+GRA was founded in 2006 as a community-based organization, and became part of UNC Charlotte in 2010. The organization works to provide faculty, students and the public with opportunities for research and education on women’s policy issues, with a focus on fostering and enhancing collaborations between the university and the community.