Soapbox Inc: Speakers Who Speak Out

feminist winter term: january 2 – 8, 2011

Looking for something exciting to do this January? Want to kick off 2011 with a feminist immersion experience unlike any other? Why not register for the 2011 Feminist Winter Term in New York City, sponsored by Soapbox Inc., Speakers Who Speak Out!

The Winter Term is a week of meetings and events with feminist organizations and individuals small and large–everything from the Ford Foundation to BUST Magazine. In addition, we set you up with a day-long internship at places such as a feminist art gallery or the Ms. Foundation to give you a taste of what working as a professional activist is like!

Registration is now open! We encourage you to apply as soon as possible. To do so, you must download and fill out the registration contract and questionnaire (found here). Email completed forms to jenandamy@soapboxinc.com or mail them to our office at 106 Suffolk Street, #2A, New York, NY 10002.

There is also a $100 non-refundable registration fee, which must be received by October 15, 2010, and may be paid by check (preferable) or PayPal (details at the bottom of this page). Please note that there is an additional $20 processing fee for all PayPal payments.

What is Feminist Winter Term?

With four great years of programming behind us, we offer a transformative week of feminist immersion that can't be found anywhere else. Your guides will be seasoned activists and Soapbox co-founders Amy Richards and Jennifer Baumgardner, authors of Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism and the Future and Grassroots: A Field Guide for Feminist Activism.

Each day, you will meet with two to three organizations; meetings are interspersed with debriefing sessions with Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards. You can expect to participate in path-breaking progressive campaigns launched from NYC, tackle fundraising and other practical but necessary skills for your cause, and explore dynamic issues like sexual rights, the arts, media, philanthropy, and peace and human rights.

We build the sessions with the interests of our group in mind and have been able to honor individual requests for meetings or speakers each year. Many of the speakers, writers, and activists you see on our website live in New York and can be integrated into the session, from Katha Pollitt to Leora Tanenbaum to Marcia Gillespie to Courtney Martin. Each year the week culminates with a networking party that invites all our workshop hosts and other young feminists to join the students informally at the end of the week.

A typical day at Soapbox Feminist Winter Term might go as follows:

Morning Meeting: Meet with Third Wave Foundation and learn about their grant-making strategies. Meet Third Wave grant partners and learn about young feminist philanthropy through their innovative Why Give? program.

Lunch: Brownbag Discussion with Amy Richards and Jennifer Baumgardner

Afternoon Meeting: Breakout into small group sessions with several reproductive justice organizations, such as National Advocates for Pregnant Women, Sistas on the Rise, and Choices in Childbirth.

Evening Entertainment: Mix and mingle with young New York feminists at a reading at the radical bookstore/collective Bluestockings.

Please also see the list of organizations we have met with in the past at the bottom of this page!

Who Should Attend Feminist Summer Camp?

Feminist Summer Camp is open to all college students, but is especially recommended for upper class and recently graduated individuals. We've hosted a huge diversity of students and welcome all genders, students who are of nontraditional ages, students who are parents, students of various levels of ability, and students of color to join us. Students attend Feminist Winter Term for varied reasons including making connections for internships and future employment, getting ideas for thesis projects, course credit, networking and bonding with other young activists, or just flexing their feminist muscles.

Tell Me More!

Glad you asked. This is our fifth Feminist Winter Term and it’s going to be fierce! Some other features of Feminist Winter Term are:

- A work-ready intensive day with a session with concrete advice about entering the professional world as a feminist and a one-day internship with a leading feminist organization.

Experience has shown us that many students attending Feminist Winter Term want to know how to put their feminist values to work in the professional world. This includes learning how to stand out, networking with employers and other young professionals, and exploring professional avenues you are interested in. We will also continue to highlight internship and job opportunities at our host organizations and compile a list of these opportunities for you to take back with you.

- We will be increasing the scope of our outreach and expect to host young feminists from many campuses. This will give you the opportunity to network and bond with other activists and hear about what is going on at other campuses.

- We usually have two "breakout sessions", during which students will break into smaller, intensive groups for meetings with different organizations within a specific field of activism, then reconvene for a collaborative discussion. This winter, Reproductive Justice is one of the topics and other possibilities include Feminist Art, Empowering Young Women, and Feminism in the Media. These sessions generate more intimate conversations and cover a spectrum of issues within a theme.

How Much Does it Cost? Are Room and Board Included?

The approximate cost of the week will be $800 per student. This includes our program fee, accommodations with our group at Hosteling International New York, breakfasts and lunches on the days we are together (approx. 5), and your weekly metrocard. This fee does NOT include your transportation to New York City, dinners and some lunches, and other entertainment you choose to pursue on your own. We recommend that you stay with the group in the hostel to get the full experience, but if you already live in NYC or want to stay with a friend, we can adjust the cost accordingly.

We understand that the cost of this program is not easy to meet for many. Here are some ways you can find funds for your excursion to NYC:

*Write a fundraising letter to your family, friends, community members, and clubs. Explain why learning more about feminism is important to you. Remind them that they are investing in your bright future; both your career and your future as someone who will make a difference in the lives of others by learning about social justice. Think of ways that you can pay it forward to your community; offer to host an infoshare or slideshow of your week for your fellow campus activists, promise your career services office a resource packet of internships and job information as a resource for other students, or promise your family you'll work a certain number of hours for a cause that is important to them. Another strategy is to make a creative pledge sheet -- like for a run or a dance. Ask people to sponsor a day of Feminist Summer Camp and let them know that they will also be sponsoring your future by giving you such an important opportunity.

*Ask for funding from your career services office, women's studies program, school of arts and sciences, or winter term office. Several of our students have accessed this type of funding in the past, especially from programs that offer help with internships and career training. If there isn't a formal grant available, make a few phone calls to campus offices and see if there is any discretionary funding available.

* Travel cheap by looking for flights in advance, finding ride-shares, or asking friends and family to donate their unused frequent flyer miles. We have found that Kayak.com is a great site for finding the best deals. Don't forget that you can book flights to La Guardia, JFK airport, or Newark; sometimes it makes a huge difference in cost. Also look for local airports that may be an hour drive away but will save you cash on airfare by traveling from a different city. Closer to June, we can also help get folks in touch for ride-shares. For example, if we several students in Virginia who are planning on coming -- we will get you in touch in case you decide to share the drive.

How Do I Register?

There is also a $100 non-refundable registration fee, which must be received by October 15, 2010, and may be paid by check (preferable) or PayPal (details below). Please note that there is an additional $20 processing fee for all PayPal payments.

What Organizations Have You Worked With in the Past?

Organizations that we have met with in the past include:
The Feminist Press
BUST Magazine
The Women's Media Center
UNICEF
Women's International Health Coalition
Midwives For Choice
National Advocates For Pregnant Women
The Sackler Center for Feminist Art
Bluestockings Bookstore
Planned Parenthood NYC
The Girl's Project
Third Wave Foundation
Babeland
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Coalition
The Art Club
AIR Gallery
Equality NOW
Sweet Things Bake Shop
Anna, a woman-owned and designed dress shop
The Museum of Sex
The Sister Fund
Barnaba Institute
Choices in Childbirth
CHOICES Medical Clinic
The Alan Guttmacher Institute

And individuals such as:
Writer/activist Gloria Steinem
Gynecologist/ACTIVIST Virginia Reath
Sex Education Activist Shelby Knox
Radical Lawyer Lynn Paltrow
Midwife/Activist Stacey Rees
Merle Hoffman