1Commemorating the 13th anniversary of the National Education for
2Women's Leadership Pennsylvania program.

3WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is ranked 38th in the nation when it
4comes to women's representation in elected office according to
5the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers
6University; and

7WHEREAS, The National Education for Women's (NEW) Leadership
8Pennsylvania is an intensive, week--long, residential leadership
9and public policy institute designed to educate and empower
10young women for future political participation and leadership;
11and

12WHEREAS, The program addresses the under--representation of
13women in the political arena by focusing on the role of women in
14politics and policy making in this Commonwealth; and

15WHEREAS, The NEW Leadership Pennsylvania program was first
16offered by Chatham University's Pennsylvania Center for Women
17and Politics (PCWP) in 2001; and

1WHEREAS, Chatham University was founded in Pittsburgh in 1869
2as an undergraduate women's college and has expanded to include
3a co-educational postgraduate program that has consistently been
4ranked among the top master's level institutions in the
5northeast by U.S. News & World Report; and

6WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics is a
7nonpartisan center devoted to fostering women's public
8leadership through education, empowerment and action.
9Established in 1998, it is the first center to focus on women's
10political involvement in Pennsylvania; and

11WHEREAS, Approximately 35 students from colleges and
12universities across Pennsylvania are selected each year to
13attend NEW Leadership Pennsylvania; and

14WHEREAS, The National Education for Women's Leadership
15Pennsylvania is a part of a national network of NEW Leadership
16programs developed by the Center for American Women and Politics
17at Rutgers University; and

18WHEREAS, It is appropriate to commemorate the work of Chatham
19University's Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics, the NEW
20Leadership Pennsylvania program and the more than 300
21Pennsylvania women who have graduated from the NEW Leadership
22Pennsylvania program; therefore be it

23RESOLVED, That the Senate commemorate the 13th anniversary of
24the National Education for Women's Leadership Pennsylvania
25program.