Running & Winning (2022)

Running & Winning
Thursday, April 21, 2022
Manhattanville College

On April 21, 2022, the League of Women Voters of Westchester (LWVW) and the Association of American University Women (AAUW), with financial support from additional sponsors, hosted their unique Running & Winning one-day program for female high school juniors and seniors at Manhattanville College, three years after the last time the event was held in person. This year’s agenda offered insights from elected officials’ experiences as well as practical application.

  • Elected officials provided a brief recap as to how they became involved in politics.
  • Small teams of students interviewed elected officials in greater depth regarding the seeking and holding of public office.
  • Student teams designed a slogan, and wrote and delivered a meaningful campaign speech on an issue selected from a curated list. 

Despite the 19th Amendment codifying women’s suffrage rights in 1920, women are still chronically underrepresented in all levels of government nearly 100 years later. One way to reach greater representational parity for women is to develop leadership potential in the young women of our county.

This day-long workshop gives young women* in high school the opportunity to explore public service as a career. During the workshop, students talk with local female* elected officials about their experiences in politics, explore their own leadership abilities and develop teamwork skills working with other students to create and present an issue-driven mock campaign.

Women elected officials representing Westchester constituents at all levels of government speak with the female high schools students about how they got started in politics, the challenges they faced, and how they persevered and succeeded.

The 2020 event had been cancelled due to the pandemic. The 2021 event occurred in a virtual format (see video below).

2021 Running & Winning Program (held virtually)

* LWVW uses an inclusive definition of “woman” and “female” and welcomes all people who identify as such to this program.

Please contact LWVSyouthprograms@gmail.com for more information.