March is Women’s History Month! From Abigail Adams to Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth to Rosa Parks women have played a major role in shaping history, culture, and society. Women’s History Month is dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating these contributions. Celebrate with your team by honoring strong women all month long!
As a woman owned business, Garden Streets is here to help with 10 ways you can celebrate virtually with your team!
1. Learn the history behind Women’s History Month!
What is Women’s History Month and why do we celebrate it? Educating yourself on the history of Women’s History Month is a great place to start when looking for ways to celebrate. Check out these great resources to get yourself and your team up to speed for March!
https://womenshistorymonth.gov
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/womens-history-month
https://www.womenshistory.org/womens-history/womens-history-month
2. Gift your team a care box of goodies from female-owned businesses
Our care boxes are the perfect gift on their own or as an add on with one of our virtual events and we’ve got some just for Women’s History Month! Check out our variety of women-owned care boxes perfect for your next virtual get together!
Flavorful Foods: AAPI and Women-Owned Food Box
AAPI and Women-Owned Wellness Box
Women-Owned Health Conscious Chocolate Lover’s Box
3. Volunteer together, virtually
Complete a meaningful service project together. Even if your team doesn’t share an office together that doesn’t mean you can’t come together for a fulfilling team project.
Honor Women’s History Month by putting together menstrual kits with your team. The nonprofit organization Helping Women Period shares that at least five million menstruating people around the world lack adequate resources to manage their periods. The stigma surrounding menstruation can result in many people feeling shame or guilt around this topic, worsening inequities. Additionally, in the U.S., menstrual health products are not eligible for purchases made with public benefits like WIC and SNAP and these products are still subject to sales tax in the way that many other necessities are. As a result, creating and distributing menstrual kits can be an incredibly worthwhile and rewarding experience for your team.
Inspire young minds by volunteering to put together school packs. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by poverty and underserved in the American education system. Especially girls from Black and Latino families. Your team can help by providing backpacks filled with school supplies for communities experiencing hardship with this virtual volunteering opportunity. This event goes beyond just packing and sending school supplies! Your team will also have the opportunity to write and include personal letters to the school supply recipients encouraging them to continue their education and growth.
4. Learn about female innovators
Sign your team up for our Women’s History Month Touchpoint Series. This carefully curated daily content series can be delivered to employees via text, Slack, email, or Microsoft teams and contains bite-sized and easily digestible information from and about fantastic female innovators. Start meaningful conversations around the office and let us do the work for you so it doesn’t fall on female employees to lead education efforts.
5. Explore Online Exhibitions
Learn about incredible women throughout history with fascinating and interactive virtual exhibits. Delve into the history of the women of NASA, social justice leaders, female soldiers in WWII, and more all from the comfort of home. Make sure to check out the National Museum of American History’s online exhibit, “Girlhood (It’s Complicated). View a selection of other online exhibits and start planning your virtual tour today!
6. Embrace this year’s theme
Did you know that each year Women’s History Month is assigned a designated theme? For 2022 the theme is “Providing Healing, Promoting Hope”. This year’s theme acts as a tribute to women caregivers and frontline workers during the ongoing pandemic. Additionally, the theme recognizes countless ways women have provided healing and hope throughout history. Embrace this month’s theme by planning an engaging virtual event around healing and hope in the year 2022, led by some of Garden Street’s most powerful female creators.
Cultivating Self Compassion with Harpinder Mann
Harpinder Mann is a Punjabi-Sikh American currently living in California. She is a yoga and meditation teacher that works primarily with BIPOC and is actively working to decolonize wellness by creating community and providing real accessibility to people of color. Harpinder is a co-founder of the Womxn of Color Summit. Harpinder’s practice focuses on healing and hope through inclusive guided practices both virtually and in-person.
Interactive Poetry Writing with India Shanelle
India Shanelle is an artist, entrepreneur, and the founder of BlackLight
Community- a nonprofit that serves people of color in the entertainment industry through life performance, and well-being. “As a black woman that has dedicated my life to the arts, I understand the importance of storytelling and its effect on our society and our view of how we see each other. And I’m sure if you’re an avid reader, you’d believe the same.” India promotes healing and hope by sharing her storytelling abilities with the world.
Pottery with a Purpose with Sam Hoff
Sam Hoff is a DIY Expert, mental health advocate, and founder of Pottery with a Purpose. A locally-sourced and sustainable clay company which seeks to bring wellness and art to everybody. A portion of all profits go to mental health non-profits and initiatives like the Trevor Project and ADAA. Sam promotes healing and hope through hands-on creativity and donation.
Improv 101 with Josie Benedetti
Josie Benedetti heals and provides hope through laughter. As a trained actress and comedian at the Second City, Josie teaches others to laugh and play outside of their comfort zones. Producer and performer for the popular group Baby Wants Candy, Josie has performed and taught classes around the world.
Spring Watercolor Event with Kat Thoreson
Kat Thoreson is a creative thinker and do-er from Portland, Oregon. With over 20 years combined teaching experience and a diverse background in both digital and physical art, Kat seeks to heal and provide hope through artistic expression and meditative painting practice.
Build Your Own Bonsai with Jen Gouldstone
Jen Gouldstone is the CEO and Founder of Garden Streets and a master Gardener. Jen seeks to build community through engaging and wellness focused events. Jen’s love of nature propelled Garden Streets’ unique event listings making them unlike any other event platform on the market. By creators and for creators, Jen promotes healing and hope through advocacy, opportunity, and awareness.
7. Grow Strong Girls
Growth happens through generations of change. Support mom’s working from home while inspiring the next generation of girls with a subscription to Momo’s Book Club or a virtual storytime event.
Momo’s Book Club is a curated book subscription service for kids based around inclusivity, education, and fun! Kids are playful, curious and keen to learn more about the world we live in. Sometimes those topics can be difficult to talk about with kids and that’s where Momo’s Book Club can help. Their carefully curated book tracks provide parents and kids with the same language to discuss the world.
Or book a Storytime with Mo event for the whole company! Join Mo Phillips-Spotts, founder of Momo’s Book Club for a special story time! Designed for children 4-8. This online storytime is a great way to include and entertain families at home with curated topics on inclusion and history.
Looking for other inspiring book, movie, and song recommendations that highlight strong girls! Check out this blog post for more: http://www.girlswithideas.com/blog/2017/4/22/15-books-songs-movies-to-teach-girls-courage?rq=movie
8. Advocate intersectionality
Women’s History Month celebrating and fighting for all women’s rights including trans women, women with disabilities, and BIPOC women. Don’t forget to include women of all religions, sizes, and sexual orientations in your education and celebration efforts. Prioritize equity and inclusion by bringing an intersectional lens to your activities to deepen your team’s learning while creating an affirming and welcoming space for all employees. You can find a wide variety of resources and interactive activities on intersectionality here. Another good jumping off point is this article: How Bell Hooks Paved the Way for Intersectional Feminism.
9. Donate
Donating is a valuable way to give back to the community and can boost employee morale. Make it a team activity by getting employees involved in donation efforts. Brainstorm local service organizations to contribute too, send out information about the company or a personalized story about how it was founded, and hold internal company competitions to determine donation amounts or help in choosing the organization. Check out some of our favorite orgs you can donate to online now!
10. Plan a Women’s Networking Event
Plan a one off event or help assist in starting an employee resource group for the women in your company by holding a virtual event. Garden Streets makes virtual event planning easy with inclusive and interactive events that you won’t find anywhere else. Create a lasting bond and safe space for female employees to talk to one another with a Succulent Terrarium Class or Cookie Decorating Event!
11. Bonus- Have fun!
Most importantly remember to have fun! However you celebrate, the emphasis should be on involvement and learning but don’t forget the celebratory aspect. Recognize women from the future, past, and present by making your content enjoyable, high quality, and inclusive for all employees!
Josie Benedetti is a creator and host for Garden Streets. As an educator, she prides herself on creating safe spaces and seeks to encourage open dialogue discussions for all. You can find more out about her career as an artist by following her Instagram page @lildoodthings and her improv group Baby Wants Candy.
