About Us

Contact Us:
202 Wilder Hall
UMass Amherst
Amherst, MA 01003

Tel: (413) 545-1671
wocln@stuaf.umass.edu

About Us

Located in 202 Wilder Hall, the Women of Color Leadership Network (WOCLN), which was established in 1993, provides advocacy, mentoring and training for University women and community women of color in the Five College area. In addition, WOCLN functions as a source site for internships connecting students to those organizations whose focus includes social justice work, outreach, economic and health issues for communities of color. The program works independently and in collaboration with campus and community groups and organizations to improve the lives of women of color.

Mission Statement

The mission of WOCLN is to connect women of color to each other for mutual support and learning. Through mentoring, workshops, events and programming WOCLN raises women’s consciousness around issues of social identities, self-care, and self-expression. This program provides a comfortable space where women of color can discover who they are while achieving academic success. At the WOCLN, women of color gain leadership skills necessary to make a difference in the communities of which they are a part.

Core Beliefs and Philosophy

WOCLN provides the following tools for women of color in order to support them in attaining a high degree of self-sufficiency:

To foster self-awareness and personal development;
To apply leadership skills—communicate, organize, inspire, produce, create, mediate, broker, inform, problem solve;
To enhance personal qualities/traits: practicality, resourcefulness, initiative, innovative, self-directed motivation

At the core of the WOCLN, there lies a fundamental belief that at its best, leadership starts from the inside out—meaning that women who are internally stable are better positioned to positively affect their external circumstances, and make appropriate choices for their lives and the lives of others.

Through contact with the network women, WOCLN becomes a place where women are able to establish connections by interacting with other women of color spanning generations as well as women in the surrounding community.

Historical Overview

Program of the Everywoman’s Center 1993-2005

Originally called the Women of Color Program (1993-1997)
Created through activist efforts of International women to re-instate funds and resources dedicated to supporting and retaining women of color at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that were lost in fiscal crisis of late 1980’s
State funded programming earmarked through EWC
Name changed to Women of Color Leadership Network (1997) to reflect what we do as well as who we do it for
Strong commitment to hiring & developing both undergraduate and graduate students; strong links to Hampshire & Hampden county community
Focused on student development: personal, professional, academic & community

Program of the Center for Student Development (2005-present)

Program moved from under EWC to the Center for Student Development (CSD) in 2005
WOCLN became part of a new structure within CSD, the Office of Programs and Services for ALANA Students (OPSAS) in 2006