AWTC: Doing it Right
This week I wanted to give a shout out to the leaders at the Association Women Technology Champions (AWTC) for their stupendous job putting on a one-day conference December 6, 2023 in Arlington, VA. This 501c3 organization emphasizes opportunities for women and provides a space for us to meet, connect, and lift each other up.
What impressed me so much about this conference was that the thought, passion, and care put into its planning was evident in everything from the volunteer briefing to the registration process to the box lunches and salads that made our lunch break so easy. The networking reception at the end of the day was outstanding and included those who couldn’t attend the conference all day. As they say, “a good time was had by all.”
The conference used two methods that are considered “unconference”: Situation Rooms and World Café. In a Situation Room, one topic was discussed in small groups. This worked well and created an atmosphere of safety and confidentiality to share, question, and (sometimes) worry. I served as a Scribe in a Situation Room and loved this technique; the scribe summarizes a question or problem presented by the participant, notes some of the questions from the group, and then makes notes of all the suggestions and ideas shared. This paper is then handed off to the person with the question or issue to take away with them. They could even read my handwriting, although I will say I was taken aback a bit when the first participant said, “your handwriting is like my Mom’s.” We all took a few minutes to wallow in nostalgia for the days when we all used to learn cursive writing.
In the AWTC World Café, there were three topics. Individuals selected a room to start in, and then that became their group. Every 30 minutes, the group moved from room to room to add their thoughts and ideas to the topic notes. This technique, if you haven’t tried it before, is meant to build knowledge in layers. I was told that often a World Café lasts an entire day, but I found it worked really well for a few hours too.
There were wrap up discussions in the afternoon, brainstorming for AWTC 2024 programming, and quiet time at the end of the day to just hang out and have conversations. I have to say this is the best conference I attended all year, bar none.
Bravo AWTC! Your leadership, your volunteers, and your staunch supporters are setting a new standard for participatory organizations. My favorite part is this: it is by and for women but there were many men in attendance as well. Great program, women-focused, and inclusive. You can’t ask for much more.
All nonprofits can learn from this exceptional group. To paraphrase a Helen Reddy song, “Woman keep on roaring.”
