What We Do

Equity & Justice

Eliminate Racism. Empower Women.

YWCA Central Maine has the experience you need to lead change and build DEI&I capacity at your organization. Since 2019, over 3,000 people have participated in our workshops, filled out a proprietary Organizational Equity Health (OEH) audit, requested customized facilitation, retained us for leadership coaching and consulting, and more.

We’re not new to this, we’re true to this. It’s our mission.

Trainings & Workshops

Through our Training & Facilitation program, we offer workshops on the most requested Justice, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (JDEIB) themes to meet the needs of our partners, which have included community organizations, schools, non-profit and for-profit boards, businesses, government agencies, and more. Our workshop series moves beyond awareness and towards action by building knowledge that can shift attitudes and behaviors. Our expert facilitators guide participants through a multi-step process of personal reflection, knowledge development, and communication and culture building. Our facilitators have experience in the workshop content, education, and facilitation.

The YWCA foundational DEI&I series can be offered as a half-day training seminar or in a three-part series (60- and 90-minute workshops available). Each workshop covers an important foundational topic (Implicit Bias, Microaggressions, and Identity) that will introduce participants to the key vocabulary and concepts necessary to engage in deeper work and conversations. Additional and customized workshops covering sector-specific and special interest topics are also available to meet your organization’s needs.

Workshops are currently offered online or in person and are priced on a sliding scale based on organizational size and sector. Please email justice@ywcamaine.org to connect with our Equity & Justice Team for full workshop descriptions, to discuss pricing, and/or to request a customized workshop for your organization.

Organizational Equity Consulting

Diversity without equity, inclusion, belonging, intersectionality, justice, and sustainability is not enough. Through our Organizational Equity Consulting services, YWCA Central Maine helps organizations move beyond diversity & equity statements to create the meaningful cultural shifts that will truly support and sustain inclusive policies and practices.

Not sure where to start? YWCA Central Maine will support your organization every step of the way, from assessing internal needs and capacity to identifying goals and collecting data at various checkpoints to ensure that the objectives are met and change is ongoing.

YWCA Central Maine’s Organizational Equity Consulting packages are priced on a sliding scale based on organizational size and sector, as well as your history with DEIJB, ultimate objectives, and timeline for work. Please contact the Equity & Justice team at justice@ywcamaine.org for more information on this program, pricing, or to schedule a consultation.

Stand Against Racism

Stand Against Racism is a signature event of the YWCA national network. It was developed as an opportunity for YWCAs across the nation to take a visible position against racism in localized contexts and to offer education and direct action around issues of racial justice. YWCA Central Maine has held an annual Stand Against Racism event during the last weekend of April since 2012. Our events have offered keynote speakers including local activists, community leaders, and academics from Maine.

We have provided activities ranging from dance workshops and spoken word poetry performances, to discussion groups and personal story sharing. Stand Against Racism concludes with a call to action and a march through downtown to share our message of the urgency of racial justice. Stand Against Racism unites our community across cultures, experiences, and politics to mobilize for anti-racist action in Maine.

Beginning in 2023, YWCA Central Maine will host a biennial conference and fundraiser as part of our Stand Against Racism events, in addition to other free and accessible events such as the Stand Against Racism online challenge. Stay tuned for details for the 2025 conference!

Advocacy

YWCA Central Maine advocates for public policy solutions to improve the lives of women and their families and create safer, healthier, more equitable communities in Maine.

We work in collaboration with community partners and our national organization, YWCA USA, to advocate for issues to advance our mission of eliminating racism and empowering women locally and nationally. We also monitor and educate stakeholders on policy issues that impact women and girls in our state, including as active members of several Maine coalitions fighting for gender and racial equity.

2023 Advocacy Agenda

Do you have a coalition invitation, sign-on opportunity, or advocacy effort related to racial and gender justice? Let’s chat about how we can work together to maximize our collective mission impact in Maine. Please email Chief Program & Impact Officer, Amanda Angelo Hatch, to discuss.

Until Justice Just Is

Registration is now open for the 2024 YWCA FREE Racial Justice Challenge!

Help us get even more participants than last year! This is your chance to learn how to address racism head on. Take the challenge and build your own tools for dealing with issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership. Sign up for the FREE challenge at: www.justice.ywca.org

Learn more! Get the flyer

Please note that in the registration process for RJC, after you enter your name, email, and association affiliation, you will be taken to a second page that says “ACCESS” with two questions for you to answer. After clicking ACCESS and submitting the answers to those two questions, you will be registered.

Additionally, YWCA USA will host an Until Justice Just Is FREE town hall event on April 11, 2024, at 3 p.m. EST to explore the topic areas of the YWCA Racial Justice Challenge and how we can work to build bridges to equity in our communities. Register Now