By Kathy Groob, Publisher ElectWomen Magazine

The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, has long been known as the as the nation’s leading source of scholarly research and current data about American women’s political participation.  CAWP has expanded beyond research, and is making a difference through its outreach and campaign readiness programs across the U.S.

Now involved in 17 states with a number of educational and women’s political campaign programs, CAWP is helping to provide a model for states to develop their own roadmap to success. “Everyone who is in the field of helping women become political leaders and elected officials, share one ultimate goal– to get as many women as we can into the pipeline,” said Jean Sinzdak, MSW Project Manager, Program for Women Public Officials.

The CAWP signature programs include The New Leadership program that is the national initiative dedicated to empowering the next generation of women leaders.  College women spend a week in an intensive residential program aimed getting them interested in public life and the political process. “We have seen young women become truly transformed during this one intensive week –preparing them to take on a leadership role,” said Sinzdak.

Currently 15 colleges and universities have established New Leadership programs serving women in 21 states.  CAWP has established a goal of including all 50 states in New Leadership by 2020.

Ready to Run is the candidate readiness-training program that began in New Jersey at Rutgers and is held once a year.  In addition, CAWP provides training for organizations in states to develop their own Ready to Run programs based upon the success model developed at Rutgers.

CAWP can site measurable results towards changing the culture of politics in New Jersey – once in the bottom 10 states for women in politics, – now ranks 11^th in the country.   Results confirm success since now 20% of the women serving in the New Jersey state legislature have been through the Ready to Run program.

Currently partnerships are being developed for Ready to Run in Nebraska, Hawaii, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. For more information, visit The Center for American Women and Politics.