It is time to renew your Society of Women Engineers (SWE) membership for fiscal year 2025, which starts on July 1, 2024.
As members go through the renewal process, it is important to note that SWE’s Joint Member Partners, other professional societies who, just like SWE, recognize that members should have access to resources and communities that reach the multifaceted aspects of their identities.
Therefore, joint membership opportunities with these Joint Member Partners are a key way SWE enables this access. SWE members can hold joint membership with the following societies:
- American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES)
AISES aims to advance indigenous people in STEM, serving PK-12 students, college students, professionals, and retirees. - National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
NSBE works to increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community. - Out in STEM (oSTEM)
oSTEM empowers LGBTQ+ people in STEM to succeed personally, professionally, and academically by cultivating environments and communities that nurture innovation, leadership, and advocacy. - Out to Innovate
Out to Innovate empowers LGBTQ+ individuals and allies in STEM and all related fields by providing education, advocacy, scholarship, professional development, networking, outreach, and peer support. - Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE)
SASE is dedicated to the advancement of Asian heritage scientists and engineers in education and employment so they can achieve their full career potential. - Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
SHPE changes lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support, and development.
Interactions Among Joint Member Partners
Collaboration efforts among the Joint Member Partners are prevalent each year and continue to grow.
During FY24, SWE’s Member Engagement Committee hosted the second annual Partner Society Meetup, a virtual event highlighting Joint Member Partners and creating a space for connection and knowledge sharing among attendees. Over 30 people representing each partner society attended on Thursday, April 25, for this meetup, which included society trivia, Q&A, and a post-event networking session.
The rest of the fiscal year included other valuable interactions, including Joint Member Partner presence at WE23, SWE presence at other Joint Member Partner conferences, and a NSBE/SWE meetup.
Benefits of Joint Membership
SWE’s Member Engagement Committee connected with two individuals who volunteer with our Joint Member Partner societies to discuss their experiences with joint membership.
Partner Society Meetup attendee Adam Blackburn (he/him), who serves as director of professional membership for oSTEM, said that when it comes to the intersectionality of joint membership, “Each of our organizations create one community, but then when you cross those organizations with each other, you then create another community. It’s a different setup and a different feeling.”
Louvere Walker-Hannon (she/her/ella), a SWE senator, co-lead of the SWE African-American Affinity Group, and joint member of SHPE, AISES, and NSBE, expressed that one motivation she has for holding joint membership is being able to develop skills. Her mindset is: “what are all the different options that I have; so let me expand those options, to attend all those different conferences, and be in those other professional societies.”
From the opportunities being offered by each Joint Member Partner to the ones coming from collaborations among the groups, there are many benefits to holding joint membership.
When it comes to advice for those considering joint membership, Blackburn shared, “Just do it. It has its benefits, and you find the community you didn’t realize you didn’t have.”
To provide enhanced access to those organizations, SWE offers discounts on partner society membership, which can be applied when renewing SWE membership. Follow the instructions here on how to become a joint member today and take advantage of available discounts.
