The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Affinity Groups (AGs) https://swe.org/membership/affinity-groups/ are communities of individuals who share the same interests and goals. These groups help build community, provide professional development opportunities, and empower and celebrate women from different paths of life. SWE has fourteen Affinity Groups that fall under two categories:
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:
SWE’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Affinity Groups were formed to generally align with protected classes under the US Federal anti-discrimination law. These Affinity Groups focus on the professional needs of social minority populations and support programs tailored to serve these communities.
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- African-American
- Asian Connections
- HeForSWE
- Indigenous Peoples
- Latinos
- LGBTQ+ and Allies
Business and Interests:
SWE’s Business and Interests (BI) Affinity Groups are communities focused on professional, social and networking opportunities around common interests. The focus of these Affinity Groups is generally centered around the members’ business environment, business interests and experiences.
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- Community Colleges – new!
- Early Career Professionals – new!
- Entrepreneurs
- Global Women Engineers
- Late Career and Retiree
- SWE Members in Small Businesses
- Technical Career Path – new!
- Women in Government
To learn more about the activities and membership of the individual affinity groups, visit their websites at https://affinitygroups.swe.org/
Call for New SWE Affinity Groups
Beginning January 28, 2022, you can submit an application to formally launch a new SWE Affinity Group. AG leaders are available year-round to help SWE members develop their ideas for the launch of a new AG. To prepare for application and launch of a new AG, groups should identify their leadership, goals and mission (aligned with SWE and Affinity Groups) and have critical mass and strong interest for long-term sustainability of the group. Applicants should review the mission of the current Affinity Groups to determine if their membership and mission is encompassed within an existing group. The first year of the new Affinity Group will be used to onboard the leadership, build the community, and further define the mission and goals.
Application information for proposing a new SWE Affinity Group includes:
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- A description of the group’s membership
- Potential number of interested SWE members to join the Affinity Group, with Identification of a minimum of ten interested members
- Reason for requesting the Affinity Group
- Identification of the type of Affinity Group, DEI or BI.
- Description of how the proposed Affinity Group promotes the SWE Core Values
- A proposal for lead(s)/champion(s)/sponsor(s) for the first year
Email affinitygroups@swe.org for the application form and selection rubric.
The call for applications opens January 28, 2022. Completed applications must be submitted to affinitygroups@swe.org by March 4, 2022, at 11:59 PM PST.
The Affinity Group applications will be reviewed by the DEI and BI Affinity Group Leads and SWE Board of Directors representative using the approved process. Selected new Affinity Groups will then be submitted for approval by the SWE Board of Directors, followed by applicant notifications in May 2022 and AG announcements and formation in June 2022. Any questions regarding the Affinity Groups or the creation of new Affinity Groups can be directed to affinitygroups@swe.org.
Thank you for your interest and continued support of the Affinity Groups!
