The Wisconsin Women’s Network (WWN) is an organization that promotes the advancement of women and girls in Wisconsin through communication, education, advocacy, and connections. One of WWN’s flagship programs, the annual Policy Institute, trains women of all ages and backgrounds to be advocates in their communities and navigate Wisconsin’s legislative and state budget process to advance policies that improve lives of women and girls—and help build a more just and equitable state for all Wisconsinites.
“At the Policy Institute, I didn’t just find my voice—I found the power to amplify it. In so many spaces, we as women are conditioned to shrink ourselves, but at WWNPI, every voice was not only heard but valued. It was a transformative experience where I felt truly empowered to speak up and make a difference.”
— Chassitti Clark, 2024 Policy Institute alum
The 2025 Policy Institute marked the 11th cohort of this program, welcoming 24 passionate and impressive participants from across Wisconsin for hands-on leadership, communications, and policy advocacy training. Running from January through April, the Institute consists of a series of four two-day retreats in Madison. The 2025 Institute was led by Lead Facilitator T.R. Williams, J.D. This was Williams’ third year in the role, and she previously served on the WWN Board from 2017 to 2022, including two years as Board President. Williams was joined by a team of volunteer mentors—each an experienced local policy advocate—who helped support participants throughout the program. Participants were organized into five teams, with each mentor guiding one team. Each team selected and developed a policy project aligned with the Institute’s commitment to racial, economic, and social justice. The 2025 Policy Institute policy topics included:
- Medicaid Postpartum Extension Coverage
- Paid Family Leave Insurance
- Prohibiting Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Expression
- State Grants for Legal Services for Evictions
- Tax Exemptions for Diapers, Tampons, and Personal Hygiene Products
Through intensive instruction and hands-on practice, participants are equipped with the skills and confidence to drive policy change. The program includes 104 hours of curated instruction on legislative process, communications, leadership skills, group work, and public speaking. Participants apply their training through hands-on advocacy work. In March, our 2025 Policy Institute participants conducted legislative visits at the Capitol advocating for their policy issues. In preparation for these visits, participants worked in their teams to prepare policy issue one-pagers, developing their written advocacy skills. During Retreat 4 in April, participants testified in mock hearings at the Capitol, further strengthening their oral advocacy and public speaking abilities.
“The Wisconsin Women’s Network Policy Institute opened a door for a woman who didn’t even know there was a hallway.” When I joined the Policy Institute in 2017, I was working as a legislative staffer in the Wisconsin State Legislature with 21 college credits, a growing skillset, and an unshakable drive to make a difference. The Institute didn’t just give me tools—it helped me see myself as a leader. It sparked a vision of who I could become and gave me the confidence to pursue it. Since then, I’ve built a career at the intersection of government, policy, nonprofit leadership, and voting rights. The WWN Policy Institute was a catalyst—not only for my career, but for my transformation into the highest version of myself.”
— Bianca Shaw, WWN President and 2017 Policy Institute alum
Upon graduating from the four-month course, participants leave with the tools, confidence, and connections needed to lead advocacy and education efforts in their communities and organizations—creating long-term impact well beyond the program.
The Institute’s impact is reflected in the powerful work and reflections of our graduates.
