March ignites for a multitude of awareness initiatives: Women’s History Month, Nutrition, Reading, Brain Injury, Music in Our Schools and so many more. We highlight a few annual campaigns.
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
Women’s History Month celebrates women and their accomplishments. This year’s theme: “Valiant Women of the Vote” celebrates the women who have fought for a woman’s right to vote in the United States.
This year marks the centennial of the 19th Amendment and The Women’s History Alliance is honoring women from the original suffrage movement as well as 20th and 21st century women who have continued the struggle (fighting against poll taxes, literacy tests, voter roll purges, and other more contemporary forms of voter suppression) to ensure voting rights for all.
While the concept of Women’s History Month began in the 1970s, it wasn’t until 1980 when President Jimmy Carter declared a proclamation. By 1987, the advocacy efforts came to fruition when Congress declared March as National Women’s History Month in perpetuity. A special Presidential Proclamation is issued every year which honors the extraordinary achievements of American women.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: March 8th is the annual INTERNATIONAL WOMAN’S DAY — A global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH
Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM®) is the annual celebration during March which engages music educators, students and communities from around the country in promoting the benefits of high quality music education programs in schools.
This year’s theme is ‘Music Changes Lives.” Now in it’s 35th year, MIOSM is organized by National Association for Music Education (NAFME), among the world’s largest arts education organizations and the only association that addresses all aspects of music education.
“Every day, in classrooms and rehearsal rooms across America, music educators bring that theme to life. And we know from ongoing testimonials that those connections have a profound and positive effect on students and on entire communities,” — Michael J. Blakeslee, NAfME Executive Director and CEO
At a time when funding for the arts and school funding for arts programs looms large, advocacy initiatives like MIOSM could not be more important than now.
State music education associations are conducting their own advocacy days this spring at state capitols to support music education for all students. Ensembles are performing at their state capitols and local communities to demonstrate the importance of music education.
BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH
Brain Injury Awareness Month – The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) leads the nation in observing the month by conducting an awareness campaign in March each year.
The theme for the 2018 to 2020 campaign is Change Your Mind. This campaign provides a platform for educating the general public about the incidence of brain injury and the needs of people with brain injuries and their families. The campaign also lends itself to outreach within the brain injury community to de-stigmatize the injury, empower those who have survived, and promote the many types of support that are available.
BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS DAY IS MARCH 4
Founded in 1980, the Brain Injury Association of America is the oldest, largest and only nationwide brain injury advocacy organization in the U.S. As the voice of brain injury, BIAA provides help, hope and healing for the millions of Americans who sustain this life-altering, sometimes devastating, injury.
March ignites awareness for many other important initiatives this month including for Colorectal Cancer and Nutrition.
Awareness Days:
March 1st: World Zero Discrimination Day and Self Injury Awareness Day
March 2nd: Read Across America Day & Dr. Seuss Day
March 3rd: World Wildlife Day
March 8th: International Women’s Day
March 21st: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
March 22nd: World Water Day
Awareness Weeks:
March 8th – 14th: National Sleep Awareness Week
March 30 – April 3: National Youth Violence Prevention Week
The growing unrest in the United States and Internationally on some of our most pressing issues as gun violence, cancer, equality, the environment and more underscores the importance of continuing to raise awareness and advocate for reform and permanent solutions and cures. While here you will find a few of the month’s annual campaigns, you can find support and advocacy efforts happening every day of the year. Enough is Never Enough!
