FemFest at Binghamton University!

An Event Created and Hosted by the Binghamton University She's the First Chapter (now Girl Rising Chapter)

By Zoe Rodriguez

The Beginnings of FemFest

Binghamton University’s She’s the First Chapter (now Girl Rising Chapter) prides itself on the women-based community that they have fostered through fundraisers, bonding events, and volunteering in the broader community to give back to women in need. Over the years, the organization has facilitated collaborations with other campus organizations that are rooted in advocating for gender equality and combatting barriers to women’s freedom. Although these collaborations had been occurring on a smaller scale, there was a lack of general awareness of all the women-based organizations that the University had to offer. Every semester, there had been all different types of club fairs including STEM clubs and health and wellness clubs that were dedicated to informing those interested in the subjects of different focus groups that they could engage in to contribute to their cause.

The Chapter's Executive Board began to ponder how they could help connect people passionate about these causes with one another on a broader scale and an idea came to mind: FemFest. It seemed to be an ambitious goal as they were a smaller scale club with a small budget, but they did not let that dampen their spirits. The EBoard dedicated hours to this event: applying for grants, contacting other organizations to participate, tabling on campus to spread the word about the event, looking into any way to make the event as impactful as possible through selecting appealing prizes, fun pastimes, and of course ensuring free food.

What the Day Involved

During the first ever hosted FemFest, She’s the First hosted a community fundraising event aimed to support girls’ education around the world. The event brought together many women-based organizations at Binghamton University, as well as local community members to help support the organization’s mission to raise awareness and funds for educational opportunities for girls globally.

Throughout the day, the attendees participated in many activities including a 5K run, henna designs, crafts and painting, and in the end a raffle giveaway. There were also food vendors and a photo booth. These activities created an interactive and welcoming environment to help raise funds for girl’s education. Morgan Merritt noted that her “favorite part of FemFest was the photo booth. It was so much fun taking pictures with friends and seeing others gain physical copies to remember the event!”

Overall, the first ever FemFest united the Binghamton community and highlighted the importance of community involvement. Following the success of the event, She’s the First looks forward to continuing to grow FemFest in the future to raise greater awareness, support girls’ educational opportunities, and empower girls across communities worldwide.

Results

“My favorite part of FemFest was the photo booth. It was so much fun taking pictures with friends and seeing others gain physical copies to remember the event!”

The results showed that FemFest was a meaningful success for Binghamton University’s She’s the First chapter, because it brought together students, campus organizations, and community members in support of girls’ education around the world. Through entry fees and raffle ticket sales, the event raised over $200, with all proceeds contributing to She’s the First’s mission of expanding educational opportunities for girls globally.

This event would not have been possible without the generous support of the She’s the First Chapter Grant. Thanks to this funding, our chapter was able to create an engaging and welcoming experience for attendees by providing food and drinks, a photobooth, blankets, henna activities, crafts, and other event materials that helped bring FemFest to life. The grant allowed us to transform an ambitious idea into an impactful reality, and we are incredibly grateful to She’s the First for investing in our vision and supporting our efforts to create meaningful change on campus and beyond.

The success of FemFest has inspired our chapter to continue building on this momentum

in future years. As we look ahead and prepare for our transition and growth alongside Girls Rising, we are excited to expand the reach and importance of this event.

“The most memorable activity for me would be getting my henna done by the girls from the henna club! As we all sat on picnic blankets together, it felt like a great welcoming experience to bond with girls from different backgrounds, while also learning more about henna and women empowerment!”

Outcome

FemFest was a collaborative indoor and outdoor event that brought together ten women-based campus organizations. The event took advantage of the spring weather to connect students with clubs on campus on the quad through interactive activities, crafts, and catering. It was a major opportunity for students to learn about women-focused groups of a diverse range from academic, and professional to fitness and advocacy interests. This included Binghamton University’s She’s the First, PULSE, Planned Parenthood, Society of Women Engineers, Scientista, the Feminist Collective, the Henna Club, Women in Lifting, Women in Business, and Pretty Girls Sweat.

Attendees could participate in several activities with the organizations. The Henna Club provided custom henna designs while the Feminist Collective held a vinyl and cd painting station. Other activities included bracelet making, other crafts, and a photo booth station. This

was accompanied by food and refreshments for participants throughout the afternoon.

The day concluded with around 40 attendees and over 40 raffle entries for our raffle prizes. Engagement was high across all stations, and the turnout allowed clubs to share their missions with the campus.

FemFest was made possible due to the efforts of all participating organizations. A special acknowledgement goes to Strange Brew, Binghamton Campus Life, and She’s the First for helping support and fund this event.

“It helps bring together feminists who are all supporting women in their own respective ways, and we get to see how each person contributes to this worldwide goal.” Chloe Chen.

Future with FemFest

For the future, and to expand FemFest to a larger audience, an event during Fall semester will be held. This event will be held indoors, and include more activities, along with adding in new organizations to participate in this year’s event. She’s the First Binghamton plans to continue raising awareness, inspiring those around us, and educating others on the importance of this organization. Planning this event required true passion and love for the cause. She’s the First Binghamton hopes to inspire girls to join forces in the face of adversity to share our voices.