Tucson is a beautiful city with a beautiful pod. In October, the pod graciously hosted the 500WS board meeting and we were able to meet some of their awesome (130!) members. The women have created a highly active, sustainable pod with a variety of projects that keeps their members engaged and interested. One of their secrets might be that they have 9 women on their leadership team each focusing on a different job - events, advocacy, communication, treasurer, outreach, etc. Read on, and maybe you’ll get some ideas for your own pod meet ups! Thanks Tucson :).

Finding the time and means to meet your pod during busy weeks can feel like a burden. But we all know how great a good network or action oriented meeting can be, and that meeting often brings us motivation. The Chicago pod, undeterred by the traffic and chaos of the big city, has figured out a way to keep their pod momentum going, growing to over 145 members online!

This week we get to know the Northern California pod - a group of women who don’t let traffic or distance prevent them from making change across SanFran, Davis and Sacramento.

Meet the Moab Pod: Our advice to new pods is to make sure all you take on is sustainable and focus on the needs of your community and region -- delegate, pace your projects, check-in with your members, work for each other, and have fun with it.  Anyone who is coming through Moab who wants to meet up, reach out! We’d love to meet you!

The Storrs Connecticut pod began only in January of this year, but in that short time they have developed a strong voice on the east coast, in their state and on media. Thanks to the whole team for taking time to tell us how they have been so successful in getting their pod off the ground, about their voter registration program, and how they ensure they can reach out to as many women as possible. A great example for how making a difference can e as easy as visiting the neighborhood farmers market. Keep up the great work ladies!

You can't help but be inspired by the Folsom youth pod. After learning about 500WS from her mentor, pod President Chinmayi set up a sign-up sheet at her school's "club rush". She quickly drew in a small group, and in a year their club has grown to 15. They are now organizing activities that support young girls in STEM and increase recognition for women scientists, and they are planning more ways to interact with their community. These highs school ladies are still trying to decide which science topic they like most - their interests range from environmental science, biochemistry, and neuroscience to computer science and marine biology - but they united in a mission of open, inclusive and accessible science. Thanks the the whole Folsom pod for letting us feature you today! 

This week we are so excited to introduce you to 500 Women Scientists Madrid. The new pod launched in March 2018, but already they have started to make waves in Spain. By brilliantly using International Women's Day as their launch point combined with strategic interviews, they have been able to quickly grow their group, start serious discussions, and are leading the charge in Europe! Follow the pod on Twitter @500WomenSciMAD and read on to get to know how the Madrid pod is changing the face of science in Spain.

Inspired by ​​​​​​​an article we wrote last year, the El Paso women recognized that their border community was uniquely positioned, and a pod could bring together people from many backgrounds with one goal in mind: to change perceptions of what a scientists looks like in their own community. While the pod is still in the early stages of growth, already they are finding creative ways to interact with their community - including a fossil hike! Thank you ladies for taking time to introduce your pod to us! 

We've said it before, but 500WS is a truly global organization! We have 146 pods in the US, and also 145 spread across the world! Every week or so we highlight a pod that has gotten off the ground and is making progress in their own community. This week that pod is Vancouver, BC. Jen Rowland is leading the group and changing perceptions of what a scientist looks like. Keep up the great work team!

This week we are happy to introduce our Pod from Eugene Oregon. They are working hard to engage people in many different STEM or “STEM-adjacent” careers and to encourage mixing of science, industry, education, public policy, and the general public towards community-building that highlights science and active inquiry in everyday life. Read on to find out more about how they interact with their community. Thanks for taking time to answer our questions ladies!

This week we are excited to highlight one or largest pods - Gothenburg, Sweden. Found on the western side of Sweden between Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm, the Gothenburg pod formed because they were dissatisfied with the rate of change in the situation for women in science. They have now gathered a large diverse group of scientists who are dedicated to identify structural gender inequalities in the scientific community and work towards correcting them. Read on to learn more about this awesome group of women!

This week we get to know our San Diego Pod. They are focused on providing an engaging, inclusive and supportive community for women scientists. In March they used a vision exercise to plan their year, and are currently working on a piece on the impacts of the proposed border wall.

What can we learn from the New York City pod? By actively creating an inclusive space you can build a pod of over 200 women! Plus, by forming partnerships you can get more done! Read on to find out what else the NYC pod is up to.

Today, meet the Laramie Wyoming Pod! They are building a sustainable movement to support women scientists and connect with their community.

The week meet the Fort Collins Pod - the brains and engine behind Request a Scientist and our #weeklyaction!