North Idaho Alliance Women of Impact: 'E' is for education
Marilee Wallace
Women have persevered to shape society in so many ways, using the most powerful tool available to them — education. In the 1800s, women’s positions and opportunities in education began to increase. The 19th century saw a shift in perspective on women. It opened educational opportunities for females in various education levels, which paved the way for more women to pursue various degrees of education, first as learners and then as educators. Women have surpassed men in the number of bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees conferred annually in the United States.
Education matriarch of female pioneers: Maria Montessori. Maria Montessori, an Italian educator, physician and scientist, created a childcare center in Rome, where many people believed the impoverished kids were unable to learn. Maria turned the Children’s House into a quality educational environment and successfully taught them, or rather in true Montessori fashion, the children taught themselves. Maria’s exploratory teaching philosophy attracted worldwide attention. Within a few years, there were Montessori schools on five continents. Today, there are about 7,000 such schools in the U.S., alone.
Mary McLeod Bethune was an educator, community organizer, presidential advisor and public health advocate. During her time at Moody Bible Institute, Mary developed a strong passion for educating girls and supporting their leadership. She founded the Daytona Educational and Industrial School for Negro Girls. And she negotiated the merger of her school with the Cookman Institute. Her work as a black female educator made Mary a leading advocate for African Americans in the U.S. During her time as the Director of Negro Affairs, she successfully established a Negro College and Graduate Fund, which supported more than 4,000 students in higher education.
Most people know Anne Sullivan by her work as Helen Keller’s teacher. However, this astonishing woman was also a determined academic and used education as a means to escape poverty. At the age of 14, she began attending Perkins School for the Blind and graduated as valedictorian of her class. At 20 years old Anne began teaching Helen Keller and helped Keller study at Radcliffe College in 1900. Thanks to Anne’s hard work and dedication, Helen became the first deaf-blind person to receive a college degree.
Some of our Favorite Quotes about education:
• If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. — Education Secretary Arne Duncan
• Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. — Nelson Mandela
• The highest result of education is tolerance. — Hellen Keller
• Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. — Mahatma Gandhi
• The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you. — B. B. King
The Women of Impact Leadership Roundtable meets once a month for a nine-month series, based our on the word IMPACTED. We will end this year’s series on May 21, 2025 at the Onward & Upward Women’s Conference, which is open to the public. Conference registration is at #nia-impact.com.
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Marilee Wallace, IOM, president/CEO of the North Idaho Alliance Women of Impact. The Women of Impact Leadership Roundtable meets once a month for a nine-month series, and we base our monthly agenda on the word IMPACTED. She can be reached at marilee@theniallaince.com.
