Affinity Groups

HEALS: Healing for Engagement, Action, and Leadership by Survivors Heading link

Promotional poster:
Promotional poster: "HEALS: Healing for Engagement, Action, & Leadership by Survivors" in white text over a purple background, with flames rising from the bottom center. Below that is white text on a dark purple background describing the HEALS affinity space.

Are you interested in building connections, healing, and working towards justice with survivors at UIC?

We invite you to HEALS, a drop-in gathering space for UIC students who have experienced gender-based violence (domestic/dating violence, sexual assault, harassment, stalking, and family abuse) and those who support them. Over lunch and crafts, we will check in, celebrate wins, troubleshoot challenges, and discuss issues related to safety & healing.

UIC undergraduate, graduate, and professional students are welcome! All sessions will be hybrid (both in person and on Zoom).

Register for our Upcoming Meetings:

  • Wednesday, January 29, 2025 | 12-1pm:
    Trusting Ourselves and Our Community: Survivors Podmapping & Building Connections
  • Wednesday, February 12, 2025 | 12-1pm:
    Love Letter to a Survivor
  • Wednesday, February 26, 2025 | 12-1pm:
    What Now? Relationships, Boundaries, and Consent After Trauma
  • Wednesday, March 12, 2025 | 12-1pm:
    Surviving School & Work: Managing Midterms
  • Wednesday, April 9, 2025 | 12-1pm:
    Survivors Activating Change: Learning from Activists, Movements, & Ourselves
  • Wednesday, April 23, 2025 | 12-1pm:
    Portraits of Survivorship: Sexual Violence in the Media
  • Wednesday, May 7, 2025 | 12-1pm:
    Celebrating Ourselves, Honoring Each Other

Food, Safety, and Accessibility:

  • Please wear a mask to increase safety and accessibility. We will have masks available if you don’t have one with you.
  • Lunch and supplies will be provided for in-person participants.
  • Building and suite accessibility info is available on our website.

Please contact us with any questions or access requests: wlrc@uic.edu or (312) 413-8206.

PERSIST(Σ) Heading link

A stylized gear with a flower in the center, in a red-blue-purple gradient color. Below it is
A stylized gear with a flower in the center, in a red-blue-purple gradient color. Below it is "PERSIST(Σ)" and "University of Illinois Chicago" in dark blue text.

PERSIST(Σ) aims to create identity-affirming spaces to promote the participation and persistence of women and nonbinary people of color in engineering at UIC. Join the Equity in Engineering Program (EIEP), Women in Engineering Programs (WIEP), and the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center (WLRC) to learn more and be part of this new initiative for meaningful change! Learn more.

All women and nonbinary undergraduate, graduate, and professional students of color are invited. Lunch is provided.

2024-2025 Meetings:

2023-2024 Meetings:

2022-2023 Groups Heading link

Promotional poster:
Promotional poster: "UIC Women's Leadership and Resource Center Affinity Groups in large white text at the top. Below that in yellow and white is text describing the event (same info on this page). All this is on an orange, pink, red, and purple gradient background.

Are you a woman-identifying student looking to build connections and community at UIC? The Women’s Leadership and Resource Center invites you to join our new Affinity Groups!

Women of Color Affinity Group

  • Open to UIC undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who identify as women of color (including Black, Indigenous, Latina/e/x, Asian/Asian American, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern/Northern African, and mixed race women)
  • Next meeting: Monday, April 10, 2023 (Register here)

Women in STEM & Business Affinity Group

  • Open to UIC undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who identify as women and are majoring or interested in science, technology, engineering, math, and business fields
  • Next meeting: Thursday, April 13, 2023 (Register here)

WLRC’s Affinity Groups will provide students who share an identity or professional interest space to gather, discuss shared experiences, support each other through challenges, and affirm and celebrate their communities. Each group will meet once a month and be facilitated by WLRC staff.

We recognize that these groups encompass broad populations that will have some shared experiences as well as many varied and unique cultures and histories. Our goal is to create spaces for us to celebrate these differences while building solidarity and support for each other. We will consider creating additional groups in the future based on the needs and interests of our participants.

Women of Color Affinity Group Meetings Heading link

Women in STEM and Business Affinity Group Meetings Heading link