WorldWide Drilling Resource

What is WIM and WIMEF? by Bonnie Love, Editor WorldWide Drilling Resource ® I was first introduced to Women In Mining (WIM) through our Managing Publisher Veronica I. “Ronnie” Jones in 2010. That year, theWIM National Meeting was held in Golden, Colorado, and I was covering the event for WWDR . It was at this meeting, I was introduced to Arloa Woo l ford and the WIM Educat i on Foundation (WIMEF). As I sat in on the National Meeting, I was exposed to a world I didn’t know existed. It was a world filled with people dedicated to educating the public and students of the importance of minerals and mining. WIM is a national organization of mining professionals who volunteer to promote the mining industry all over the country. There are several local chapters, and each chapter oper- ates as its own entity under the umbrella of WIM National, which consists of two members of each chapter. During the national meeting, everyone discusses what each of the chapters has done throughout the year. We discuss industry topics, regulations, and of course, education. WIM was originally founded in Denver, Colorado, in 1972. Three women contacted various mining companies to see if there was interest in creating an organization to educate the public about the industry. The interest was definitely there, and WIM has been actively educating people ever since. It wasn’t until 1991, when the need for educational material for teachers was intensified. While staffing a booth for a National Science Teacher Association convention, visitors flocked to the WIM booth. Teachers wanted and needed information in a simple and inexpensive form. Along with requests for materials, numerous inquiries about providing workshops to demonstrate how to use the activities were received. It didn’t take long for the WIM National Board to realize a formal education arm was necessary to keep up with the demand. Between 1991 and 1993, the group worked hard to establish a nonprofit organization with the sole purpose of educating others about the importance of the minerals industry. WIMEF was granted 501(c)3 status by the Internal Revenue Service in 1993. Arloa was one of those members spearheading the creation of WIMEF, and her passion was evident to anyone who met her. During our initial meeting in 2010, we spoke for hours about the activities and events the foundation attends and how they travel to schools and teachers conferences to bring the minerals industry into the classroom. Using mining- based activities, WIMEF members provide teachers with the tools to enlighten children on basic science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills. In 2012, Arloa asked if I would be in- terested in joining the Board of Directors for WIMEF and I didn’t hesitate to say YES! Since then, I learned a great deal about the industry and actually became vice president of the foundation in 2015. Sadly, we lost Arloa earlier this year, and the foundation is in need of new board members. We are looking for people who share our passion for education and the minerals industry. If you are interested, or if you would like more information, visit the WIM website. Don’t let the name fool you! WIM is always looking for new members of any gender. For more information, visit www.womeninmining.org 16 JUNE 2017 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®