Women in Turning (WIT)
Women in Turning meeting at the 2026 AAW International Woodturning Symposium in Raleigh, NC
Women in Turning (WIT) is a program of the AAW, bringing together women worldwide who share a passion for woodturning. WIT is dedicated to encouraging and assisting women in their pursuit of turning by sharing ideas, information, and processes to further their skills and creativity. WIT programming provides a platform to connect women, embracing all backgrounds and differences in celebration of equity and inclusion.
The AAW WIT committee consists of a chairwoman appointed by the AAW President and the committee which she selects.
Pay it Forward
The mission of WIT is to encourage and retain women in woodturning. Here are some suggestions of how you can help:
- Introduce a friend or neighbor to woodturning by bringing her to a chapter meeting,
- Accompany her to an open shop session,
- Teach her in your own shop, and/or
- Offer to be her mentor for a year.
If there is a new member in your chapter who is not yet a member of AAW, tell her about AAW’s 60-day guest membership.
Pay it forward. Instead of telling a new member about the guest membership, buy her a membership. In return, she can pay it forward by bringing another new member into the AAW. This generous gift may be the beginning of a lifetime of enjoyment for many new woodturners.
Sign up!
If you are not currently an AAW member and would like to receive WIT news and more, please sign up for a FREE Trial Membership!
Letter to Chapter Officers
AAW is seeking a member of your chapter (either a woman or a man) to be your chapter’s liaison with the AAW Women in Turning (WIT) committee. Chapter WIT Liaison job description.
Our goal is to work with chapters to increase the number of women members in chapters and AAW. There is a large, untapped group of people that we can reach out to and spread the joy of woodturning.
There are several chapters that have already implemented programs to help mentor and teach women to turn in comfortable learning settings. We would like to see that number grow. By building these contacts with individual chapters and gathering information about ways chapters are organizing their efforts to expand outreach to women, we will be able to create a Best Practices document that all chapters can use in their outreach efforts.
Below are resources that may be helpful in chapter outreach efforts.
Chapter Grants
- AAW's Under-Represented Populations Outreach Grant is intended to help fund events that target women turners and other underrepresented groups. We encourage your chapter to apply for a grant, click here.
AAW Membership
- WIT offers a limited number of one-year AAW memberships to new women turners. Click here to apply.
- There is a 90-day AAW Affiliate membership that may be offered to new chapter members, click here. These Affiliate memberships are available to new members only and offer the benefits and resources of AAW membership for a full 90-days.
Gretchen Wilbrandt, AAW Executive Director
Kimberly Winkle, AAW WIT Committee Chair
WIT Liaison Communications
When you become a Liaison, you become part of the Liaison Community. You will get emails about upcoming events, information, and questions through the online Community. There are discussions and resources on the Community site at WIT Chapter Liaisons - American Association of Woodturners.
Marketing Materials
Postcard
- PDF: Download 4" x 6"
- JPG: Download 4" x 6"
- Word.docx: Download 2 cards on 8.5" x 11"
- PDF: Download 2 cards on 8.5" x 11"
Upcoming meeting dates can be printed on the reverse side of the postcard.
Please contact me about becoming an WIT Liaison
WIT Logo
Grants
- WIT/Other Under-represented Populations Events & Exhibitions Grant: The purpose of this grant is to help fund activities that promote diversity in woodturning and to encourage participation in the AAW by traditionally under-represented populations. Audiences include but are not limited to Black, indigenous, other peoples of color, women, and members of the LGBTQIA+ and disabilities communities. Click here for details and to apply.
- AAW Membership Grant: The AAW's Women in Turning (WIT) Committee is “dedicated to encouraging and assisting women in their pursuit of turning, sharing ideas and processes to further member’s skills and creativity, and increasing participation of women in the field of woodturning.” Currently, women comprise less the 9% of AAW membership. To encourage women to join AAW, the WIT Committee offers a limited number of WIT-sponsored AAW memberships to women for a one-year AAW General membership. Click here for details and to apply.
Projects & Opportunities
Wig Stand Project In follow-up to a member’s suggestion, AAW WIT is encouraging WIT groups to join in a national project to turn wig stands, at no expense for the recipients. Our goal is to give back to our communities in this worthwhile effort, especially since cancer has likely impacted each of us, our family, and/or our friends. We are partnering with local/regional groups who provide free wigs for distribution of the wig stands to get them to recipients in need while minimizing the expense to WIT members. Some entire AAW clubs have already been doing this project for some time and we are following in their knowledgeable footsteps. Read more here.
Turned Connections is an initiative of Women in Turning to foster stronger relationships within the woodturning community. By turning and exchanging small beads, we can forge new connections at symposiums, classes, and club meetings. Our mission is to unite turners and build a more connected community, one bead at a time. Read more here.
Calls