06/15/2026
Jeanne Mather is one of the women who will receive UNA-OKC’s “Women of Impact” award on June 20th at the Dove Event Center.
Please join us on Saturday, June 20th, as we honor Dr. Mather and the other winners of our “Women of Impact” award. You will enjoy a wonderful evening of food, entertainment, and good company.
Tickets are on sale now. They may be purchased through Zeffy, our online partner:
UNA USA Women's Day event
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/una-usa-womens-day-event
Dr. Jeanne Mather earned a PhD in Instruction, Leadership, & Curriculum from the University of Oklahoma.
She was a member of the faculty at the University of Science and Arts in Oklahoma (USAO) from 1990 through 2017. She taught professional education courses, elementary methods, and mathematics courses. She also served as a faculty leader in multicultural education and service learning.
She co-founded the “Books for Tots” Program which distributed over 110,000 new books to needy children from 1998-2017. She also co-founded the Syrian Toy Drive with two of her USAO students.
Since retirement, Dr. Mather has served on the Friends of the Chickasha Public Library, City of Chickasha Public Parks and Recreation Board, and two non-profits providing books and lunches to children during the summer.
She taught Spanish on a volunteer basis to elementary graders for almost 30 years; published a multicultural interdisciplinary newsletter, "Classroom Spice," for 27 years, and still collaborates with area public schools as requested.
Her life’s work deeply aligns with and reflects the humanitarian and human rights values championed by the United Nations, particularly in the areas of education, equality, dignity, and community participation.
Dr. Mather was nominated for this award by Akash Patel. We asked Akash to elaborate on Dr. Mather’s contributions and how they coincide with UN values.
Akash answered:
“Dr. Mather’s efforts mirror the principles enshrined in key UN frameworks such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
“1. Right to Education & Lifelong Learning (UDHR Article 26; SDG 4) Quality, Inclusive Education: Her entire career was dedicated to making education more equitable and responsive. Her doctoral research focused on the perceptions of minority students, directly advocating for inclusive and equitable quality education (SDG 4).
“Publishing Classroom Spice for 27 years provided teachers with tools to create inclusive classrooms, ensuring education for all without discrimination.
“2. Equality & Non-Discrimination (UDHR Articles 1–2; SDG 5 & 10) Gender Equality & Empowerment: As a woman leading in STEM education and civic life, she modeled women’s full participation in all fields (SDG 5). Her work empowered generations of female students and educators through mentorship and visibility.
“Reducing Inequalities: Her scholarship and teaching materials intentionally centered marginalized voices — African American, Hispanic, and Native American students — actively combating systemic inequity (SDG 10). Her work promoted not only gender equality, but also racial and socioeconomic inclusion.
“3. Dignity, Social Protection & Well-Being (UDHR Article 25; SDG 1–3) Meeting Basic Needs with Dignity: Her co-founding of programs providing books, toys, and summer lunches reflects the UN’s humanitarian principle of ensuring dignity in aid.
“4. Participation & Civic Engagement (UDHR Article 21; SDG 16) Promoting Inclusive Societies: Her lifelong commitment to service-learning taught students that civic participation is a responsibility. By serving on public boards in retirement, she demonstrated inclusive, participatory governance at the local level (SDG 16.7).
“Fostering Peace & Cross-Cultural Understanding: Initiatives like the Syrian Toy Drive and decades of teaching Spanish built bridges of empathy and global solidarity, reflecting UN values of peace, tolerance, and intercultural dialogue (UDHR Article 26; SDG 16).
“5. Rights of the Child (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child) Her work consistently upheld the core principles of the CRC: Non-discrimination (Article 2): Serving all children, especially those in need. Best interest of the child (Article 3): Prioritizing literacy, nutrition, and safe community spaces.
“Right to education and development (Articles 28–29): Through books, inclusive curriculum, and extracurricular language instruction. Right to play and cultural life (Article 31): Via toy drives, parks, and gardens.
“Conclusion: A Living Model of UN Values, Dr. Mather’s work reflects a holistic, person-centered application of humanitarian and human rights principles at the community level.
“She did not merely advocate for these values abstractly; she embodied them through daily, sustained action across education, social protection, and civic life. Her legacy demonstrates how the UN’s universal ideals can be realized through local leadership, compassion, and unwavering commitment to lifting every member of the community — especially the most vulnerable — toward dignity, equality, and opportunity.”
Our Women of Impact awards program will be on Saturday, June 20th, at the Dove Event Center in Oklahoma City. The program will feature entertainment, inspiring messages, good food, and excellent company. The doors will open at 5pm.
Got your tickets?
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/una-usa-womens-day-event
We hope to see you there!