January 2021 Newsletter

President's Message

Happy New Year!

Our members throughout AAUW NJ have really been busy organizing some great virtual programs on a variety of topics and in various formats: interactive presentations, panel discussions, movie and book discussions, and some small group experiences, too.

Please help us make AAUW important to you in 2021. AAUW NJ leaders welcome your feedback and suggestions on programs – email to aauwnj@gmail.com. What did you like, want more of? How can we engage with a wider audience?

If AAUW is already important to you, please reach out to a current AAUW NJ board member to learn more about how you can help us lead into the future.

Looking forward to an active 2021!

Karen

January Featured Program

Like a Woman

Jan 11, 2021, 7 pm

Join AAUW Madison Branch and the League of Women Voters for a virtual screening of the documentary "Like a Woman", celebrating barrier-breaking women in male-dominated professions. Funded by AAUWNJ Charitable Trust.

The screening will be followed by a short discussion with director Gail Mooney. Parents and daughters are encouraged to attend.

Registration must be received by Friday, January 8th! Email Susan Mennella at smennella@verizon.net with questions.

AAUW NJ

Zoom Training!

Are you interested in learning tips & tricks for running Zoom meetings?

In January (date TBD) we will have a Zoom session hosted by Lauren Muccilli, Communications Manager for Douglass College at Rutgers University. This session will help teach us Zoom techniques for hosting effective meetings, such as polling, breakout rooms, registrations, etc.

There's still time to sign up, email aauwnj@gmail.com ASAP and we’ll put you on the list!

AAUW National News

AAUW CIO Kim Churches is featured in the December 28, 2020 article "Will working women recover in 2021?" in Fortune Magazine.

"Six experts—from Melinda Gates to Time’s Up CEO Tina Tchen—weighed in on the question Will working women recover in 2021? All emphasized the critical importance of addressing key gaps like accessible childcare and paid family leave. But from unique perches—lobbying Congress on these issues, working with businesses to better serve female workers, and analyzing economic data—each has a different outlook for the new year."

Read the article here

We are all interested in promoting equity and inclusion, but where do we start?

The AAUW Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Toolkit aims to identify best practices for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within AAUW. These resources present guidelines for how AAUW branches, national members, student members and individual members can demonstrate an understanding of AAUW’s mission, values, goals and strategic plan.

“In diversity, there is beauty and there is strength.”

-- Maya Angelou

Branch News and Events

AAUW Somerset Hills Branch invites you to:

"Managing the Future"

Tuesday, Jan 12th, 6:45PM

We enter 2021 reflecting on the adjustments that have occurred in our workplaces, at our schools, in our communities and in our homes during the past year. Which of these adjustments are ephemeral or longer lasting? How will our communities look and function differently than in the past? In an interview style presentation our January program’s speakers will explore these and other questions about the future.

Please register in advance for this meeting.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

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AAUW Summit branch invites you to:

"John Lewis: Good Trouble" - Screening and Discussion

Sunday, Jan 17th, 2:00 PM

The documentary film John Lewis: Good Trouble will be streamed online for 48 hours in mid-January. Then on Sunday January 17, 2021, at 2:00 P.M. join us on Zoom for a discussion of the film. The League of Women Voters of Berkeley Heights, New Providence, and Summit, the League of Women Voters of Plainfield, and the Summit College Club Branch of the American Association of University Women continue their partnership in presenting this film and discussion in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Summit AAUW President Hedy Tukey and LWV member Jean Crichton will lead the discussion.

Send an email to lwvbhnps@yahoo.com and links will be sent to you for the film and discussion, both of which are free of charge. We hope you can join us.

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Northern Monmouth County Branch invites you to:

Gentrification Down the Shore

Thursday, January 21th, 5 – 6:30 pm

Gentrification is a hot topic in the US and locally here in Monmouth County. Authors Molly Makris and NMCB member Mary Gatta will share the findings from their new book and discuss the impact of seasonal gentrification in Asbury Park, NJ.

For information about this event and to register, email Pat Miller

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Jan 21st Edwina Sessons, Co-President of Willingboro Branch, will be speaking to Teen organizations on "The Importance of Voting in LOCAL ELECTIONS."

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Somerset Hills Branch recently recognized the service of local female veterans in the "Hope for Veterans"-Transitional Housing Program: at the Lyons VA Medical Center, with holiday gifts that included information about AAUW Work Smart Online. "Hope for Veterans" provides all the support services they will need, to be able to eventually function independently. There are currently five female veterans, 30-50 years of age, involved in this program.

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Greater Wayne Branch member Peggy Gardner used her artistic skills to create donation cards for purchase. She designed a card "In Memory Of", one "In Honor Of' and recently added a “Happy Holiday” card. In January we will begin offering “Happy Birthday” cards.

Members make a donation to the scholarship fund and request one of the above cards be sent to a recipient of their choice. Announcement of the donation, minus the amount, is listed in the following issue of our newsletter. To date we have raised $250 from this program.

In keeping with AAUW's mission, the branch started a couple of new interest groups including a current events group and a women's discussion group. These groups deal with topics in keeping with the focus of AAUW's mission. The groups will continue over Zoom through the winter.

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Freehold Branch didn’t let Covid stop them from connecting or engaging in the holiday spirit. They held a virtual holiday party in December with 38 members via Zoom!

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If your branch is forwarding the AAUW mission in some way, please share your activities with aauwnj@gmail.com. We want to celebrate you!

AAUWNJ's December Unconference

On December 9, 2020, AAUW NJ hosted their first ever Unconference! Jackie McGuinness and Mariel Kolker facilitated the event. What an opportunity to get to know other members across the state and to get their feedback on choice topics!

The ladies participated in two breakout sessions: The first one was a get to know you session. “What are you most grateful for?’ The next breakout season was for the ladies to decide what the evening discussion topics were going to be. When they came back to the general meeting, each one chose a “room” in which they could go to participate. We had about 20 ladies participating. Some of the topics included: A More Equal Society, Fundraising in times of COVID, Supporting women who have lost their jobs due to COVID, Member Engagement during COVID, and Successful branch programs. Overall, the ladies had a great time.

While there were a few takeaways, two stood out: (1) We should do this again! It was a very empowering moment to be able to share your thoughts on a topic that interests you and to find out that others have the same interests too. (2) Racial equity is an issue that needs to be a focus for AAUW NJ. Many were excited by the idea of working together to come up with ideas of how we, as a collective, can come together to educate our members.

Stay tuned for the next Unconference! Hope to see you there!

aauwnj@gmail.com

Visit the AAUW NJ Website