AAUW Programs:

“Save the Date” Weds., 7 pm, Jan. 22 – Travel Experience as a Solo Woman

Weds., 7 pm, Dec. 18 – Sharing Women Who Inspired You

This month we, the members, will share and get to know our members and the women they admire. Prepare to share details about a woman who has inspired you in your life. We recognize that our mothers are key to shaping our worldview, but also consider thinking beyond your family to see if another woman has inspired and motivated you. One favorite of many women (including your branch president) is Eleanor Roosevelt. We can’t wait to hear who inspired you!

Nov. 9 – Meet the AAUW Fellows & Grantees

Program recording is available.Link on AAUW Jane Addams web page.

Thallyta Laryssa P F Cavoli received an International Doctoral Degree Fellowship in 2023-2024 to study law at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign with a specialization in poverty law, law and economics, and labor and employment law.  Her project, entitled “Excusing Legal Requirements on Claims Based on Poverty Status” is an interdisciplinary and comparative study of Brazil and the United States. Thallyta’s work delves into the critical need for creating a principle of poverty status, which should be used as a legal excuse in cases where individuals are denied access to certain rights due to not fulfilling all that the law requires of them because of poverty-related issues. By recognizing and applying this principle, it will be possible to address the consequences of poverty head-on and contribute to the fight to guarantee everyone equal access to the necessary resources.

Tonya Carter received a Community Action Grant for 2022-2023.
Her project “S.T.E.P.S-n-STEM (Search, Try, Experience and Prepare 2 Succeed in STEM)” is a program to improve the connections to and opportunities for young people to connect to the world of STEM. Tonya Carter has a Masters in Nonprofit Management Leadership and a dual B.S. in Psychology and Sociology and is the Founder of The Carter Education & Community Foundation, Inc. Tonya is a Master Community Health Worker Trainer with over 20 years of program management and implementation experience. The STEPS-2-STEM program focused on engaging youth in the Village of Rantoul, home to the former Chanute Air Force Base to build relationships & connections and create exposure to STEM-related opportunities.

Oct. – Get Out the Vote: March to the Polls

Get Out the Vote program slides gotv.
Program video recording.

Election 2024 will be a historic election! Imagine electing the first woman president! This is also the first presidential election since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Over 167 million women have had their rights diminished. Will their voices be heard? In addition, the Equal Rights Amendment has not been published. We must continue our advocacy of equity for all women.

Let’s mobilize voters for a huge turnout for this historic election. Let’s review our AAUW values and how to evaluate candidates. We’ll discuss why this election is especially important for women and our AAUW mission of equity. Discussion will include how to talk to neighbors about the election.
Presenter: Elaine Fisher, Northwest Suburban President & Public Policy Chair

Sept. Program: Truth, Trust, and Turnout: Navigating Elections,
Civic Engagement, and Disinformation

Program recording link.
Dr. Suzanne Chod, Professor of Political Science at North Central College in Naperville explored the relations between political trust, polarization, and disinformation and its effects on elections and democracy. Specifically, she offers details on the calculated use of disinformation as a means to divide us further and erode democratic norms. Dr. Chod spent time breaking down what we can do to spot and combat disinformation in the current election cycle and beyond.

Book Discussions, Tues. afternoons, 4 pm: Join us!

July 23: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (fiction)
August 27: Find a Way by Diana Nyad (nonfiction)
September 24: Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear (fiction, first in a mystery series) Oct. 22: The Rulebreaker by Susan Page

The Zoom registration link for any of this series of four book discussions (June – Sept) is the same. Feel free to attend one or more discussions, guests are welcome. Registration is required.
Here’s the link for registration:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtcOqurjMqGNbglKmUooXBR2yeBrlseNu0

May, 2024  AAUW Equity Issues: Wine & Women’s Issues

Join us if you can for an informal discussion of current issues affecting women.
You bring the wine and we’ll discuss/vent about how women’s issues are being handled in today’s news and government decisions. Do you care about women’s healthcare and bodily autonomy? publishing the ERA? access to unbiased education in public schools? freedom to read? pay equity and economic security? Learn how AAUW can support our rights.
Become a two minute activist!

March, 2024: Des Plaines Library, Elizabeth Packard

Elizabeth Packard was committed to the Illinois State Hospital in 1860 and was kept under lock and key for three years, all the while protesting her sanity. While her husband insisted to everyone that she was insane, Elizabeth was able to obtain her release. Realizing that current law allowed married women to be placed in asylums by their husbands, Elizabeth started a campaign to change that unjust law. Through her perseverance, her voice was heard.

This timely living history portrayal by Laura F. Keyes shows how, throughout history and even up to the present day, women’s voices are silenced and marginalized when they dare to express opinions contrary to those of the men in power.

Feb., 2024: A Community’s Guide to Human Trafficking
Presenter: Elisa Munoz

The AAUW Book Club Discussion state-wide book group meets online.  Tuesday, Feb. 27, 7 pm to discuss Nomadland: Surviving  America in 21st Century

Nomadland  by Jessica Bruder interviews a variety of people who are traveling from job to job to stay above the poverty line. They have no permanent home since they are constantly mobile. They have formed a different kind of caring community.

Three Girls from Bronzeville: A Uniquely American Memoir of Race, Fate, and Sisterhood by Dawn Turner. Three girls live in the same apartment complex yet have different life outcomes. How did their neighborhood, family and friends affect their lives so differently?  This is a thought provoking story.
Author interviews
NPR fresh Air interview: Memoir explores how racism and violence impacted ‘Three Girls from Bronzeville’ (37 minutes) https://www.npr.org/2021/11/15/1055787497/memoir-explores-how-racism-and-violence-impacted-three-girls-from-bronzeville
Wilmette Library author video interview: (1 hr ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBa15x0RA3U&t=24s
Chicago Humanities Festival interview (53 min.) by Dahleen Glanton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-OgnbgtNsQ

Further books on the overall theme of families fighting poverty in the US will be –
March 19: Forgotten Girls by Monica Potts
All AAUW members and guests are welcome to our AAUW Book Club Discussions.

Jan., 2024: Paid Family & Medical Leave

AAUW IL has been working on a bill to provide insurance for folks to take paid medical and family leave. One of the reasons that women have less earning power and fewer retirement resources is that often, it is the woman who leaves the job force to care for ailing parents, in-laws, siblings, partners, and children. This legislation, when passed, will allow all workers to take paid family and medical leave.
 
Sarah Labadie, of Women Employed, will share the ups and downs of getting this complicated legislation passed. Developing and passing legislation is how we get AAUW values working for everyone. Link to the program recording.

Dec., 2023: Did You Say Books and PJ’s? Count Me In!

The Northwest Suburban AAUW branch program will be a casual, social get together via Zoom, Did You Say Books and PJ’s? Count Me In! Wear your holiday PJ’s or your holiday sweater and plan to share one (or maybe two) of your favorite books with all of us that you have read in 2023. It can be a novel, historical fiction, mystery, thriller, non-fiction or even poetry; your choice-your favorite.

Nov., 2023: Debunking Gun Violence Myths

Learn how to advocate for sensible gun safety policies and practices and counter misinformation.   Recording link: https://youtu.be/oe1ITH8695Q

Presented by GVPedia President and Founder Devin Hughes, Debunking Gun Violence Myths is an in-depth discussion on prevalent myths about guns and safety. Devin also will talk about Armed with Reason, GVPedia’s initiative to counter the gun lobby’s “firehose of falsehood.” Armed With Reason features articles from GVPedia and from leaders in the gun violence prevention movement, survivors, gun owners, and advocates from across the country. This platform is an inclusive space where people across the country can share ideas, network, and collaborate.

November 2023: AAUW Fellows & Grantees

The AAUW Chicago Branch, in partnership with the Jane Addams Branch, is once again hosting a virtual meeting via Zoom to showcase three AAUW Fellows and Grantees.  Program recording link: https://youtu.be/HT2eSROO0so
This year’s presenters include:
Seyma Kabaoglu   International Fellowship, Turkey
Northwestern University
Cultural anthropology: Ph.D., Cultural anthropology
Ms. Kabaoglu is conducting an ethnographic study of politics of doubt and ethical finance in Turkey’s Islamic participation banking industry.
Dana Fanslow  Career Development Grant
University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
Library sciences: M.S., Social Justice & Administration
Ms. Fanslow’s work consists of educating others that literary collections, programs, and physical spaces should reflect that the world is not one-dimensional so individuals can learn about themselves, as well as others.

September 2023/ Barbie & Ken: Gender Roles Discussion

Have you seen the Barbie movie?  Did it change your mind about the roles of men and women?
Does Barbie discover her true purpose? How would you describe the movie? a gleeful escape, a laugh out loud comedy or a battle cry. What aspects did you enjoy most? music, costumes, production, or drama?  What was the influence of director/co-writer, Greta Gerwig?
Is Ken a helpless pawn in Barbieland? Let’s talk about it.
Here’s an interesting article. Join us for a discussion on Sept. 20.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/…/what-the-movie-barbie…

Program recordings, Part 1 Movie Reviews and Part 2 Movie Discussion. Barbie Ken discussion questions. Dream Reads Bookworm Barbie Needs  to read for follow-up discussion. If you have any questions, please contact Elaine at elainefisher128@gmail.com

August 30, Teaching Civics: Why It is Important

Let’s talk about the importance of civics education in our US schools!

Presentation slides.

Our national report card shows that we are not doing a good job teaching US history and civics, and that is not preparing our students to be active citizens. Understanding how our government works, our rights and responsibilities as citizens, and the importance of active participation in our democracy is crucial to maintaining a healthy society. An informed and Engaged citizenry is the cornerstone of a vibrant democracy. Join us for the presentation!

Civics education is the foundation upon which informed and engaged citizens are built. It empowers us to make well-informed decisions, hold our elected officials accountable, and actively contribute to shaping our communities.

That’s why we invite you to join us for an enlightening presentation on how we can improve civics education in our schools. Our presenter, Ed Spire, looks into these issues and focuses on the newly created Educating for American Democracy Roadmap, which points the way to improving this important area of education. Ed Spire is co-lead of NWSOFA’s Restore our Democracy project, where they focus on issues regarding the effectiveness of the US democracy.