“Telling Our Stories” was our first in-person event in over four years! It was held on Saturday, October 19, at Renton Technical College.

The program included:

• Welcome and remarks by Dr. Yoshiko Harden, RTC President
  
• Keynote presentation by April Sims, President of the Washington State Labor Council

• Viewing Arise Firebird, a documentary film celebrating the resilience and empowerment of women and BIPOC professionals in the workplace. Q&A with the director (who tells her story in the film)

• Breakout sessions facilitated by Doris Martinez, Executive Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at RTC
• Door prizes and plenty of time to socialize

About Our Keynote Speaker, April Sims

April Sims is the chief executive officer of the Washington State Labor Council. She supervises all of its activities and staff, and leads Washington’s largest union organization representing more than half a million union members. The granddaughter of Louisiana sharecroppers and the daughter of a single mother, Sims has seen the power of unions to change lives.

Contact Jodi Forsell, programs@aauw-wa.org, for more information.

On October 1, the MacArthur Foundation announced their 2024 Genius Grant winners. One of the recipients is Dr. Dorothy Roberts.

Many AAUW-WA members will remember Dr. Roberts’ presentation for our 2021 Health Matters! webinar.

Dr. Roberts is a professor of sociology and law at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a legal scholar and public policy researcher exposing racial inequities embedded within health and social service systems. Her work encompasses reproductive health, bioethics, and child welfare. She sheds light on systemic inequities, amplifies the voices of those directly affected, and boldly calls for wholesale transformation of existing systems.

From the MacArthur Foundation website:

“Roberts argues that the engrained oppressive features of the current system render it beyond repair. She calls for creating an entirely new approach focused on supporting families rather than punishing them. Her support for dismantling the current system of child welfare is unsettling to some, but her provocation inspires many to think more critically about its poor track record and harmful design. By uncovering the complex forces underlying social systems and institutions and uplifting the experiences of people caught up in them, Roberts creates opportunities to imagine and build more equitable and responsive ways to ensure child and family safety.”

The MacArthur Fellowship is awarded to talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction.

The selection criteria are 1. Exceptional creativity, 2. Promise for important future advances based on a track record of significant accomplishments and, 3. Potential for the Fellowship to facilitate subsequent creative work.

Join us for free online “Fireside Chats”!

It’s a virtual opportunity to chat informally with other AAUW branch members around the state on topics that matter to us.

“Elections 2024: What Did We Learn”
Wednesday, November 13

Our AAUW-WA Public Policy Team led a discussion on lessons learned from our branch candidate forums and “Get Out the Vote” activities, to help us plan for 2025-2026 and beyond.

“The Future of AAUW”
Wednesday, September 25

Discussion facilitated by Barbara Sando.

• The vote to change membership requirements did not pass—what happens now?
• How do we continue growing our organization?
• How financially stable is national AAUW?
• What are the ramifications of the Title IX scholarship decisions?
• What is the future of AAUW? What steps do we need to take to get there?

Click here to view-> Slides and charts on the Future of AAUW

Click here to view ->Handout on Title IX and Scholarships, prepared by Barbara Sando

Click here to view -> Notes compiled by Emily Hitchens

Possible Future Dates and Topics:

February 19, 2025 — Branch Fundraising: sharing of ideas, techniques, and best practices

May 21, 2025 — How Visible is AAUW in Our Communities?

For more information, contact Jodi Forsell, programs@aauw-wa.org.

Across the country, school boards, and candidates for school boards, are taking up controversial policies that have led to:

• Banning books from school libraries
• The censorship of curriculum in school classrooms due to individuals finding content “objectionable”
• Policies leading to the prevention of safe school climates for students of all sexual orientations and gender identities

Here are some resources to help you learn about and participate in AAUW’s school board advocacy.

Watch this webinar: School Boards: The Battleground for the Education Culture Wars

And check out the resources referenced in the webinar.

Read AAUW-WA’s position statement on Supporting Public Educators, Academic Freedom, and Equity Efforts in Schools.

School Board and SPI Elections

There are no school board elections this year but the Superintendent of Public Instruction position is up for election. Use our  SPI Candidate Comparison to see how these candidates stand on specific issues.

The League of Women Voters provides How to Choose a School Board Candidate: What Every Voter Should Know.

Serving as a School Board Director

Are you interested in running for your local school board? The Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) provides a helpful get-started webpage, Serving on Your Local School Board.

Sunday, April 21
12:30 to 4:30 p.m.
2024 Annual Meeting
“The Climate Matters to Women”

Following the presentations, the annual business meeting included the President’s report, finance update, updates from the Board, voting on bylaws, and election of officers.

To view the recording on Zoom, use this link.  Passcode:  ?juw=&8k

Approved Bylaws, click here
Financial Reports, click here

Guest Presenters

Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman, founder of Refugee Artisan Initiative, “Turning Trash into Treasure.” RAI teaches immigrant women how to achieve financial independence through small batch production with an emphasis on zero waste.

This video explains the work of Refugee Artisan Initiative. Click here

Renee Hadley is a licensed geologist with a background in aquifer mapping, agricultural extension, tree seed collection, invasive species surveys, and geo-technical engineering. She is district manager for the Walla Walla County Conservation District and president of the AAUW Walla Walla Branch, “Adapting to Changing Landscapes.” View her presentation slides. Click here

For more information contact Jodi Forsell, programs@aauw-wa.org

OPPORTUNITY MATTERS

For our fall, 2023, webinar series, “Opportunity Matters” was a powerful theme. The webinars had a future focus, as well as examples of current practice, to showcase what will make AAUW’s vision of equal opportunity a reality.

Completed 2023 WEBINARS

June kickoff – Dr Season Hoard presented “The Gender Pay Gap: The Opportunity Lost Cost of the Gender Pay Gap on Washington Women” – CLICK FOR PRESENTATION VIDEO –>

September 12:  “Advocacy and Legislation Matter.”  AAUW-WA lobbyist Nancy Sapiro and Public Policy Director Sandra Distelhorst talked about upcoming legislation, such as Keep Our Care Act and Equity in Education bills. Then Sandra talked with Gina Masullo about her research on political engagement and opportunities to advance gender equity through political action. Dr. Masullo is the author of The New Town Hall: Why We Engage Personally with Politicians, and two other books on online engagement.  As a gender-nonconforming breast cancer patient, Gina Masullo has had personal experience with gendered bias in healthcare.

October 3: State Senator Karen Keiser, author of Getting Elected Is the Easy Part, shared her observations about opportunities for upcoming generations of women legislators and leaders. To view the recording, go to this link and use passcode: xam.3hyW

October 10: Focus on Literacy – Cat Howell, Executive Director of Literacy Source in Seattle, and Katherine Freimund, director of Whatcom Literacy Council, described how their organizations help women gain skills and education to create opportunities for themselves and their families.

November 14: Jessica Gerdes, Manager of Outreach and Mentorship at the Department of Translational Medicine and Physiology at Washington State University. By introducing students  to healthcare roles such as EMT, her program addresses the shortage of healthcare providers in rural areas in our state. View slides used by Jessica Gerdes in her presentation. To view the recording, go to this link and use passcode: !5.k5vWp

December 12: Grace Yoo, Executive Director of the Washington State Women’s Commission, established in 2018 by Governor Inslee. She discussed the work of the commission and  opportunities for women in leadership. View slides used by Grace Yoo in her presentation. To view the recording, go to this link and use passcode: #8XWM#Yu

The Gender Pay Gap
Saturday June 17

Our Keynote Speaker for the 2023 Fall Webinar Series will be Dr. Season Hoard, a professor in the Division of Governmental Studies and Services (DSGS) at WSU. Dr. Hoard will introduce our 2023 topic: Opportunity Matters. She will speak primarily about topics such as the gender pay gap, but will also touch on preparing women for employability in high wage, high demand STEM fields.

She has been responsible for developing applied research designs, conducting evaluation research, coordinating research projects, and managing client expectations since 2016. Prior to 2016, Dr. Hoard served as the Research Coordinator, coordinating and conducting applied research projects. Prior to joining DGSS, Season earned her Ph.D. from the School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs at WSU with a focus on comparative public policy and gender and politics.

Summer Leadership Meeting
Sat. August 5 

Our state organization’s annual leadership meeting – all members were invited. AAUW-WA board makes leadership development interesting, useful, and even fun. There is open dialogue and an environment of collaboration, which inspires members to become or continue as confident leaders.

COPIES OF PRESENTATIONS – SEE LINKS IN AGENDA BELOW

What AAUW records should your keep? Our first speaker of the morning was Ruth Seele from the Center for NW Studies at Western Washington University. She is an archivist for AAUW branches in the NW corner of Washington and AAUW WA. Where do you take the records you keep? What are you doing to keep a snapshot of what you are doing now? Think of the space you can free up in your basement!! KEYNOTE SPEAKER PRESENTATION SLIDES LINK –>

Opening Remarks from our President – Emily Hitchens – AAUW WA Strategic Plan 2023 SLIDES LINK –>

Breakout sessions:

• The Community HUB at national AAUW website – tutorial on our website – click here –>
• Your branch Website – PRESENTATION SLIDES LINK –>
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – PRESENTATION SLIDES LINK –>
  DEI Branch Agenda Template doc link –>
  DEI Panel Discussion Template slides –>
• Social Media/Instagram/Meta – PRESENTATION SLIDES LINK –>
• Membership
• College and University partnerships – PRESENTATION SLIDES LINK –>

We missed hearing from Sandra Distelhorst, AAUW WA Public Policy , but she reviewed and updated the state AAUW and national stance and actions YOU CAN TAKE to support the ERA/ Equal Rights Amendment – click here…

Any questions, please contact programs@aauw-wa.org

Emily Stone, Public Policy Director at the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WASCDV). WSCADV is the leading voice to end domestic violence in Washington State. Their mission is to improve how communities respond to domestic violence and to create a world where all people can live and love without fear.

WASCDV advocates for legislation that impacts survivors of abuse in the Washington State Legislature and Congress, educates their membership about the policy process, and helps connect them with their legislators. They also provide input on court rules and state agency policies related to survivors and domestic violence programs, as well as participate on committees and work groups that address a variety of social justice issues.

Ms. Stone is the keynote speaker for Washington State Annual Meeting April 2023.
See links for more about Ms. Stone and related organizations:
https://wscadv.org/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-stone-msw