AAUW now accepting scholarship applications

Each year the Fergus Falls AAUW is pleased to award four scholarships to area women. LInks to the scholarship cover letter, application and recommendation forms are on this website, right hand column. The applications are due March 21, 2013.

Announcing our third annual "Girl Saturday" event!

For the third year, the American Association of University Women--Fergus Falls branch is hosting an event to introduce area 5th and 6th grade girls to careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). This year, the AAUW is holding Engineer Girl Saturday, March 23 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Kennedy Secondary School cafeteria. The girls will meet women engineers and make their own Rube Goldberg-type machines. The goal is to perform a simple task through a series of chain reactions with contraptions engineered by the girls. 

The event is free but space is limited to 20 participants, so it's important to register early at http://bit.ly/engineer-girl. 

If you'd like more information, please contact STEM coordinator Kristi Hastings at k.hastings@pemlaw.com.  

The Fergus Falls AAUW's grand weekend out

The group poses for a picture at The Bell Museum of Natural History

Each year our wonderful member Jeanne Jensen plans a truly spectacular fall cultural trip for branch members. This year was no exception.

 

U.S.-Dakota War exhibit

Jeanne's plan was to take us to places in the Twin Cities we've always wanted to go, but never or seldom have, like the Museum of Russian Art, the Weisman Art Museum and the Bell Museum of Natural History. We also enjoyed the play "Summer and Smoke" at The Theatre in the Round, and visited the Minnesota History Center to see the U.S.-Dakota War exhibit commemorating its 150th anniversary.

 

Wise Acre in "Tangletown," South Minneapolis

All along the way we also enjoyed some amazing meals at Wise Acre in South Minneapolis, The Loring Pasta Bar in Dinkytown, and The Bachelor Farmer in the Warehouse District.

 

Thank you, Jeanne, for another great cultural trip.

 

Members, start planning to join us next year!

When last we saw our intrepid band of education-minded women....

Wow, it's been 5 months since our last post! It's not that we are have had nothing to post--far from it!

Here's a little catch up:

At the May meeting and annual banquet, member Sheri Booms Holm received the Woman of the Year Award. Sheri is the communications director at West Central Initiative, and serves on the AAUW board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our May meeting, the AAUW research report, "Crossing the Line: Sexual Harassment at School" was distributed to 15 area schools with a letter encouraging it be used for staff workshops. We hope it will be used this fall as teachers prepare for the new school year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to your generosity at the May AAUW meeting, a total of $350 has been sent for Liazah at the Mt. Selinda Hospital in Zimbabwe. Liazah was brought to our attention by Maryjane Westra, who, along with her husband, Don, are missionaries with the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe. the amount collected should buy her a sewing machine and give her a good start on her career as a seamstress. We hope to have an update when the Westras return to Zimbabwe this month.

 

At the September "kick-off" meeting, we met at the Lake Region Arts Council in the beautiful River Inn, downtown Fergus Falls. We were pleased to welcome several guests, and are gratified that three became members that night! There's always room for more...hint, hint. 

Techno Girl Saturday--the show!

Techno Girls take over downtown Fergus Falls

In the City Bakery, Biffley’s Games and Books, and bustling up and down the downtown streets, fifth and sixth grade girls were busy taking notes, video, photos and audio recordings to use in their very own news show. It was all part of Techno Girl Saturday on March 31. Fifteen girls took part of this second annual STEM event put on by our AAUW branch. 

Specials thanks to video producer Tim Litt who lead the girls through the process, and to Otter Tail Telcom for providing the studio facilities. We’re also grateful to Radio Shack for providing flash drives so each girl can have their own copy of the news show, and to Chris Schuelke from Otter Tail County Historical Society for leading a group of girls on a tour of downtown. And thanks to fearless STEM leader Kristi Hastings for coordinating the event and all the great AAUW volunteers! It was another successful AAUW event!

Techno Girl Saturday is March 31

For the second year in a row, the AAUW Fergus Falls branch is holding a STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) event for elementary-school girls. This year we are inviting 5th and 6th graders to learn how technology is used to produce a television show.  The event is Saturday, March 31, from 10 a.m. to Noon.

A BIG shout out to Tim Litt, who is giving his time and talent to teach the girls about video production, and to Otter Tail Telcom, for allowing us to take over their studio for the morning. Thanks too to Rob Rogholt and Radio Shack for providing the girls with flash drives.

To sign up your 5th & 6th grade girl by THURSDAY, MARCH 29, go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/635S26N. 

AAUW offering scholarships to Fergus Falls Area Women for 2012

The Fergus Falls branch of the American Association of University Women is pleased to announce that it is once again offering scholarships. There is no age limit for applicants, and women who are graduating from high school, attending or returning to college, in transition, or making career changes are all encouraged to apply. Women of all race, ethnicity, and cultural backgrounds are urged to submit an application.
The following scholarships will be awarded in 2012:

• Three $1,000 scholarships.
• One $1,000 Georgia Dieseth scholarship for a woman who has demonstrated an interest in the Arts (music, drama, writing, art).

Scholarships will be granted on the basis of the “whole person,” not simply performance on standardized tests or grade point averages.  General factors that will be taken into consideration are the following: leadership, dedication to lifelong learning, completion of the essay, life experiences, extracurricular activities, and the applicant appraisal forms.

We have sent out application packets to area high school counselors and to M-State--Fergus Falls. Or download materials on this website (right-hand side of page). 

Completed application packets must be returned to the address at the bottom of the application and be postmarked no later than March 21, 2012. Scholarship winners will be invited to attend the April 16, 2012, branch meeting.

Please contact Kristi A. Hastings at 218-736-5493 (work) or 218-205-9727 (cell) if you have any questions.

The AAUW gives thanks for a fruitful 2011

The American Association of University Women would like to pause this Thanksgiving to give thanks for the many opportunities and advancements for women and girls during 2011. Although there is no way for us to list all of the advances for women and girls that we have seen this year, here are just a few to reflect upon and give thanks:

We’re thankful for AAUW’s new research report, Crossing the Line: Sexual Harassment at School, the most comprehensive, nationally representative report conducted on sexual harassment in middle and high schools in a decade. The report has been featured in articles in The Associated Press, New York Times, Washington Post On Parenting blog, Education Week, Capitol Hill Blue, and thousands of other press outlets.

We’re thankful that the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that three women, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee and Yemeni opposition leader Tawakkul Karman, were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their courageous contributions to peace, democracy, and international women’s rights.

We’re thankful that women broke barriers around the world, with women elected to lead Australia, Brazil, and Thailand for the first time.

We’re thankful that for the first time in history, the president’s top legal team is entirely composed of women.

We are thankful for the U.S. Women’s Soccer National Team finishing as runners up in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, providing American sports fans one with one of the most thrilling and memorable sports event – male or female – of the year.

We’re thankful that the Internal Revenue Service ruled that breast pumps may be purchased with money from pretax flexible spending accounts or, for women without such accounts, a tax deduction for the pump.

We’re thankful for a successful Capitol Hill Lobby Day during AAUW’s national convention. Over 600 AAUW members lobbied members of Congress in one day. Their efforts and those of the AAUW Action Fund Capitol Hill Lobby Corps and AAUW Action Network e-advocates (you!) resulted in 50 additional co-sponsors for the Campus SaVE Act (House 38; Senate 12) and 26 more cosponsors for the National Women’s History Museum Act (House 25; Senate 1).

We’re thankful for Marcia Anderson, who was appointed as the Army’s first African-American female two-star general.

We’re thankful that President Barack Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, championed by First Lady Michelle Obama, which ensures all children will have healthy food in schools.

We’re thankful for the repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy which banned lesbian and gay Americans from openly serving in the nation’s armed forces.

We are thankful that the U.S. hosted the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation’s Women and the Economy Summit in San Francisco, where participants adopted the San Francisco Declaration on Women and the Economy.

We are thankful for the creation of AAUW’s Voices Project, which has  allowed the voices of AAUW members throughout the nation to educate the public, spark discussion, and influence the debate through op eds and letters to the editor.

We are thankful for the $23,500 Cy Pres awarded to AAUW to continue our mission to advance equity for women and girls, which resulted from a settlement in the class action lawsuit against Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation for the thousands of saleswomen who claimed gender discrimination based on pay, promotion, and pregnancy.

We’re thankful that the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Violence Against Women Federal and Tribal Prosecution Task Force in response to the unacceptable rates of violence against women and children in Indian tribal communities.

We’re thankful that Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) was appointed chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and is the first woman to hold the distinguished position.  She also happens to be the only woman on the deficit reduction “super committee,” which she co-chairs.

We’re thankful that the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Labor announced a new Human Trafficking Enhanced Enforcement Initiative to streamline the investigations and prosecutions of federal human trafficking offenses.

We’re thankful for the representatives from AAUW who joined more than 250 women from around the world for the 55th U.N. Commission on the Status of Women. The CSW’s theme of access and participation for women and girls’ education and training in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics was greatly informed by AAUW’s recent Why So Few? report.

We’re thankful that 85 nations, including the United States, reaffirmed their commitment to ending violence against LGBT individuals.

We’re thankful that AAUW joined coalition partners on stage during the ‘Stand Up for Women’s Health Rally’ on the National Mall. Members of Congress, activists, and cancer survivors spoke to the crowd of thousands about the direct threat funding cuts posed to women’s health programs.

We’re thankful that the U.S. Agency for International Development established a new Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.

We’re thankful for Lauren Hodge, Naomi Shah, and Shree Bose, the U.S. girls who won the top awards at Google’s inaugural science fair in all three age groups. They were congratulated by President Obama, who invited them to the Oval Office.

We’re thankful that the Department of Health and Human Services adopted recommendations from the Institute of Medicine that preventive care coverage for women under the new health care law includes birth control without patient copay or deductible.

We’re thankful that on the 17^th anniversary of the passage of the Violence Against Women Act, Vice President Biden called for renewed efforts to prevent dating violence and sexual assault on teens and college students.

We’re thankful that President Obama told the United Nations General Assembly to make sure that the safety, economic security, and civil rights of women and girls are not overlooked. The President challenged world leaders to include women at every level of society.

We’re thankful that the American Federation of Teachers used statistics from four AAUW research reports to make the case for promoting gender diversity among college and university faculty.

We’re thankful that New Jersey’s Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act, which went into effect in September, reflects a meaningful effort to reduce bullying in schools.

We’re thankful that new federal regulations went into effect ensuring hospital visitation rights for patients’ partners or spouses prohibit hospitals from denying visitors’ entry based on gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnicity, or disability.

We’re thankful for Kamala Harris, who shattered glass ceilings in California by becoming the state’s first female attorney general, and also the state’s first African American and Indian American attorney general. 

We’re thankful for enthusiastic recognition of Equal Pay Day 2011, including the Paycheck Fairness Act reintroduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD); AAUW’s successful Capitol Hill event New Voices for Pay Equity; publication of AAUW's new guide, The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap; more than 20 AAUW Voices Project op-eds published on fair pay; AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman’s op-ed published in the Huffington Post; and AAUW’s first ever fair pay flash mob on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

We’re thankful for Mississippi voters, who rejected Issue 26, a measure that would have effectively banned all abortions and severely limited access to in-vitro fertilization, birth control, and other medical procedures and care, by more than 58 percent of voters.

We’re thankful for our stalwart allies on Capitol Hill, including Senator Mikulski and Representative DeLauro who are working together to develop legislation that would address the Supreme Court’s problematic decision in Wal-Mart v. Dukes.

We’re thankful for the AAUW Action Fund Capitol Hill Lobby Corps, whose persistent and thoughtful volunteer advocacy every year helps educate lawmakers and hold them accountable. This year, Lobby Corps members made over 1,400 visits to Senate and House offices reinforcing AAUW’s message and garnering many cosponsors on key legislation.

We’re thankful for women like Edith Arana, who spoke at AAUW’s national convention about her involvement in the class action sex discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart.

We’re thankful for AAUW members and supporters who generously give of their time, talent, and treasures to help women advance their educations and develop their leadership skills.

And of course, we’re thankful for you, the AAUW Action Network, for your enthusiastic advocacy to break through educational and economic barriers to ensure that all women have a fair chance. Your thousands of letters and phone calls to members of Congress is a clarion call for the rights of women and girls everywhere.

From all of us at AAUW, best wishes for a happy and healthy Thanksgiving and a joyful beginning to your holiday season.

Our thanks to all who made the Tour of Homes so great!

The Fergus Falls branch of the AAUW wishes to thank all the people who helped make our Tour of Homes fundraiser a success.

We are so thankful for the homeowners who so graciously opened their lovely homes:

• Dan Fitz
• Eric and Lisa Farnberg
• Harriet and Barret Wicklund
• Kay and Jim Miller

And we were blown away by the lovely decor provided by so many area businesses. Our thanks to:

• Boxelder
• The Market on Union Avenue
• The Flower Mill
• Wild Rose Floral & Gifts
• Jaeger Furniture
• Olson Furniture
• Floor to Ceiling
• Flamingo Glass
• Periwinkle Decor
• Nancy Walvatne
• Crates of Yarn
• Herberger's
• Target

Special thanks also go to Service Foods for selling tickets and providing gift cards toward groceries for our reception, and to PioneerCare for allowing us to host our reception in their beautiful atrium.