AAUW NJ President's Message
 
Winter 2019
As you’re visiting with friends and family over the holidays, keep in mind some ways you can support our mission of equity for women and girls.
 URGENT! Last Chance for girls from your county for Tech Trek STEM Camp!

DEADLINE DECEMBER 4th - for signed letters of intent to be delivered to Camp Director Ann Marchesani for each branch/county/area.

Volunteers are needed from all branches in the state of New Jersey who would like to have girls in their communities participate in Tech Trek Camp 2020 at Stockton University. While Atlantic and Cape May Branches head the team to plan and organize the camp, many more volunteers are needed to help.

Each NJ county needs an AAUW member Tech Trek Chair in order for the middle schools to receive an invitation to nominate campers to Tech Trek 2020 at Stockton.

Branch Members, please contact your branch president to see if your branch needs your support.

National Members, please contact Ann Marchesani , at annmarchesani@gmail.com . (If there is no branch supporting your county, you can serve as the chair for your county.)

* For more information on supporting AAUW NJ Tech Trek as a branch or an individual please go to:  https://aauw-nj.aauw.net/projects/tech-trek/

* For more information about AAUW NJ Tech Trek Camp   volunteer positions go to:   https://techtrek-nj.aauw.net/volunteer/
 
Tech Trek Camp volunteers need to be 18 years old or older and members of AAUW.
Dorm Monitors (overnight) will have a background check. Maybe you know someone who will be home from college next summer, or recently retired, who would like the opportunity to encourage the amazing young campers to pursue their interests in STEM careers.

Consider give-a-grad a gift of free AAUW membership, or student memberships (free e-membership at C/U member institutions, or $23.81 for national and NJ membership in the Garden State Virtual Branch).

* If you have any connection to a potential corporate sponsor that would like to encourage more young women to follow their dream into a STEM career, please contact the Tech Trek leaders who will be happy to share the grant application information and help with making a grant application.
The Season of Giving

AAUW Rolls Out Biggest Board Match Ever

AAUW’s board of directors is kicking off this giving season with its largest match in our organization’s 138-year history. From now until December 31, the board will match — dollar for dollar — every donation we receive up to $68,800.

Gifts to AAUW Greatest Needs Fund –
By giving to the AAUW Greatest Needs Fund, or our strategic focus areas, you can make the vision outlined in the strategic plan a reality. A donation to the Greatest Needs Fund will help us expand our highly successful, community-based, mission-driven programs, such as  Start Smart and Work Smart  and the  National Conference for College Women Student Leaders , conduct groundbreaking  research , and launch innovative initiatives to help women and girls thrive. For more on how to support specific strategic focus areas go to: https://www.aauw.org/resource/the-aauw-fund-faq/

Consider Becoming a Legacy Member –
For each of us, philanthropy is intensely personal. It is an expression of our values and our vision of the world we hope to create for the next generation. By making a planned gift to AAUW national, you become a member of the AAUW Legacy Circle and affirm your commitment to empowering women and girls for generations to come. For more information on joining the AAUW Legacy Circle, please contact AAUW's Director, Major & Planned Giving , Heather Miller  at millerh@aauw.org, or the Planned Giving office at at 202-785-7766 or 877-357-5587.

Support Women’s Reproductive Rights in NJ

On November 25, the New Jersey State Assembly voted on A-5802, a bill to provide emergency funding to providers in New Jersey who have been forced out of Title X due to the medically unethical gag rule. Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey organized a group of about 20 people to rally in support of the bill. Marian Haag, Salem Branch, and Karen Brown, AAUW NJ president, represented AAUW, which opposes any attempt to limit access to Title X programs and supports increasing Title X funding.   For more on AAUW’s position on Reproductive Rights go to: https://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/public-policy/aauw-issues/reproductive-rights/  

Follow up actions

New Jersey State Assembly bill A-5802 passed by a vote of 49-21-1 ! Through Planned Parenthood’s tools, you can send a message to your Assembly members today in response to their votes . The form will automatically select your members who voted Yes on the bill, and those who voted No.  Go here [or copy-paste this url into your browser] https://www.weareplannedparenthoodaction.org/onlineactions/9M_PQSuyE0633LzUKqceoQ2?emci=2a5fcae4-4c0d-ea11-828b-2818784d6d68&emdi=756dfe85-8310-ea11-828b-2818784d6d68&ceid=1925085

The Senate hearing is expected to take place December 5, 2019 with a Senate vote December 16, 2019 (dates subject to change). Watch for notice of another opportunity to rally for women’s civil rights.

Be sure to check out our AAUW NJ website and Facebook page often for opportunities to learn, enjoy, and support fellow AAUW members’ efforts to advance equity for women. Join the closed LinkedIn Group , as well.

Take a look at our Special Project Pages, and our National Pages, which can help you navigate many topics of particular interest to our State members.
AAUW NJ BOARD AND COMMITTEES

If you are interested in helping develop future AAUW NJ programs, or in working to help grow the connection between AAUW and our New Jersey Colleges and Universities, please contact Karen Brown. For more information on the various AAUW NJ board positions, see the  Board webpage.
Karen Brown, President
AAUW of New Jersey

908-685-3695

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