Lakewood Colorado Branch

American Association of
University Women

Fundraising Involvement Activities Mission Program  

Membership Information
 303-980-0566

AAUW is open to any person with an associate degree or an accredited four-year degree. A college student also is elgible.

Highlights of
2009-2010 Branch Programming and AAUW events

(Click for full 2009 list)

Journalist Tina Griego on education and mentoring issues

CO Teacher of the Year Susan Elliott shares challenges of deaf students from personal perspective.

Amy Blackwell shares her trip to South Africa last fall.

Shannon Galpin of Breckinridge is building schools in Afghanistan.

MARCH EVENTS

Monday, 8 March 2010, 1-4 pm
Red Rocks Lakewood Campus, in the Den

Amy Blackwell on "Women's Education in S. Africa and U.S."

AAUW Lakewood and Red Rocks Community College are co-sponsoring Amy Blackwell's talk on "Women's Education in South Africa and the U.S." 1:00-2:15 p.m. Location is at the Lakewood campus in the Den. Plan to attend if you missed her at our January meeting.
Then Lakewood AAUW will screen the film "Persepolis" at The Den at Red Rocks Community College (Lakewood campus), as part of RRCC's 2010 International Women's Day event.Click to these websites for more information:
"Persepolis" website = http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/persepolis/main.html
RRCC Lakewood map = http://www.rrcc.edu/maps/lakewood.html

International Women's Day - Red Rocks

Thursday, 11 March 2010, 7:00 p.m.
Holy Shepherd Church, 9th & Kipling

Caroline Schultz
Urban Education Coordinator
Denver Urban Mission

To foster our awareness and growth Caroline Schultz will lead us in an activity
in which we adopt the identity of a real family living in poverty for one month. Each family is on the brink of homelessness. We will need to make some tough, yet realistic and creative decisions in order to survive. Do we buy diapers or food? What happens if we can’t pay the rent? Where do our children go when we're at work? These are some of the many questions participants must answer as they take on life's unique challenges each day. Can you survive the game of life?

As AAUW members we promote higher education.  Let’s learn more about what holds some women back by putting on their shoes for an evening.

 

 

Fundraising

Our fundraising supports the AAUW mission of advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. We raise money for the AAUW Educational Foundation, the Legal Advocacy Fund, and for operating funds. We also welcome any member donations throughout the year.

We have shifted our branch fundraising to two events in the month of May, a plant sale and a combination used-book and garage sale. The plants are perfect for Mother's Day and a start to summer gardening. Most of us are passionate readers and use the book sale to recycle what we have read.

For 33 years we held the Holiday Home Fair, a craft and fine arts event, as our only fundraiser. This tremendous event enabled us to purchase computer servers for the Jeffco Action Center, commission public art sculptures, support the AAUW Educational Foundation and Legal Advocacy Fund, as well as fund many other community efforts.

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Community Involvement

We promote and support public education. We also participate in local events, such as Habitat for Humanity builds, Race for the Cure, and the Second Wind Walk/Run.

We achieve positive outcomes by combining our efforts with other community groups:

  • Lakewood Heritage Center
  • West Jeffco Chamber of Commerce to sponsor the annual Good News Breakfast
  • Jefferson Center for Mental Health
  • Jeffco Action Center
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • City of Lakewood

For several years Lakewood AAUW's local philanthropy was A Step Up: Education is the Gateway to Women's Financial Security. We assisted with the educational goals of women who are working hard toward self-sufficiency and a better life in Jefferson County. We teamed with Stride, a social service organization in our community, to help us identify women who needed financial assistance for their next educational steps. We successfully funded this effort with the wonderful support of the 240 Union Restaurant in Lakewood.

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Activities
We nurture friendships and expand our knowledge through interest groups. Join one or enjoy them all:

  • Books and Lunch or Evening Literature
  • Gourmet Potpourri or Gourmet Lite
  • Bridge groups
  • Public Policy Discussions and Actions
  • Great Decisions, a discussion of International Relations

We also enjoy diversions -- one-time events that are entertaining, educational, and often "outside the box." In the past we have experienced outdoor adventures, attended cultural and historical programs, and explored the world of chocolate.

2009-2010 Diversions

  • Tea, Art, and Lunch - Friday, Oct 2
    Tea tasting at Celestial Seasonings with tour and lunch
    Leanin' Tree Art Museum with 250 paintings and 150 bronze sculptures
  • High Tea and Aunt Clara Brown's Story - Saturday, Feb 13
    Private tea at English Rose Tea Company with
    costumed story telling
  • Satisfying your chocolate obsession - Spring
    Information coming soon.

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Mission
The American American Association of University Women advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. In principle and practice AAUW values and seeks a diverse membership. There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability.

STATE CONVENTION

April 23-25
Aurora
Doubletree Hotel

Convention Registration

Tour Registration

$TART $MART
was a focus of Fall Leadership Conference

Amy Blackwell presented the AAUW/WAGE Project Initiative, explaining how to conduct $tart $mart negotiation workshops on Colorado college campuses.

The $tart $mart workshop is a critical tool for us as we teach young women in our community the necessary skills to negotiate successfully for fair pay and benefits at their first jobs, thus helping to close the gender-based pay gap.

Amy welcomed 20 new volunteers eager to help. Email Amy for more information.

Convention Results

Click here for Amy Blackwell's synopsis of the bylaw changes, speakers, and $tart$mart..

Click here for more convention news in the Association newsletter.

Women's Suffrage

Click here for a timeline on the Women's Suffrage Movement.

Give a Grad a Gift

This is a great gift for your favorite graduate. You can give the gift of membership in AAUW. There is no charge to you for the Association dues of $49. Click here for more information.

 

Invest in yourself and the future
JOIN TODAY

For more than a century, AAUW (American Association of University Women) has been the leading voice promoting education and equity for women and girls. With more than 100,000 members, branch members range from recent college graduates to older women in all professions.

Through its nationwide network, the Lakewood Branch of AAUW focuses on educational equality, intellectual growth, individual worth and development opportunities for women and girls.

Note: AAUW respects the right of individual members to vote according to their own beliefs and to voice their own opinions. However, if you are presenting AAUW positions on issues in private or in public, you must present the information on this page.

Note also that AAUW rules preclude the organization from opposing or endorsing candidates in partisan elections.

 

Branch Programming & Events for 2009-2010

  • Thursday, September 10th
    At our annual kick-off potluck salad dinner, Tina Griego, columnist at the Denver Post, will speak about education and mentoring in correlation with Hispanic Heritage Awareness Month.
  • Saturday and Sunday, September 11-12
    CO AAUW Fall Leadership Conference at Frisco.
  • September 20st
    Second Wind Walk/Run/Ride at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. This organization raises counseling funds for at-risk teens.
  • Sunday, October 4th
    Join us to walk in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure downtown at the Pepsi Center.
  • Thursday, October 8th
    Colorado's 2009 Teacher of the Year, Susan Elliott, will share the challenges of deaf students. October is Disability Awareness Month, and our speaker has a unique insight because she is deaf..
  • Thursday, November 12th
    Dr Nancy Lucero from DU will present a program about her research on how Native Americans manage to integrate their own cultural heritage with ours. Her focus will be on women and young girls and will correlate with Native American History month.
  • Thursday, December 10th
    Holiday afternoon social at Rita Doussard's home.
  • Thursday, January 14th
    In correlation with International Women's Day, Past President Amy Blackwell will discuss her trip last fall to South Africa. She was invited to be a delegate at an International Conference for Women in Higher Education.
  • Saturday, February 6th
    Public Policy Day will focus on challenges facing women.
  • Monday, March 8th, 1:00-4:00pm
    AAUW Lakewood and Red Rocks Community College are co-sponsoring Amy Blackwell's talk on "Women's Education in South Africa and the U.S." 1:00-2:15 p.m. Location is at the Lakewood campus in the Den. Plan to attend if you missed her at our January meeting.
    Then Lakewood AAUW will screen the film "Persepolis" at The Den at Red Rocks Community College (Lakewood campus), as part of RRCC's 2010 International Women's Day event.Click to these websites for more information:
    "Persepolis" website = http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/persepolis/main.html
    RRCC Lakewood map = http://www.rrcc.edu/maps/lakewood.html
  • Thursday, March 11th
     Changed: Caroline Schultz
    Urban Education Coordinator
    Denver Urban Mission
    What is it like to be on the brink of homelessness?
  • Thursday, April 8th
    At our membership meeting Sharon Galpin of Breckinridge will discuss her organization, mountain2mountain.org, which is building schools in Afghanistan. She became motivated by Greg Mortenson's work described in Three Cups of Tea.
  • Tuesday, April 20th
    Equal Pay Day Rally at the State Capitol.
  • April 23-24 AAUW State Convention
    Information coming soon.
  • Saturday, May 1st
    Strolling among distinguished ladies of Denver's past at the Fairmount Cemetery with optional lunch in the area.

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Lakewood Branch AAUW was chartered in 1972, just three years after the City of Lakewood was formed. We welcome new members. We are community minded and enjoy many activities. After 33 successful years we have retired our well-known annual Holiday Home Fair and have new fundraisers.

Convention Results

You can read the news in the Association newsletter

Following is a convention synopsis from our outgoing co-prsident, Amy Blackwell:

Membership
We retained the degree requirement for individuals and rejecteed the open membership proposal. (FYI: A very large minority supported open membership.)

Governance
Instead of the proposed Director at Large contingent of 7 elected and 6 board-appointed participants, there shall be 10 elected and 3 appointed.

Voting System
We will have a populist ("one member, one vote") voting system instead of the current delegate system.

Public Policy Change
Delegates approved the addition of a bullet point to protect freedom to define family structure and to protect the civil rights of all members in all family structures.

Speakers

Lilly Ledbetter, the face of the pay equity struggle and namesake of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, told attendees about her arduous struggle to rectify the US Supreme Court's wrong-headed decision in 2007 against her -- and about her continuing campaign to close loopholes in equal pay laws by advocating for the Paycheck Fairness Act. Lilly thanked the AAUW membership, whom she said has been a critical partner in her fight for pay equity.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) thanked AAUW for its tireless work in advancing equity for women and girls and impressed upon us how incredibly influential the AAUW professional and volunteer lobbying corps are on Capitol Hill.

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), again much impressed by AAUW's advocacy on Capitol Hill, presented her 10 commandments for women in their fight for equity.

$tart $mart

Workshops and briefings gave us new ideas and successful examples that we can implement on the branch level to make differences in our own communities.

Amy Blackwell attended the ancillary $tart $mart Campus Negotiation Workshop facilitator training before AAUW Convention officially kicked off. The $tart $mart workshop is a critical tool for us as we teach young women in our community the necessary skills to negotiate successfully for fair pay and benefits at their first jobs, thus helping to close the gender-based pay gap.

Delegates were continually motivated to advance the AAUW mission by breaking through educational and economic barriers so that all women have a fair chance.

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