• Full issue (this is large; it’s recommended that you download it and then open it rather than try to open it directly)
• Pages: one two three four/five six seven eight

Highlights from the 2009 AAUW NC Convention:

• Financial literacy workshop summary (page 1, more)
• Pictures and history (pages 4/5)

Public Policy Information

• AAUW NC at Women’s Advocacy Day (page 6, more)
• Public Policy Efforts Summary (page 6, more)

More AAUW NC News

• Summer Meeting registration (page 7, more)
• Message from the new Program VPs (page 2)
• President’s Message (page 2)
• Farewell from the Regional Director (page 2)
• Report on the 4/1 College/University meeting (page 3, more)
• New NGCP Liaison (page 3, more)
• Dues for 2009-2010 (page 2, more)

Branch News

• Explaining the new Branch Without Borders (page  3, more)
• Wilmington Branch sets date for major event (page 2)
• Chapel Hill STEM project (page 8, more)

• page 1: An alternate site for credit reports is www.annualcreditreport.com
• page 5: there are 22 branches, including Chapel Hill
• page 7: Bonny Marsh’s phone number is (828) 698-1354
• page 7 (heading): Summer meeting is July 17-18, not 14-18

We had a very productive April meeting at Connie’s home. Thanks again, Connie, for your hospitality. Our May Meeting will be Sunday, 31 May, at 3:00 p.m. We will meet and eat at Tony’s Seafood on Western Blvd. Ext. in Jacksonville. Family, friends and potential members are encouraged to attend. We will celebrate our accomplishments and install our officers for next year. Sue Currie has volunteered to serve as our branch secretary for the coming year. Thank you, Sue!

Please be thinking about the types of programs that you would like for us to have in the coming year. Although we will not meet in June or July, I am looking forward to spending some time with Judy and other interested members planning for the 2009-2010 year. Let us know which women’s issues interest you the most. I believe that it is important for us to “think globally and act locally.”

Many of you are active in other organizations. Are there any programs or events planned that would provide us with an opportunity for collaboration? Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas with us by phone or email.

Looking forward to seeing you on the 31st.

JoAnn
Co-President
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OUR NEXT MEETING: Sunday, May 31, 3 p.m. we will meet at Tony’s Seafood Restaurant, 1345 Western Blvd., Jacksonville. We will vote for and then install the new officers for the 2009-2010 year. This is also the time we pay dues for the coming year. Dues are $71 which includes $49 national, $11 state, and $11 branch dues. A voluntary contribution of $30 may be made to LAF and the Educational Foundation. A portion of your dues is tax deductible.
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THE 2009-2010 SLATE OF OFFICERS

Co-Presidents-JoAnn Taylor Hall and Judy Martin
VP Membership-(Your name here)
Programs Team-Evelyn Lynge, JoAnn Taylor Hall and (Your Name Here)
Secretary-Sue Currie
Treasurer-Katharyn Thayer

Non-elected positions: Newsletter - Heather Ochse, Editor, and Connie Gamble Ochse, Assistant Editor

Two positions are still to be filled: VP Membership and another person on the Programs Team. Please consider contributing a little of your expertise to ensure the smooth operation of our branch. Feel free to contact JoAnn if you have questions about what it takes to fill any of the vacant positions - 577-1890 or coachjo@embarqmail.com.
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REGULAR CONTRIBUTIONS TO AAUW MADE SIMPLE: If you like to order online regularly and would like to make painless contributions to AAUW at the same time, this idea is for you. iGive.com offers a way to give a percentage of your online purchase at hundreds of online retailers to the AAUW Educational Foundation. Go to iGive.com and follow the directions for signing up and stipulating your chosen charity. Thereafter, everytime you place an order with one the participating retailers, a percentage of your purchase goes to the AAUW Educational Foundation. It is that easy!
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CALENDAR

May 31, Sunday, 3 p.m. - Tony’s Seafood Restaurant, 1345 Western Blvd., Jacksonville. Vote for 2009-2010 officers and installation. This is our last meeting before we take a summer break. Guests are most welcome.

June 26-28 - National AAUW Convention, St. Louis, Missouri

June and July - NO REGULAR BRANCH MEETING
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PAST AAUW Jacksonville Regional Branch newsletters and articles about our branch can be viewed on our website: www.jacksonville.aauwnc.org .
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Heather F. Ochse, Editor, hksalc@yahoo.com
*AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and research.*

Here is a copy of the full proclamation.

http://aauwtarheel.wordpress.com/2009/04/25/e-newsletter-v200903/

Equal Pay Day notes, suggestions for Mother’s Day gifts, and more …

The Chapel Hill branch sponsored a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) program, called SPARC, in the fall of 2008.  The project provided a 5-week program, 2 days a week,  for 3^rd to 5th grade girls in the After School Program at the Oak Grove Elementary  School in Durham, NC.  Our goal was to provide one to two hands-on activities with a female professional in a STEM field.   Two to three branch members were in attendance at each session and assessments were made at various points during the program. In terms of diversity, there were 2 Hispanics, 1 white, and 14 African-American girls.

In assessing the success of our program, we valued the comments by our branch volunteers about what they observed.  What we learned was that

1. girls at this age have great enthusiasm for anything new,
2. they don’t know many people in STEM careers, but at the end of the program
3. they had learned some of the careers of some of the women professionals we had in STEM careers.

In addition, each child left the program with a notebook which was full of their notes on the various STEM professionals and on the various hands-on activities.

What we learned about our program:

1. that the discussion on the biography of the professional would be shortened to allow more time for hands-on activities.
2. that the program we have modeled can be refined and copied in other After School Programs and
3. that it is easy to get the girls excited about STEM hands-on activities but
4. that it is difficult to predict if the girls at this age will go into a STEM career.

We have begun our Spring 2009 SPARC program at Oak Grove and will report on that program at a later date

AAUW Winston-Salem newsletter

It includes information on

• F.O.R.E. (Focus on Reading Excellence) project
• meeting on April 23
• luncheon on May 30
• renewal details

and more