Can a 23 Year-Old-Change the World?

I help AAUW’s volunteer leaders grow their membership in their local communities. Sharing trend information about potential members is critical to the success of their recruitment and retention efforts.

I recently gave a presentation at the AAUW of New York State Summer Leadership Conference that a colleague had previously given at another event. Giving this presentation was tricky, because I had not seen the original workshop entitled “What Makes Women Decide to Join or Stay in an Organization Today?” That presentation included data from Mobilize.org about engaging young women — so-called millennials — and what AAUW members and nonmembers were looking for when joining and staying in organizations. As I prepared my presentation, I included elements from that presentation and wanted to incorporate information I recently learned from the National Council on Aging and author Rosetta Thurman, but I needed to tie it all back to AAUW somehow.

Then I remembered Marion Talbot, (July 31, 1858–October 20, 1948) one of AAUW’s founders. Talbot was just 23 when she co-founded AAUW’s predecessor, the Association of Collegiate Alumnae (ACA), in 1881 and 37 when she became ACA’s first president. At that time, she would have been considered middle aged, but by today’s standards, she would have been a millennial.

Every woman who has or will attend a two- or four-year college or university is a testament to the ideas of this young woman, who had a passion for education and encouraging other women to achieve the same.

What should volunteer leaders remember when expanding AAUW’s member base in their communities?

1. Each of us holds the success of the AAUW community in our own hands.
2. All generations have something to teach and something to learn.
3. There are 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day, and they want to get involved in their communities.
4. Providing information and advice based on experiences helps younger leaders be more effective.
5. Share power. Recognize that newer generations will be leading social change in the future.

Happy Birthday, Marion, and thank you!

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AAUW Dialog Turns One

Happy blogiversary!

I can’t believe it. We’ve been officially blogging for a year. When we first started planning for AAUW Dialog back at the end of 2007, we weren’t sure if we knew exactly what we were doing, what we were getting into, or what to expect. Would anyone other than our friends and loved ones read what we had to say? Would AAUW members find value in the discussion? Could we reasonably commit to updating the blog daily? Was AAUW Dialog a better name than AAUW Blog? Well, 278 posts and more than 72,000 views later I would say, “Yes, yes, and yes.”

Many bloggers start with very lofty goals and aspirations, and AAUW Dialog was no different. We were going to change the world. Ok, maybe not the world, but we did set out to give voice to issues that would help break through barriers to economic security, pay equity, educational attainment, equal opportunity, and so on for women and girls. Who would have thought that Married but Looking and Cheating Women could be a catalyst for change?

Already we’ve introduced you to 23 outstanding AAUW fellowship and grant recipients who are conducting groundbreaking research and impacting their communities locally, nationally, and globally. We joined over 12 thousand bloggers on Blog Action Day to discuss poverty and its impact on women, and we joined the Blog for Fair Pay. We blogged through the 2008 election campaign from the DNC to the RNC, election day, and on through the presidential inauguration, never forgetting to ask the important questions: Should AAUW Endorse Sarah Palin?, If Not Hillary, Who?, Why Women Should Vote?, and who will say the word “change” first so I can win Vice Presidential Bingo? We’ve had serious discussions about equal rights for women, sexual harassment, pay equity, salary negotiation, women’s leadership, health care, and reproductive rights, but still along the way we’ve taken time to cover topics truly important to women like fashion, beauty, dating, and marriage.

To tell the truth, the best part of AAUW Dialog for me is the weekly team meeting. Not only do I get to brainstorm with a group of creative, funny, and sometimes bawdy colleagues, but we always share treats.

In case you were wondering, AAUW Dialog stands for Discussion, Information, Advocacy (B)log. We hope that we have discussed issues that are important to you, informed you about topics critical to breaking through barriers for women and girls, and have successfully advocated for action. Are you enjoying these topics? What issues would you like to see us cover in the future?

Thanks for being with us along the way throughout year one. We hope to hear a lot more from you in year two.

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Welcome to AAUW’s Blog

When the American Association of University Women (AAUW) formed in the 1880s, one of its first accomplishments was a research project disproving the widely held belief that higher education adversely affected the health of women college students. Today AAUW continues to lead the nation through advocacy, education, and research to remove barriers faced by girls and women in education, at work, on the athletic fields, and in the arenas of social justice.

Through our new blog AAUW Dialog, we will examine news and events related to these topics and explore how AAUW — at all levels — is working to improve and increase the educational, economic, and life opportunities and choices available to women and girls.

We hope this blog can be a space for you to share ideas, join discussions, find resources, take action on equity issues, and explore ways to make a difference in your community.

Welcome!

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