2021 Baker-Telfer STEM Scholarship Application is now available.
March 20, 2021 9:45 – ZOOM
March 
Houston’s iconic “Mattress Mack,” saw the need for a high school that would prepare its students to capably enter the workforce immediately upon graduation, and he did something about it: he offered space in his Gallery Furniture Store for just such a facility. Next he challenged Jill Wright to create that sort of school.
Jill Wright, retired founding principal of SBISD’s Cornerstone Academy, relished the opportunity to help students who have dropped out of high school or are close to dropping out. Together, six months later, they saw Premier High School-Gallery Furniture North become a reality, offering students certifications in construction, electrical and welding, along with the attraction of earning a high school diploma along the way.
Now, nearing the end of its first year, Premier has navigated bumps in the road while taking pride in many students’ early accomplishments. Director Wright will speak to our March 20 AAUW meeting on Zoom, acquainting us with the challenges she has faced in guiding these highly at-risk students as they work toward fulfilling their dreams. You will want to hear their stories. Join us at 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, March 20, using the Zoom link, which will be sent to our members prior to the meeting.
It’s Official! AAUW-WHC is a Five Star Branch!
The Program Star required the branch to host 2 to 4 programs that aligned with both WHC and National’s Strategic Plans. Sincere thanks to our President, Carolyn Morris, for coordinating and rolling out the Work Smart/Start Smart Program with Texas Southern University. Working with Dr. Michele Taylor, Assistant Dean of TSU’s Graduate School, and a new branch member, a seminar was conducted in the spring at the University. The seminar coached students on how to prepare for interviews and negotiate salaries. Several WHC members attended and role played with the students at this event.
Our VP of Programs, Cindy Hickok, undaunted by the pandemic, worked tirelessly to set up several outstanding programs using Zoom so that the membership could access the monthly meetings without interruption. These outstanding programs supported AAUW objectives and were key in helping us to attain the Program Star.
Ann Amador, our Student Chapter Liaison, has done an excellent job working with several Rice University students. The AAUW-Rice University Student Affiliate is a dynamic group. They produced a standing room only program with a panel of notable women discussing their roles in bringing about meaningful change in the community. While the group has not been able to meet face-to-face this semester due to the virus, Anne has continued to mentor the group so that it can remain a vital part of the Rice experience. Anne’s continued support of the group was invaluable in helping us to achieve the Program Star.
The Advancement Star was achieved by retaining our membership at 90% from the previous year, and we actually increased our membership to the 93% level. Many thanks to Carolyn Stoffel for keeping up with all our members and welcoming our new members. Kudos to Diane Roberts because she successfully submitted the dues to National by the required September 30th deadline. Also, a shout out to Mary Andersen for keeping all the data on the membership up to date. It is a weekly task! There were some tight deadlines to meet to reach our 5 Star goal, and their hard work paid off and is appreciated.
A final requirement of the Advancement Star was to increase our annual giving to the Greatest Needs Program by 25%. Please refer to the article Greatest Needs Needed You and You Responded in this newsletter to read about the outstanding response to our plea for additional funds.
Our branch continues to go way beyond in its outreach to contribute to the advancement of women and girls by involving all of us in so many valuable community programs.
Mary Peterson and Rose Ennis
Please RSVP to receive the Zoom link
Remember that Zoom calls can be accessed by phone for anyone unable to connect virtually.
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- Calls will take place in: February – Jun
- Second Tuesday, 5:00 p.m. – Membership with Barbara Cage
- Second Thursday, 5:00 p.m. – AAUW Funds/Fundraising with Margie Poole
- Third Tuesday, 4:00 p.m. – Public Policy with Pat Rehm
- Third Thursday, 4:00 p.m. – Program with Melodía Gutièrrez
Upcoming Webinars
Tuesday, February 2, 4-5p.m. ET
AAUW Public Policy Talks: 2021 Priorities and the New AdministrationAs our elected officials get to work in the new Congress and administration, AAUW continues to advance gender equity for all. Join AAUW’s public policy team for an overview of our public policy priorities, critical bills and executive orders already announced, and how to leverage your individual advocacy power in 2021.
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Thursday, February 11, 3-4:30p.m. ET
Creating a Diversity Structure and Planning for SuccessCreating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive branch takes planning, support, and intention. Wherever your branch is in its journey to build DEI capacity, we encourage you to attend this webinar. Using the DEI Toolkit and related resources, AAUW’s Inclusion and Equity Committee will highlight the process for beginning to engage your branch in the conversation and creating an effective diversity and inclusion plan. We will also feature a discussion with Linda J. Carpenter, PhD, co-chair of the Diversity Committee of AAUW’s Lake / Sumter (FL) branch, to discuss their experience with the diversity planning process and to share some practical insights for branches looking to undertake this process for themselves.
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Member News Notification
Please notify Suzanne Dalati, Corresponding Secretary, at sdalati@att.net, about any member news that is important to share with the membership and has been authorized to share by the member involved.
To insure that you do not miss any communications from the Branch, please send updates or corrections to your contact information to Mary Andersen at AAUW.Mary.Andersen@gmail.com