Calling All Leaders!

AAUW Announces New Leadership Development DVD Series

AAUW is pleased to announce a new series of leadership-focused DVDs created for distribution during the 2008 state convention season and other leadership events. As we work to strengthen and revitalize AAUW, all members must connect together as a community of active and effective participants. To fulfill our mission of advancing equity for women and girls, AAUW continues to need strong leaders who will make sure the AAUW legacy continues. In the past, only two members per state participated in national level leadership training.  This new series of DVDs will provide leadership skills and strategies for all members.

Each state’s leadership exercised their scheduling option to present the DVDs.  States will make the DVD series available to branches after their state event.  A representative of the national leadership, including AAUW or Educational Foundation board members and regional directors, will attend one event for each state to listen and hear from members across the country. 

The DVDs are divided into modules which focus on leadership development as it relates to particular aspects of AAUW’s mission. Each module includes a discussion guide for participants. It’s vital that all of us can easily discuss AAUW’s mission… with a consistent message which will enable us to retain our current members and recruit the new and diverse membership of tomorrow.

The leaders’ introduction module features a conversation with AAUW President Ruth Sweetser, AAUW Educational Foundation President Barbara O’Connor, and new AAUW Executive Director Linda Hallman. They chart an inspiring course for AAUW’s future, with a mission-focused message that members will share with their local branches. Together, these three leaders

• provide a “state of AAUW” message;

• summarize the strategic process journey for AAUW’s future;

• explain AAUW’s mission and how it relate to members, branches, the future of our organization; and

• discuss the impact of AAUW mission-focused branch activities on their communities.

The remainder of the DVD modules focus on specific areas of AAUW programming and business, as well as other topics. These modules describe how you can become involved in—or strengthen your current involvement with—vital areas of AAUW’s mission.

To advance equity through advocacy, AAUW staff leaders describe

• how you can become an effective advocate for AAUW priority issues;

• how you can help mobilize women voters at the grassroots level in the upcoming elections;

• how you can stay current with issues that impact the higher education of women, and the subtleties of the politics involved, through AAUW public policy resources and updates; and

• how you can help eliminate sex discrimination on campus through the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund.

To advance equity through education and research, AAUW staff leaders

• introduce AAUW’s latest research report—its findings and recommendations, media and promotional outreach tools, and how you can share this information with your branch;

• provide an overview on the National Girls Collaborative Project and how you can promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) initiatives in your community;

• describe how you can encourage women’s leadership development through AAUW’s National Conference for College Women Student Leaders and Campus Action Projects; and

• report on AAUW’s fellowships and grants, tell how you can meet local recipients, and hear their stories to motivate involvement and investment in AAUW philanthropy.

To build a stronger community, AAUW staff leaders in the membership, fundraising, communications, and marketing DVD modules discuss

·         why it is so important to tell the AAUW story and marketing (it’s not a bad word!) is every member’s responsibility;

·         why effective communication and information sharing are important to building a community as AAUW moves into the future;

·         how branch and individual contributions make a difference;

·         how you can use AAUW’s website, videos, DVDs, and other materials to advance our mission in your branch; and

At this critical stage in our history, AAUW needs the active engagement of all members delivering the mission to advance equity for women.  With leadership training through the DVD series, all AAUW members will be better prepared to focus their mission-based efforts, recruit new members, and further develop their leadership potential ….. because equity is still an issue!