The national branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) was founded in 1881 with the purpose of advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.
In 2019, we in the Boulder chapter celebrated our 92nd anniversary, and we work diligently to raise community awareness of women’s issues, including equal pay for equal work; the fight against sexism; the value of women working in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers; and other women’s issues. We encourage all people to join our organization regardless of gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or class.
The Boulder chapter hosts several events a year that enrich the Boulder community. Our workshops that are free to the community include:
• Expanding Your Horizons (EYH): A hands-on workshop held on the CU campus for middle school girls that provides them with the opportunity to explore careers in Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics [STEM])
• Start Smart: A salary negotiation workshop that provides college students (male and female) who are approaching the job market the knowledge and skills to negotiate salaries and benefits
• Work Smart: A program designed to help women learn communication and negotiation skills in order to obtain a new job, promotion, or salary raise, as well as career development opportunities, which positively impact women’s families and communities
• Defining and Interrupting Sexism: A program held for Boulder high school students (both male and female) that teaches them how to recognize and interrupt sexism, including sexual harassment
Other AAUW Boulder programs include:
• Providing scholarships to CU post-doc women in STEM careers
• Monthly happy hours at various Boulder restaurants that are open to the public
• Membership event every fall for existing, new, and potential members
• Special interest groups, such as book clubs, mahjong, dinner club, playgoers, and bridge
• State and national AAUW conventions, International Women’s Day, and Women’s March
• Learning programs with regional speakers, including politicians, authors, advocates for addressing the opioid crisis, advocates who work against human trafficking, etc.