AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. Santa Cruz County Branch of AAUW is part of a National Organization founded in 1881 and has been in the County since 1935.
And learn how to join here. Learn more ABOUT US here.
FUTURE EVENTS
Kara Meyberg Guzman, CEO and co-founder of Santa Cruz Local, will speak at the November AAUW Santa Cruz County meeting. Independent journalism plays a crucial role in our community. She will discuss the state of the local news industry and the reasons newspapers are disappearing nationwide. We will learn about how to support independent journalism. Her insights promise to be enlightening for anyone concerned about the future of local news.
PAST EVENTS
Empowering the Next Generation of Women in STEM. Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Engineering
Haley Schwartz Niemerow, Project Engineer at Granite Construction. As a Tech Trek alumna (2003) and UC Davis graduate in Civil Engineering shared her journey in breaking ground (both figuratively and literally) as she oversees large-scale construction 
projects. Granite Construction.
We also heard fun stories from our branch-sponsored Tech Trek campers who attended Camp Carson at UC Santa Cruz this past July!
September 2024: Do Female Chief Justices Matter? Examining the Legacy of Canada’s Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin
Cindy Ostberg Professor of Political Science at the University of the Pacific and Matt Wetstein President of Cabrillo College will share their research regarding Beverely McLachlin, the longest-serving justice in the history of the Supreme Court of Canada. Two scholars have studied the impact of her service, and it is a story that reflects well on her ability to both lead the court toward unanimity and to transform her patterns of judicial behavior.
July 2024: End Human Trafficking Awareness Event
Martha Magden AAUW End Human Trafficking Chair
Loreal Weitzel of the Arukah Project shared their experiences providing shelter and support to trafficking victims in Santa Cruz County.
The event also featured a screening of the award-winning documentary “I am Jane Doe,” which chronicles the fight against online platforms facilitating trafficking. This powerful and informative event emphasized the importance of community action in combating human trafficking.
July 2024: The State of Childcare in Santa Cruz County and Why it is Important to Everyone
On July 20th, we turned our focus to the critical issue of child care in Santa Cruz County. We had an amazing panel of experts including Linda Asato, CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network; Diane Munoz, Childhood Advisory Council Community Organizer, Lathrop, Educational Consultant, Christina Valentin, Child Development Resource Center; Lisa Hindman Holbert, Community Bridges; and David Brody, First 5 Santa Cruz County. They discussed the significant shortage of child care slots in our county, particularly in the north county area, where there are 5,754 fewer slots than needed. The panelists shared strategies and insights on how to address this pressing issue and support working families. If you would like to write a letter to your elected officials about this crisis there are examples here. Facts about Child Care in Santa Cruz County are also in the folder.
4th of July Celebration – Focus on the Equal Pay
Over half a century after pay discrimination became illegal in the United States, a persistent pay gap between men and women continues to hurt our nation’s workers and our national economy.
Women working full time in the U.S. are still paid just 84 cents to every dollar earned by men — and the consequences of this gap affect women throughout their lives. The pay gap even follows women into retirement: As a result of lower lifetime earnings, they receive less in Social Security and pensions. In terms of overall retirement income, women have only 70% of what men do.
Read the report here – The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap.
June 2024 – Empowering Women’s Voices: AAUW National Public Policy Update and Strategies for Advocacy with Meghan Kissell
Our speaker from Washington D.C., the Senior Director of Policy and Membership Advocacy at the American Association of University Women (AAUW) facilitated an empowering discussion on advancing gender equality and women’s rights at the federal level.
She provided insider insights into key legislative issues like the Equal Rights Amendment, Title IX, and the Paycheck Fairness Act. With the stakes higher than ever for women in Santa Cruz County, we learned some strategies for effective advocacy, motivating ourselves and others to raise our voices and exercise our right to vote to drive positive change.
May 2024 – AAUW Funds Honoree Lynn Cummins & Local Scholarship Awardees
The Santa Cruz Branch of AAUW honored Lynn Cummins for her tireless commitment to raising money for the AAUW Fund which provides grants for women to attend colleges and universities or for community projects. We also heard from several of our Cabrillo College scholarship recipients.
April 2024 – Telling Diverse Stories with Local Authors
Local authors K. X. Song, AAUW Fellow, and Nikki Lewen, spoke about their experiences in the publishing world. Ms.Song talked about the challenges and rewards of bringing her debut YA novel, “An Echo in the City,” to print. Nikki Lewen, author of the Three Sisters Trilogy and a retired bilingual PE teacher from Watsonville High School spoke about her experiences self-publishing and coaching high school sports.
March 2024 – WILDR Supporting Women Running for Public Office
AAUW heard from Women in Leadership for Diverse Representation (WILDR) representatives. WILDR supports women running for office in Santa Cruz County. They told us how they support progressive women who reflect the communities they serve through training, networking, and leadership development. They hope that elected officials and other leaders reflect the population, serving in roles that uplift all people in equity and justice!
February 2024 – California Women Are Essential
Guest speaker Holly Martinez, Executive Director of CA Commission on the Status of Women spoke at the Annual AAUW Interbranch Council Luncheon for Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. The commission recently released a blueprint that for the first time, focuses a gendered lens on the state economy, and offers critical policy solutions that center women as key drivers of industry and as essential workforce participants. Holly shares points of pain and bright spots of hope for a more equitable economic recovery for women.
January 2024 – Election with Santa Cruz County Clerk Tricia Webber
Santa Cruz County elections clerk Tricia Webber will update the community on the March 2024 ballot, November elections, voter registration, and the effects of new legislation. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Santa Cruz County and the American Association of University Women, Santa Cruz County Branch. Light refreshments will be served. No registration is required.
- When: Saturday, January 27, 2024, 10:15 am to 11:30 am
- Where: Felton Branch Library (6121 Gushee St, Felton
January 2024 – Financial Literacy and Your Credit Score
On Saturday, January 20th, 2024 Barbara Pearson and Jean Adams spoke about how credit scores work, what is a good credit score and how you achieve it. And they told us why good credit is so important.
December 2023 – AAUW Holiday Party
Branch members came together on December 16th to celebrate the holidays, meet new members, and catch up with each other. The Cantine Winepub provided delicious food and a relaxed atmosphere. We especially enjoyed Jeanne Boudreaux’s fun and festive Christmas overalls. Doreen supplied the cake and it was enjoyed by all!
November 2023 – Gender Equity in Higher Education
UCSC Chancellor Cindy Larive addressed our branch members and guests on November 18, 2023. The Chancellor provided information about the diversity of the campus leadership team along with the university’s efforts to make strides in numerous areas. Some areas of note include campus diversity, equity and inclusion; retention and graduation rates; and overall resilience, especially in the face of a crisis like the Covid pandemic. She also spoke about new campus initiatives, physical projects (buildings/dorms), and external recognition. You can see some of UCSC’s top rankings here.
October 2023 – AAUW Scholarship Awardees Speak
Some of our Local Scholarship Recipients discussed their educational journeys on October, 21st, 2023. A total of 15 students received $ 4,578 in 2023 as a result of generous donations.
- Sushmita Rocha Silva is studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCSC and is researching the effects of climate change on different ecotypes of blue oaks across California.
- Coco De Boer was at Cabrillo College studying political science and transferred to UCLA this fall. She plans to attend law school next and hopefully work for human rights/ social justice.
- Wendy Bragg is studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCSC and is researching the impacts of coastal-adjacent fires on the endangered black abalone.
- Faith Eppard is attending Cabrillo College and studying Nursing. She plans to transfer to UCSMB and then start her nursing career locally.
- After a career as a personal trainer and instructor, Lisa Crouch is studying Nursing at Cabrillo College. Her goal is to integrate nursing and personal training together.
- Coco De Boer is at Cabrillo College studying political science at Cabrillo College and is transferring to UCLA this fall. She plans to attend law school next and hopefully work for a human rights/ social justice organization.
September 2023 – 25th Anniversary of Tech Trek Celebration
A luncheon was held on September 20th, 2023. Cristina Arambula is one of our branch’s former Tech Trek campers spoke about her involvement and how impactful the experience has been in her professional and personal life including how Tech Trek helped her further her STEM interests from the beginning of her college pursuits in pre-med to finishing her degree in accounting,
Cristina always knew STEM was her future. And, Tech Trek helped get her there. She is employed by Granite Construction, a publicly traded company that does large-scale construction projects all over the country. Cristina is a first-generation Mexican-American.
August 2023 – Strategic Planning Meeting
The Santa Cruz County AAUW Board held its Strategic Planning meeting in August. The goal of the meeting was to choose a direction for our programs and activities for the coming year. After some brainstorming, we ranked the issues facing women and girls that are most important to us. Some of the focus areas are targeted at our members and others are also targeted at the general public.
- Supporting Girls: Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, Financial Literacy, Health & Wellbeing, Leadership, Life Skills, Mentorships, Online Safety, Health and Physical Activity.
- Stopping violence against women, guns, domestic violence, human trafficking, elder abuse,
- Increasing financial Literacy: Basic and advanced money management and retirement planning.
- Increasing women’s representation in leadership and decision-making.
- Increasing the diversity of Branch Members.
- Expanding Careers Options: Educate about non-traditional careers and their salaries.
- Reducing gender-based discrimination and stereotypes
- Improving women’s healthcare: Gender bias, access, affordability, self-determination in reproductive health.
- Encouraging women and girls to study for STEM Careers
