AAUW NYS District V Conference

AAUW NYS District V Conference
The College of Mount Saint Vincent
Bronx, NY
October 18, 2014, 11 am to 3 pm

 Save the Date & Invite: October 18, 2014 from 11 am to 3 pm. Empire State Virtual NY Branch AAUW (ESVB) is inviting you to attend our AAUW NYS District V Conference at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, Bronx, NY on October 18, 2014 from 11 am to 3 pm.

The theme of this conference is “Pay Equity” for Women Artists and our action plan will mobilize the “power of the purse” through equity programs organized by WITASWAN which stands for “Women in the Audience Supporting Women Artists Now”. WITASWAN will be led by Jan Lisa Huttner, a film critic and a member of the ESVB.

Click on:  SupportOurSwans

For more details, email Maria Ellis at mellis@fsacap.com.

NCCWSL (National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL)

NATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR COLLEGE WOMEN STUDENT LEADERS (NCCWSL)
The University of Maryland
College Park, MD
MAY 28-30, 2015

If you want to know about how NATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR COLLEGE WOMEN STUDENT LEADERS (NCCWSL) empowers you and to obtain scholarships to attend this life changing conference, email Maria Ellis, President of the Empire State Virtual NY Branch AAUW at mellis@fsacap.com and join Maria at NCCWSL being held at the University of Maryland, College Park on MAY 28-30, 2015.

If you are a college student, attending this conference is a must! For more details, click on the following link: http://www.nccwsl.org.

Explore Your Opportunities: The Sky’s the Limit!

  EYO Balloon                          EYO 2014 Conference
                                    April 12, 2014 
                     College of Mount Saint Vincent
                        Riverdale (Bronx), New York

Congratulations to Lorrin Johnson, Wilma Gitchel and Marilee Scheuneman for another successful Explore Your Opportunities: the Sky’s the Limit Conference held on April 12, 2014 at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, New York.

According to Lorrin, we have received great reviews from our 7th grade participants about all the 16 workshops given at this Conference including but not limited to 1) Flower Hour- Observe and describe flowers and discover similarities that group them and differences that make them unique. Elizabeth McCarthy, B.A., Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Assistant, The New York Botanical Garden; 2.Brain Games- Learn about some of the mind boggling things a brain can do from making memories to controlling emotions.

Jenny Libien, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY; 3. Build A Paper Circuit – Make your own paper flashlight by conducting electricity with graphite and learn the engineering principles behind the experiment.

Valerie Myers, B.A., B.S., and Kristin Alfieri, M.S., Entergy’s Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant; 4. It’s a Sugar…It’s a Base…It’s DNA! – Discover the structure of DNA and learn how to isolate DNA from your own cells painlessly.

Jeanette Sutherland, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate, Weill Cornell Medical College, and Sandra Aedo, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Rockefeller University; 5. Playing Games in Alice World – Learn to create interactive games using “Alice” programming.

Mirkeya Capellan, BA, MS, DPS, Adjunct Professor, Pace University, IT Training, Resource Management & Strategic Project Specialist, Mercedes-Benz USA; 6. Build-a-Bot – Program a robot to respond to its environment and play “Keep Away”.Abigail A. Flower, Ph.D., Senior Member Research Staff, Philips Research North America.

All the workshop speakers got great reviews but our key note speaker, the Australian GPS girl, Karen Jabosen received the most accolades from our students. We were all very engaged and enjoyed her “Recalculate” motivational talk. I thought it would be fun to share with you that we just received a “thank you” note from the “GPS Girl” who went to Australia on business the very same day of our EYO Conference, quote “I have just returned from travels to Australia. It was such a pleasure to spend time with you and your team on April 12th. I hope the event was a huge success. Looking forward to staying connected. Thought you would enjoy seeing our son Hayden’s first picture with a Koala on our recent trip to Australia.  As you may know this is a real rite of passage for Aussie kids, especially in Queensland at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary which is where this was taken”.

Hayden

 The GPS Girl

A World of Wellness: Stimulating the Mind, Energizing the Body, Inspiring the Soul

AAUW EOF Fellow, Dr. Jessica Pabon 

We are so excited that our own AAUW EOF Fellow, Dr. Jessica Pabon will be participating in our AAUW NYS Convention at Honors Haven Resort in Ellenville, NY on April 25-27, 2014.  Jessica will bring with her female artists, working in a street art/graffiti art aesthetic, to participate in a curated exposition to be held at our 2014 Convention.

Jessica PabonThe Theme: A World of Wellness:
Stimulating the Mind, Energizing the Body, Inspiring the Soul.

Jessica was one of the Empire State Virtual Branch speakers during our teleconference calls in fiscal year ending June 30, 2013.  As you may recall, Jessica Pabón talks about the transformative power of female graffiti artists. Pabón obtained a PhD in the Performance Studies Department at New York University and specializes in Transnational Feminisms, Latina/o and Africana Studies, Queer Studies, and Visual Art and Performance. For more information about Jessica, listen to her talk on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_4JOexUj0M

Call for Artists: Stimulating the Mind, Energizing the Body, Inspiring the Soul
Calling for female artists, working in a street art/graffiti art aesthetic, to participate in a curated exposition to be held at the 2014 convention for the American Association of University Women of New York State (www.aauw-nys.org). AAUW is an organization that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.

Theme: A World of Wellness: Stimulating the Mind, Energizing the Body, Inspiring the Soul.
Exhibition Dates: April 25-27, 2014
Location: Honors Haven Resort in Ellenville, NY

Logistics:
The convention expects approximately 200 attendees.
The work submitted should be priced between $40 and $500, with a median around $200. 11×17 prints are encouraged!
International artists should consider sending a few limited edition prints since artists are expected to ship their work to and from the conference. (We are open to innovative ideas for exhibiting and selling via digital technologies).
Local artists are encouraged to submit works on canvas to be displayed on easels.

To Submit: Artists should send no more than 10 high res images (300dpi) as samples of the work they’d like to exhibit in relation to the theme: A World of Wellness: Stimulating the Mind, Energizing the Body, Inspiring the Soul. Please also send a 200-word biography including links to webpages or blogs, if available.
Due Date: January 31st, 2014
Email Submissions to jnp250 at nyu.edu with the subject line “Art Submission AAUW 2014.”

Best,

Jessica

Dr. Jessica N. Pabón, Post Doctoral Associate, Theater Program; Office Tel (UAE): +971 2 628 5376; Mobile (UAE): +971 56 319 1157; Twitter | Blog | Facebook
NYU Abu Dhabi, Downtown Campus S232
Behind ADIA Tower, Al Nasr Street, across from the Cultural Foundation, P.O. Box 129188
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Recent Publication: “Be About It: Graffiteras Performing Feminist Community”
Please consider the environment before printing this email.

AAUW-EYO Conference 2014

 Karen Jacobsen, The GPS Girl!

The GPS Girl

Karen Jacobsen’s speaking voice is in over 100 million GPS units giving drivers directions worldwide as “Australian Karen”.  If you have an iPhone and use the Siri application, you may already be familiar with Karen’s speaking voice, as she is the Australian Siri voice in 40 million iPhones around the world. A recent TEDx speaker, she has appeared on ABC World News Tonight, the CBS Early Show, in The New York Times, NY Daily News, Glamour magazine and was named one of People Magazine¹s Most Intriguing People in 2010.

Karen has shared the stage with Norah Jones and Christopher Cross, and has performed The Star Spangled Banner at many major sporting events including the New York Jets game at Giants Stadium to a crowd of 80, 000 people. The GPS Girl® speaks, writes and sings for groups who want to inspire the best in their people, and create a road map for their future. I am pleased to report that Maria Ellis, President of the Empire State Virtual Branch, has invited Karen to be the keynote speaker at the “Explore Your Opportunity – The Sky’s the Limit Conference” at the College of Mount Saint Vincent on April 12, 2014.

This will be an educational and fun conference and you are all invited to join us!  If you want to participate email Lorrin Johnson at eddlorrin@yahoo.com.

NY/NJ AAUW “WILD” Women Project

Eleanor Roosevelt
The NY/NJ AAUW WILD” WomenProject

(Women In Leadership Development)

“Embracing Eleanor in
the 21st Century”

1.  “Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way”

  • Robin Gerber’s keynote resonated with the membership at the AAUW National Convention in New Orleans in June. She agreed to support us in a year long/month by month/chapter by chapter study of her book “Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way.”
    Branch participation is encouraged via conference call by: -having a single member/6 members sharing calls & reporting back -Westchester Branch is mentoring college students with this book
  • This initiative will begin in January of 2014 for NY AAUW.
    If book groups are interested in reading this book, there is a reading guide by Robin.

2. Celebrating the International Day of the Girl on October 11th
There is no better way to honor the legacy of Eleanor Roosevelt than promoting this celebration of girls that falls on her birthday, October 11th. This celebration is in its’ second year and we are delighted to spread the word.

The Youtube video “The Girl Effect” is a good way to educate your members of the plight of young girls in developing countries. www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e8xgF0JtVg
Be sure to visit The Girl Effect website for more information.  www.girleffect.org
Build on the last two years to create a platform for this program – Girls Speak Out; 11 Days of Action; Celebrate Girls on 11th of Every Month.
For many branches, this may be their first introduction to this special day.  Remember to start small/expand gradually/think in terms of year.

3.  Developing your own Branch ‘UN Women” Initiative
It is our hope that branches will take these ideas and design programs/projects that speak to their membership and community.

We have two AAUW NYS members working at the UN – Melissa Guardaro, the AAUW Representative and Geeta Desai, on the Membership Committee of the IFUW (International Federation of University Women).

Geeta is also the Public Policy Convener for Women Graduates – USA and has a blog that focuses on current issues facing women and girls. Here is the website for interested members– www.wg-usa.org/advocacyblog.

The CTAUN Conference this year is on Friday, 1/31/14 and members are welcome to attend. Its focus is “Promoting Peace through Education.” (www.ctaun.org)

Mark your calendars – you are cordially invited to attend the parallel events that will accompany the Committee on the Status of Women (CSW) meetings during the first two weeks of March 2014.

Interested in becoming a WILD Woman?
Contact Joan Monk, AAUW NYS District Director – ftmaven@gmail.com or 914 245 7704

The Women’s Equality Agenda Once Again Has Governor Cuomo’s Support

NY Women’s Equality Coalition is in
Full Swing to work for its passage

Good News-We have another opportunity to achieve the passage of the Women’s Equality Agenda. The Governor in his State of the State Address committed himself to advancing women’s equality. Did you know that 89% of NY Voters agreed that equal pay for women should be a high priority for state leaders and 80% support updating New York’s abortion laws

The Women’s Equality Coalition, which includes the support of 860 women’s groups, one of which is the Empire State Virtual Branch, businesses, religious organizations, medical groups, and advocacy organizations from across the state, is united in its efforts to mobilize New Yorkers and push legislators to get the job done in 2014. AAUW-NYS is on the Steering Committee. The measures of the Women’s Equality Agenda reflect the complexity of women’s lives–securing equal pay, access to reproductive health care, and freedom from discrimination and violence are all essential to women’s equality. New York State needs to update and strengthen its laws to reflect the reality of women’s lives today.

The coalition formed last year almost succeeded in having the WEA passed in 2013. They have continued to be very active. This fall they developed a grassroots campaign utilizing social media to spread the word each week about various issues in the 10 point WEA, calling for an upgrade in NYS’s outmoded laws. They created a satiric two-minute video Illegal or Just Sleazy that everyone must see. View the video and share it with others http://nywomensequality.org/?utm_source=SOTS+WEA+Press+Release&utm_campaign=SOTS+Presser+WEA&utm_medium=email

NYWEC plans to build on the fall campaign and throw its full weight behind advancing women’s rights and making the Women’s Equality Agenda law.  Please do all you can to raise awareness among those you know. Encourage all to contact their NYS Legislators asking them to pass this needed legislation that will make a difference for so many.

Nancy Mion, Empire State Virtual Branch Public Policy Chair Myown220@aol.com

2014 Great Decisions

2014 Great Decisions

Great Decision Topics

Dates

Reviewers
1. Defense Technology 4th Thurs, Jan. 30 Julie Kleszczewski
2. Turkey 4th Thurs, Feb. 27 Jayne Herrick
3. Islamic Awakening 2nd Thurs, March 13 Liz Voss
4. Energy Independence 4th Thurs, March 27 Dr. C.S. Rani
5. Food and Climate 2nd Thurs, April 10 Dr. Elaine Fenton
6. U.S. Trade Policy 2nd Thurs, May 8 Diane Daniels
7. Israel and the U.S. 2nd Thurs, May.22 Barbara Rossman
Charles Room, The Harvard Club, 27 W 44th St., 5:30—7:00 p.m.For more information, email Julie K:  juliek@msn.com

CTAUN on Friday, January 31, 2014, 9:30am—4:30pm, UN, NY

Committee on Teaching About the United Nations 2014 Conference

Promoting Peace Through Education

UN Logo

It is not enough to teach children how to read, write and count. Education has to cultivate mutual respect for others and the world in which we live, and help people forge more just, inclusive and peaceful societies.
~~ UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon 12 June 2013

The Committee on Teaching About the United Nations (CTAUN) is proud to announce their 15th Annual Conference at the UN, Friday, January 31, 2014. The theme is “Promoting Peace Through Education.” Educators, students, and concerned citizens are invited to join with distinguished speakers as we explore how the UN and the international community promote disarmament and confront threats to peace. By teaching about the power and potential of global peace, we can empower people to navigate the twenty first century world.
Our conference is a day-long event involving a welcome from UN representative Virginia Gamba, Director and Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs; keynote speakers Cora Weiss, President of Hague Appeal for Peace; Tony Jenkins, VP for Academic Affairs at National Peace Academy; Dr. George Lopez, VP of the Academy for Conflict Management and Peacebuilding; morning and afternoon panels of experts (including a former girl-child soldier from Uganda); a Best Practices award presentation; an info-fair; and a college level Poster Contest. Our morning session will concentrate on Threats to Peace, while the afternoon panel will contemplate Solutions. Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary fame will close our day.
To learn more abut CTAUN and register for the conference,
go to: www.teachun.org. Registration deadline is 17 January 2014
For group rates of 10 or more contact lochie@optonline.net