TBA
NYS Convention Director

Convention offers a variety of workshops geared towards leadership development, personal development and “all things” AAUW. Our goal is to provide something for every member.

SATURDAY WORKSHOPS   Session 1 A-D (2:15 p.m. –  3:15 p.m.)

A. Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) - Linda Hallman, AAUW Executive Director (CAE)

AAUW's new 2010 resaearch report is explored. The lack of women and girls in STEM fields has significant implications for women's economic security as well as the overall economy and America's global competitiveness. If women and members of other traditionally underrepresented groups joined the STEM workforce in proportion to their representation in the overall labor force, the shortage of STEM professionals would disappear. Please see the speakers' page or the AAUW national website for more details on Ms Hallman's background.

B. Value U: A Gender Equity Community Action Initiative Aimed at College Age Women and 12-18 Year Old Girls – Dr. Jennifer Ball, Visiting Assistant Professor of History at Clarkson University.

Value U teaches participants to assess their personal values and the community values of the various groups to which they belong. The participants produce videos focused on promoting positive images of women athletes or positive change around sexual violence and sexual health. In addition, a speakers' series and mentor program supports participants. This workshop will teach you to plan and execute a similar program.

Jennifer Ball, Assistant Professor in the Humanities and Social Sciences Department at Clarkson University, received her MA and PhD from Purdue University. She is the project director of Value U. She has a background in nonprofit advocacy. Her research and teaching interests include gender, sexuality, social activism, and digital humanities.

Other participants (also from Clarkson) in this workshop will be:

• Sarah Emlaw - Sexual Health Coordinator Class '11
• Carlee Eusepi - Sports Coordinator Class '10
• Sarah Hill - Sexual Health Coordinator Class '11
• Gillian Roach - Research Coordinatory Class '10
• Alison Schroeder - Sports Coordinator Class '11

C.  Live Wires for a Labor Cause – Francine Moccio, Director of Institute for Women and Work, Cornell University School of Labor Relations

This workshop will present and analyze the heroic story of women electricians who first entered the electrical industry and union brotherhood in New York City in the 1970's and how the 1960s and 1970s social movements for equality influenced women's current progress and prospects in this growing and important field. Women's struggle in the elecrical trades is relevant to undestanding the barriers and opportunities for women in other “nontraditional” careers such as science and engineering.

Francine Moccio, Former Director of Institute for Women and Work at Cornell University School of Labor Relations, PhD. From New School for Social Work in Cultural Anthropology and Political Economy, and author of “Live Wire: Women and Brotherhood in the Electrical Industry”.

D.  Eleanor Roosevelt: A Woman for All Seasons – Joan Monk, AAUW-NYS Cultural Interests Director

2009 marks the 125th birthday of Eleanor Roosevelt, “The First Lady of the World”. To close our year-long celebration, the presenter will relate events, anecdotes, and stories of this beloved first lady through the work of Angeles Arrien, a renowned author and cross cultural anthropologist. Her seminal work is entitled “The Four Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer, and Visionary”.

Joan Monk, AAUW-NYS Cultural Interests Director, and unofficial "Director of Whimsey" is a Master Teacher with 38 years in public education, as well as an adjunct professor of Language Arts and Children's Literature. She is Education Director of the Peter Pan Children's Fund, a non-profit that promotes youth philanthropy. Joan is a passionate volunteer with the Jacob Burns Film Center and the Westchester Children's Museum.

SATURDAY WORKSHOPS   Session 2 E-H (3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.)

E. Public Policy: AAUW Leads the Way – Linda Hallman, AAUW Executive Director (CAE)

AAUW proposes a number of legislative and policy recommendations to improve girls' achievement in math and science and increase the number of women who choose careers in STEM fields. Further, AAUW develops and implements coordinated legislative, regulatory, and grasssroots strategies to break through all educational and economic barriers for women and girls.

F. Dignity for All Students: Let's Make It a Reality – Melanie Trimble, Chapter Director for Capitol Region NY Civil Liberties Union

New York State students are being harassed, bullied, and even murdered by their peers. There are many factors causing this lack of understanding of differences. Our boys and girls deserve respect. Find out why the Dignity for All Students bill is needed, what it can do to change this intolerable situation, and what you can do to make it a reality.

Melanie Trimble, Executive Director for Capital Region Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union since 2003, where she educates the public about civil liberties issues, responds to requests for legal assistance, and advocates for and against local legislation that has a civil liberties component. A former teacher of mathematics with a BA from Simmons College and a MAT from Montclair State University, she is also  a past president of the Albany County League of Women Voters.

G. Too Sexy Too Soon: How Media Images Affect Young Girls – Deborah Borie, Project Co-Director Training 2000+ Grant of the Just Kids Early Childhood Development Center

The sexualization of children in today's media is real. This is particularly true of young girls who are both the target and the content of media campaigns. The American Psychological Association asserts there is “ample evidence to conclude that sexualization has negative effects in a variety of domains, including cognitive functioning, physical and mental health, and healthy sexual development.” Come take a look at actual media campaigns that sexualize children and join in an exploration of the various resources available to us to counter this trend and to advocate on behalf of children.

Deborah Borie, Project Co-Director of the Training 2000+ grant: Just Kids Early Childhood Development Center, coordinating statewide training and collaborating with the NYS Department of Health Bureau of Early Intervention, county health departments, and service providers on the delivery of state-approved curricula to meet the staff development needs of professionals working with families whose infant or toddler has a developmental problem. She has also taught at SUNY Canton, SUNY Plattsburgh, and the University of South Dakota.

H. Don't Fence Me In: Music of Holocaust Refugees at Fort Ontario – Marilynn Smiley, Distinguished Teaching Professor at SUNY Oswego

On August 5, 1944, 982 European refugees of the Holocaust from 17 countries arrived at Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York. During their18 months at the Fort, there were many extraordinary concerts given by both amateur and professional musicians as well as original compositions by talented composers. Besides background, representative musical examples will be presented.

Marilynn Smiley, Distinguished Teaching Professor at SUNY Oswego, where she teaches courses in music history and literature. She is also President of the Oswego Opera Theatre, and player/Director of the Oswego Recorder Consort, as well as Historian Consultant to the AAUW-NYS Board and Co-President of the Oswego Branch.