American Association of University Women improves community through scholarships

The AAUW (American Association of University Women) Chapter of Palm Springs represents the entire Coachella Valley. We are part of the national AAUW organization with state and local chapters, and we embrace our mission of improving the community by advocating for education, equity and empowerment for women and girls.

Our members are enriched through program-speaker luncheons and interest group gatherings. The cornerstone of our chapter is encouraging girls to become involved in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) through Tech Trek Camper Sponsorships, which can transform the lives of the young women in the Coachella Valley.

Our branch board and interested members attended a planning session on Aug. 24. The organization focused on many issues, but foremost was fundraising for 2023 campers and for our mentorship programs for alumni campers.

Tech Trek, a one-week summer camp, is backed by AAUW’s research and designed to make STEM fields exciting and accessible to girls in middle school — the age when girls’ participation in these fields statistically drops. For many girls, the week-long camp sparks their curiosity and builds confidence, which places them on a path toward success.

Established in 1881, the American Association of University Women is the nation's oldest and largest organization working to promote education and equity for women and girls. The national organization has more than 100,000 members. The Palm Springs branch was founded in 1949.

Since 1998, AAUW California has operated 10 camps every summer on university campuses throughout the state. About 100 girls attend each camp. All campers must be nominated by a teacher and then selected by an AAUW branch. The branch raises the funds to provide the girls with a full scholarship, worth $1,000. The Palm Springs branch tries to select girls who might not otherwise have been able to attend camps.

For nearly 20 years, our group of 100+ Coachella Valley women has raised funds to send more than 125 local seventh-grade girls to spend a week immersed in high-quality, cutting-edge STEM classes on the campuses.

This past summer, 13 girls had their lives transformed as they became Tech Trek participants. Five girls went to Whittier College for a week, while four went to UCSB. An additional four girls participated virtually.

We are a dedicated group of women at various ages and stages in life. In addition to raising funds for Tech Trek campers, we hold a monthly business meeting which features a professional guest presenter. We also host monthly interest groups that include a book club, a film club, a world affairs discussion, lunches and happy hours.

We invite new members and sponsors to join us. Our current chapter president, Kathi Farber, greeted our new season with a call to action.

“I look forward to reaching our goals together as we join our individual strengths,” she said.

Come join us as we advocate for positive social and legal policy changes for all women and girls. Support our AAUW programs which help shape the next generation of women leaders.

For more information or to make a donation, visit palmsprings-ca.aauw.net or facebook.com/aauwpsbranch.

Arlene Gotshalk is a member of AAUW.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: AAUW Palm Springs improves community through scholarships