Local Projects that help women and girls

The Tahlequah Branch has sponsored a mentoring program for girls. Mentors are paired with girls coming from diverse school backgrounds to build self esteem, increase career awareness and career interest. A program at the end of the year gives the girls an opportunity to meet other AAUW members. For the last few years, members have worked with girls from Watts and Bell, Oklahoma.

In previous years, the Tahlequah Branch joined AAUW branches across the country to sponsor a Sister-to-Sister Summit. The last conference, held in Keys, brought together eighth-grade girls from three schools to candidly discuss critical issues that teenage girls face today. Some of the topics reviewed were substance abuse, body image, peer pressure and harassment, sexual activity and violence. More summits involving rural Cherokee County schools may be planned for the future.

Other local projects that help women and girls are supported throughout the year. In the past, the branch has payed for one girl's registration to Oklahoma Girl's State.

The first Woman to Woman Conference was held in 2001 and continues to be a very active event in our community. The purpose is to involve area women of diverse backgrounds together to share their ideas, concerns, and feelings about what is going on in their lives and community. Focused topics have been: education issues; health issues; relationships; financial planning; nutrition and health; meaning in life; building healthy communities; joys of giving; breaking barriers; and women change the world through business, volunteerism, public office and stereotypes of Muslim women. Participants share their ideas for improvements, and a paper is developed and sent to elected and appointed officials and other appropriate leaders listing participants suggestions. For the past two years AAUW Tahlequah has co-sponsored women lecturers at Northeastern State University on diversity and equality topics.