Meetings & Activities | AAUW Monmouth Area (IL) Branch

2026-2027 Events

Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, 2:00 pm CST
Webinar concerning the federal school voucher tax credit program, hosted by Education Law Center, National Coalition for Public Education, National Education Association, and more.
Register Here.

Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, 6:00-7:00 pm CST

Promoting AAUW Education Values Through School Board Advocacy

Want a concrete way to defend education equity in your local schools? Join us to gain practical tools for you or your branch to engage with your local school boards, push back against book bans and curriculum censorship, and protect all students’ right to learn.

You’ll hear from an ACLU expert on the current landscape and from AAUW leaders in California, Florida, and Pennsylvania on strategies your branch can adapt in your own community.

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, 3:30 pm CST

Mark your calendars and plan to join us for AAUW’s Winter Member Gathering. At this special virtual event, we will share updates around AAUW’s strategic plan and its three key priorities, highlight the impact of our work so far, and provide you with the information you need to answer AAUW’s 5 Calls to Action.

This is a great opportunity to reconnect with AAUW’s mission, hear what’s ahead, and gather ideas to bring back to your branch and state work. Register here.

Past Events

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Book Group: The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum by Temple Grandin
Location: Your Zoom Room (link will be emailed to participants)
Time: 10:00 am

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Book Group: Sassafras, Cypress and Indigo by Ntozake Shange
Location: Your Zoom Room (link will be emailed to participants)
Time: 10:30 am

Thursday, August 28, 2025

Book Group: Violetta: a Novel by Isabel Allende
Location: Your Zoom Room (link will be emailed to participants)
Time: 10:30 am

Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, 9-11 am

2025 AAUW-IL Fall Conference (Virtual)
Policy Impacts on Women and Higher Education
Learn, Plan, Act!
Speakers:

Isabel McMullen, PhD candidate in Political Science
Meghan Kissell is the Senior Director of Policy and Member Advocacy at AAUW
Dr. Ken Olson currently serves on the AAUW Illinois board as Co-Director of Public Policy and on the Schaumburg Area AAUW board as Policy Director

Thursday, October 6, 2025

Book Group: Survival is a Promise: the Eternal Life of Audre Lorde by Alexis Pauline Gumbs
Location: Your Zoom Room (link will be emailed to participants)
Time: 10:00 am

Webinar: AAUW Money Smart: Smart Finances
Thursday, October 23, 2025 | 3:00 – 4:00 pm ET

Webinar: Branches in Action: A Century of Advocacy, Fundraising & Impact
Thursday, October 23, 2025 | 4:30 – 5:30 pm ET

Defending Equity in Education: DEI Rollbacks & Curriculum Bans
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 | 2:30 – 3:30 pm ET

Thursday, November 6, 2025

Book Group: Goodnight, Irene: a Novel by Luis Alberto Urrea
Location: Your Zoom Room (link will be emailed to participants)
Time: 10:00 am

Thursday, November 6, 2025, 5 pm CST
AAUW Webinar:

Working in Coalition: Building Power through Partnerships
Learn how strong partnerships can amplify your advocacy with real-world examples and first steps for building coalitions

Saturday, November 8, 2025

Meet AAUW Fellows and Grantees

Since 1888, AAUW has been one of the largest funders of women’s graduate education, investing in women who go on to change the world. Between FY2020-2025, AAUW awarded nearly $29.6 million in total (this includes multiple award types and organizational grants) to about 1,538 women and community projects. By 2023, more than $135 million had been awarded in total since program inception (in 1888) to over 13,000 women and nonprofit orgs.

Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 6 pm CST
AAUW Webinar

AAUW Member Recruitment Best Practices — November 19 at 7:00 pm ET. Learn from a panel of branch leaders in a moderated discussion on what’s working in member recruitment.

Thursday, November 20, 2025, 3:30 – 6:00 pm CST

2025 AAUW Alumnae Recognition Award — November 20 from 4:30-7 pm ET. Celebrate leadership, achievement, and community as we honor Yie-Hsin Hung in this special virtual awards presentation.

Saturday, December 6, 2025, 10:30am – 12:00pm

AAUW Monmouth Area Branch Holiday Event

Potluck Brunch and Face-to-Face Fellowship with Zoom at Warren County Public Library Board Room, or Zoom only for those unable to attend.

Updates will be given about National, State, and Local AAUW News.

Zoom links will be sent to branch members.

December AAUW Webinar

Workshop with Jane Chen Part 2: Recognizing Your Inner Parts: A Path to Self-Compassion
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 | 2:00 – 3:15 pm CST

Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025

Book Group: Toni at Random: the Iconic Writer’s Legendary Editorship by Dana A. Williams
Location: Your Zoom Room (link will be emailed to participants)
Time: 10:00 am

Thursday, January 15, 2026

The Future of Higher Education (Virtual)
In light of the recent political attacks on higher education, this important webinar provides space for leaders to discuss the future of higher education. The panel will explore not only the current reality, but also the long-term impacts and pathways forward. Panelists will provide insights from their own positions and experiences as leaders in higher education.
1:00 – 2:00 pm CST.

Thursday, January 29, 2026

Advocacy in an Election Year: Staying Nonpartisan While Taking Real Action (Virtual)

AAUW’s strength comes from our nonpartisan, issues-first approach to advancing equity. As we look to the 2026 midterm elections, it’s critical to make our voices heard.