AAUW Grosse Pointe Branch
Celebrating 80 years of Advancing Equity for Women and Girls
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The Grosse Pointe Branch of AAUW began in 1944 and is a local branch of the national organization of The American Association of University Women (AAUW).
A group of women, led by Mrs. John Pear, established the Grosse Pointe Branch of the American Association of University Women in 1944. The branch was founded with the purpose of uniting college and university women in the Grosse Pointe communities for the improvement of educational standards, for securing broader opportunities for women, to further proper legislation in local and national problems, and for cooperation with the work aims of the AAUW.
Early branch activities included inviting guest speakers to address the group on topics related to their stated purpose, sending boxes of supplies to veterans and communities in war-torn areas of Europe and Asia, and supporting local community efforts.
The first fundraising activity, a book sale, garnered much success and was repeated as an annual event. Proceeds went towards branch expenses and allowed the group to donate funds to local and international causes they deemed worthwhile as well as efforts spearheaded by the parent organization.
Over the years, the AAUW Grosse Pointe Branch has provided fellowship, programs, and opportunity to advance equity for women and girls in society.
Fundraising provided the means to fund national endowments and scholarships, and local scholarships to women at Wayne State University, Alternatives for Girls, and Macomb Community College.
We partner and support community events that align with our mission. We are a member of the Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce and are a registered U.S. public charitable 501(c)3 organization.
Deciding to make a more profound impact in our community and support and encourage science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics careers our branch has provided the financial stability to continue and expand the robotics teams, annually award scholarships to graduating high school girls, and host an art contest and exhibition in the fall.
AAUW GP is always looking for ways to move our mission into action and we have a lot of ideas on how to encourage and support careers in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics).
We are proud to have been a part of helping to advance equity for women and girls for the last 80 years.
Donations to AAUW Grosse Pointe Education Program are tax deductible and much appreciated
AAUW Grosse Pointe is pleased to announce the 2024 Scholarship Awardees
Scholarships of $1500 each were awarded to a graduating senior girl at Grosse Pointe North High School and one at Grosse Pointe South High School who have a preference for a career in the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, math).
The scholarship committee worked extensively to develop an equitable and fair application with clear objective metrics for evaluation in the selection process. They focused on academic excellence, participation and leadership in school and community, and STEM career goals. The applicants’ essays weighed heavily in the selection. They were asked, “If you could use your STEM discipline to create any innovation that would change the future, what would it be and why?” The applicants were all outstanding, which made the selection difficult.
Elizabeth Peberdy will be attending the University of Tennessee Knoxville and pursuing a career as a Chemist. Elizabeth’s innovation involves nanotechnology. Nano devices would be capable of navigating the human body to diagnose diseases, possibly before symptoms appear, as well as delivering medicinal therapies. These “tiny robots” could also be customized to meet the specific biological makeup and medical needs of each patient. Elizabeth believes that “by using the power of nanoscale engineering, we can create more effective, personalized, and preventative healthcare solutions.”
Zofia Lutoborska will be attending the University of Michigan pursuing a career as a Forensic Scientist. Zofia wants to create a “self-sustaining, indoor gardening system.” The home gardening boxes would be connected to run off running water from household flushes. The US
Department of Agriculture would provide seeds for fruit and vegetables in line with the USDA’s My Plate dietary recommendations. It would be funded through an increase in tax on state lotteries. Zofia believes “this innovation will make an attempt to emasculate food insecurity and provide an option for better health.”
AAUW Grosse Pointe wishes all the best to these fine young women.