- AAUW national organization’s fund provides almost $6 million dollars (as of 2022 AY) in annual Fellowships and Grants that are awarded worldwide (summer). In February our C/U Partnership Director organizes a membership program to recognize national Fellows & Grantees selected from NC universities. Our branch has historically held spring fundraisers for Local branch financial aid scholarships (see 2019-2022). Speakers at our scholarship fundraisers have included Lee Smith, Jill McCorkle, Margaret Maron, Nancy MacClean, and Joe and Terry Graedon of The People’s Pharmacy.
- 2020’s Could be described as the great “Pandemic Pivot” decade in terms of how the branch had to learn and adapt to use of online technology that helped keep members engaged and remain effective in its mission to advance gender equity. The pandemic accelerated use of digital technology for general operations. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion awareness and training becomes a major priority for AAUW national, state and local branches.
- 2019 – 2022, The branch increased annual local scholarship commitment from $1500 to $5000. We added a $1500 scholarship at NCCU (2019 -2020), a $1000 scholarship at Durham Tech (2021), and a $1000 scholarship at Central Carolina Community College in Chatham County (2022). This is in addition to The Carrie Heath Schwenning Scholarship at UNC-CH, started in 1928 (see below) and represented higher education support for women with demonstrated financial need in the counties represented in the branch that was no longer the Chapel Hill branch but the Orange, Durham, Chatham (ODC) branch of AAUW-NC. (March 2020 is recognized as the start of the global Covid-19 pandemic.) Social Justice interest group facilitator is appointed for the branch. Diversity officers at state and national levels and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training is a priority for AAUW at all levels.
- 2017, we supported Women x Worth, in their second year of providing help to and encouraging women of color on the UNC-CH campus.
- 2016, we supported Women of Worth, a project designed to offer encouragement and support to women of color who are pursuing higher education at UNC-CH. Our grant, together with a grant from AAUW NC and others provided a copy of Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes to every participant.
- 2015, we supported Project Dinah, a multi-part effort aimed at preventing interpersonal violence and educating the campus community about interpersonal violence including Alliance Against Violence and a benefit concert for the Orange County Rape Crisis Center.
- 2013 & 2014 –sponsored NCCU’s Elect Her—a workshop to help collegiate women campaign for campus leadership positions
- 2010— 2012 (and into the 2020’s) Digitize and Diversify is the focus: our goal is to attract a diverse membership and collaborate with other organizations to create a more equitable world.
- 1990’s & 2000’s—Education Equity in the Schools is the Focus: began an Emerging Leaders Internship Program for Student Affiliates
- Branch President Doris Bernlohr presents an honorary AAUW membership to the first female president of the UNC system.
- For 3 years sponsored SPARC STEM programs for girls in the Durham and Chatham County Schools.
- 1980’s—Networking Decade: Formed Chapel Hill Council of Women’s Organizations, sponsored with 18 other organizations the Women’s Leader’s Conference on Common Security-Building Structures for Peace
- The 1970’s—Health Issues were at the forefront and our chapter worked with the UNC School of Public Health in various areas to improve the health of women in our state.
- 1978, celebrated the 400th anniversary of the first woman to earn a PhD—Elena Lucrezia Comaro Piscipio at the University of Padua
- Brochures were designed and distributed to foreign students on campus to assist their transition to the United States.
- Member Mary Scroggs served 16 years on the CH-Carrboro Board of Education. A local elementary school is named after her. Mary Scroggs was a leader in establishing the AAUW Juvenile Literature Award which has been administered by the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association for more than 60 years.
- The 1950’s—was dubbed the Education Decade & the 1960’s –The Arts Decade
- Provided Art Kits for both schools and public libraries
- Began a Creative Writing Competition Project in the high schools
- Gave equipment and financial assistance to the Chapel Hill Public Library.
- Helped to start the Chapel Hill Children’s Library
- 1940’s—The War Effort
- WWII—sent school supplies to Korea, clothing to Poland, books and magazines to Belgium.
- 1920’s and 1930’s—Advocating for Women’s Higher Education at UNC-CH
- In 1928, the seeds of the Schwenning Scholarship were sown. Entirely supported by the Chapel Hill Branch, it has grown from being a loan of $100 per year (the student was given 2 years after finishing her studies at UNC-CH to repay the loan at the rate of 4% per annum) to a scholarship of $1,500. The scholarship is for a female graduate student at UNC-CH and is administered by the UNC Financial Aid. Office. In 1950, it was renamed the Carrie Heath Schwenning Award after the sudden death of a member.
- This action reinforces the dedicated support of women’s education at UNC-CH
- The first task was to provide a physical education instructor for the women students and ask an architect to design a room for physical exercise in the basement of the new Woman’s Building.
- March 15, 1923 –Mrs. Harry Woodburn Chase invites 16 women to discuss forming a chapter of AAUW.
- The 16 women elect Miss Louise Venable, later wife of UNC Botany professor, W.C. Coker