AAUW's portfolio of financial literacy programs offers opportunities for states and branches to schedule into spring and summer plans.

Grassroots Programs

• Financially Fit for Life Workshops
  With financial support, guidance, and participation from Prudential Financial Services, AAUW has developed a workshop examining personal economic security through sound lifelong financial decision making. The workshop draws on two studies: Mom's Retirement Security (the AAUW Educational Foundation's 2006 Mother's Day research report) and Financial Experience and Behaviors Among Women (Prudential Financial's 2006 survey on financial and retirement planning.) In addition to providing valuable information to AAUW members who are nearing or in their retirement years, the workshop can include an intergenerational focus that will attract younger AAUW members. This project also provides an excellent opportunity for AAUW to partner with other membership organizations and community groups and to attract new members by demonstrating our mission in action.

  AAUW piloted the two-hour workshop at four locations, resulting in a replicable model workshop available for all states and branches. AAUW Ohio presented the first of the four pilots at its annual Equity Day conference on April 20, 2007, preceding the state convention.

• Financial Independence for Girls Program
  This popular modular program provides basic financial education to teenage girls. Initially developed a decade ago by Joan Maloney, past president of the DeLand (FL) Branch, FIG has been successfully presented by dozens of Florida branches. AAUW Florida members Leslie Henderson and Sally Bailey have modified and updated the modules based on branch experience, with support from an AAUW Florida mini-grant and an AAUW Educational Foundation Community Action grant. AAUW Florida now offers to share the program with states and branches outside Florida. Please direct any questions to Leslie Henderson, South Atlantic Regional Director, at flaauw@aol.com , or Sally Bailey at sallyb2@aol.com.

Advocacy

• Start a WAGE Club
  WAGE Clubs are a grassroots effort designed to close the wage gap and advance fair pay for working women. AAUW joined forces with our coalition partners to promote the clubs as a year-round activity to raise awareness about pay equity issues. AAUW pay equity resources, as well as AAUW Educational Foundation research discussion materials, are available online.

Education

• 2007-08 Campus Action Project - Behind the Pay Gap
  The seven campus project teams awarded grants are composed of students and campus professionals. The teams are implementing projects that addresses one or more of the recommendations from the 2007 research report Behind the Pay Gap. These include: promote careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to girls and women, encourage women to negotiate for better quality jobs and pay, support mothers in the workplace, and end gender discrimination.
• 2006-07 Campus Action Project - Planning for an Economically Secure Future
  The 10 campus project teams awarded grants have implemented projects in five areas — Campus Dialogue, Equal Pay Day and Beyond, Examining Perceptions, Mentoring, and Web-Based Tools. Examples of CAP team work will be highlighted with the research release on Equal Pay Day and at the upcoming Association convention in June. A summary of the awarded project proposals are available online.
• Media Watch: Mission in Action highlighted articles from the Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, and the U.S. Department of Labor.
• Mom's Retirement Security, the AAUW Educational Foundation's Mother's Day 2006 research report, analyzes the degree to which family members understand their mother's financial situation. Members can download the complete report.

Research

• Behind the Pay Gap research
  AAUW released research in April 2007 on the difference between women's and men's earnings in the first 10 years following college graduation, which highlights the persistence of the pay gap. The pay gap appears within the first year after college — even when women are working full-time in the same fields as men — and widens in the first 10 years in the workforce. Pivotal factors seem to include field of study, the decision to have children, and occupational choice.

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