The Silver City/Southwest New Mexico Branch of AAUW invites members, visitors and potential members to its September 23 Kick Off meeting at The Conservatory of Dance Studio, 2020 Cottage San Rd. from 2-4:30 p.m.. Light refreshments and entertainment will be provided. Join in celebrating the Branch’s 80th anniversary! The calendar of events, projects and programs for the year will be presented.

Early in September 1938, 11 women gathered and organized the Grant County Branch, which is now the Silver City Branch. Over the years the Branch has been an active advocate for woman’s and girls’ issues. The official date of the anniversary is October 27. In celebration of the Anniversary the Silver City Public Library will have display cases for AAUW during the months of September and October.

One of the organization's projects since 1993 is the annual EYH (Expanding Your Horizons) conference held on the WNMU campus to encourage 5th – 8th grade girls to pursue STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics) careers. At this meeting visitor and new members will have the opportunity to sign up to help organize and participate in the EYH conference on Feb 23, 2019.

There is a student AAUW group on the WNMU Campus. the adult branch participates in helping WNMU students apply and attend a National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL) held at University of Maryland near Washington DC for several days around the end of May.

For several years members of the branch have had the opportunity to interview local 7th grade students who have been recommended by their teachers to apply and attend a Tech Trek one week science camp. This June a student from La Plata Middle School and another from Snell Middle School were able to attend this camp.

At the AAUW Holiday celebration each December, members raise money for the Barbara Brown Scholarship for a returning woman WNMU student.

The last 2 years the branch was able to raise money for the EYH conference at the Give Grandly event in May. In July, members raised more money for EYH in the Silver City Co-op’s Roundup program.

For more information contact Adrienne Dare at dareadrienne@gmail.com or 575-388-2013.