AAUW STATE COLLEGE INVESTS IN COMMUNITY

AUTHORS:

AAUW State College Community Outreach Committee chairs:

Sherry Crassweller, Community Action Grants

Carol-Beth Book and Michele Crowl, STEM Grants

Leslie Laing and Maria Schmidt, Scholarships

EMAIL: connieschroeder@gmail.com (from Connie Schroeder, Marketing & Com VP)

 PHONE: (814) 360-4810

AGENCY: AAUW State College

ARTICLE:

AAUW State College’s mission to advance equity for women and girls is demonstrated by our financial commitment to local programs and scholarships. Our community outreach stems from an endowed scholarship program and funds generated by our annual Used Book Sales in May.

COMMUNITY ACTION GRANTS – AAUW State College Community Action Grants fund programs offered by non-profit organizations in Centre County that relate to AAUW’s mission to advance equity for women and girls. Although the grants primarily benefit women and girls, they also improve the overall quality of life for individuals, families, and communities in Centre County. The programs funded are chosen according to set criteria and include programs in health, literacy, diversity, self-esteem, and more. AAUW State College believes that collaborative community-based initiatives form a robust foundation for advancing equity locally and, ultimately, globally. Grant applications may be sent February 1, 2024 – April 1, 2024.

STEM GRANTS –Because the gender gap remains high in some of the fast-growing and high-paying STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers, AAUW State College STEM grants help to engage girls and young women in these fields.

Our STEM initiatives include after-school programs for middle-school girls; program funding for local non-profits such as the Discovery Space; a summer math program for elementary school children; scholarships to Penn State Science-U summer camps; ENVISION, a Penn State hands-on science event for 6-12 girls, and EMPOWER, a networking and professional development conference for college-aged and professional women in STEM. Mini-grant applications are reviewed by the STEM Committee on a rolling basis.

UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS - AAUW State College provides four annual scholarships, funded by our Used Book Sales and donations, to support the educational pursuits of adult women residing in Centre County. Scholarships range from $3,000 to $7,000 and are based on the financial need and circumstances of the recipients.

Our scholarships are endowed through the Centre Foundation, and are named after earlier branch presidents, Dr. Lucretia Van Tuyl Simmons, Vonna Jansma, Evelyn Chostner Marboe, and recently, Suzanne McCrae Kerlin, who has selflessly dedicated herself to the branch for many years. All of these women have been ardent supporters of educational opportunities for women. The Scholarship Committee reviews applications and make selections in April. Scholarship applications may be submitted between January 1, 2024 - March 15,2024.

After an internal review by committees, funding recommendations are made to the Board of Directors for ultimate approval. AAUW State College endeavors to award more grants and scholarships to local programs helping women and girls, and to women pursuing undergraduate degrees. Learn more about our funding initiatives, including criteria, programs funded, and applications, at https://aauwstatecollege.org/, listed under Community Outreach. Please direct questions to info@aauwstatecollege.org.