The affiliate generally schedules one special meeting per month, autumn through spring.  Here’s what we have for 2023-24, so far

Thursday, August 31, 2023 – 5:30 pm. —  Welcome Fest

We start off the new AAUW program year with a gathering of members and guests at the Walden Pavilion (902 Thornbury Drive in the Walden Subdivision).  A light supper will be provided.  The program for the coming year will be presented.

 

Monday, September 11, 2023 — 5 p.m. —  Movie and More

Members, guests, and VU students will meet at Mueller Hall for a screening of The First Step, a documentary that focuses on bringing together a divided America as Van Jones works across Party Lines on landmark criminal justice reform and a more humane response to the addiction crisis. Jones forms an unlikely coalition to try to get results in Washington. Samantha Burgett, VU Professor of Sociology and Criminology and head of Community Change Center, will speak about her work after the film. A light supper will be served.

 

Thursday, October 5, 2023 — 10 a.m. —  AAUW Advocates

Members and guests will gather at the Porter County Community Foundation to learn more about how to advocate effectively on matters of importance to AAUW members and the AAUW mission. This workshop will include speakers familiar with grassroots organizing from the Interfaith Action Network, as well as a Zoom session with national feminist leader Lisa Maatz. A catered lunch by Pesto’s will follow the workshop.

Wednesday, November 15, 2022 – 5:30 pm – Sister to Sister Book Group Meeting

High school women are invited to join us for supper and discussion of The Indigo Girl at the Porter County Community Foundation.

 

Sunday, December 10, 2023 — 2:00 p.m. — Matinee and After-Party

Members and guests will enjoy a special group rate to see White Christmas at the Memorial Opera House at 104 Indiana. A post-performance party will take place upstairs in the Opera House’s lounge with snacks and a cash bar. A Christmas elf will take cash donations for our annual “Pack the Pantry” fundraiser benefitting the Hilltop Food Pantry.

 

Wednesday, January 10, 2024 — Film, Speaker, and Luncheon

Members and guests will gather at the Porter County Community Foundation to view a 29-minute documentary called The Working Hungry about food insecurity in Indiana. Following the film, Anne Massie, the Co-Executive Director of the NWI Food Council will tell us about the work of the Council. A catered luncheon will follow.

Wednesday, February 21, 2024 — 11:00 a.m. — Take Your (Woman)Trustee to Lunch

Four of the twelve Porter County trustees are women. AAUW members and their guests will have the opportunity to meet these women and learn about the work that they do in our communities and how they serve their constituencies. This event will take place at Dish Restaurant at 3907 Calumet Avenue.

 

Thursday, March 14, 2024 — 5:00-7:00 p.m. — Unhappy Hour Cocktail Party

Members and guests will gather at the Design Barn in Hebron to recognize Equal Pay Day, the March date that symbolizes how far into the year a woman must work to earn what men earned in the previous year. Rosalie Levinson, former Duesenberg Professor of Law at Valparaiso University and recipient of the Athena Award for her work in advancing women’s rights, and Jean Smarto, MBA, CPM, and professional coach, will speak. AAUW members will be encouraged to purchase tickets to this event to be given to area women, especially teachers, businesswomen, healthcare workers, etc.

                      

Wednesday, April 3, 2024 — 10:00 a.m. —  MAAC Tour

Members and guests will tour the Multi Agency Academic Cooperative (MAAC) Foundation campus, a state-of-the-art facility that provides safety, emergency preparedness, and response training for law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS personnel. The 28-acre Valparaiso campus at 4203 Montdale Park Drive features a 7000 square foot indoor training area, three 45-person classrooms, a tactical building, a 4-story drill tower, a live burn building, a flashover trainer, residential home training structures, a vehicle extrication area and a virtual reality simulator. 

                    

Wednesday, May 1, 2024 – 5:30 pm – Annual Meeting and May Banquet

The new downtown location of Dish Restaurant will be site of this end-of-the-year event.  We will elect new officers, honor our scholarship recipients, and name our “Person of the Year.” Dr. Mary Jane Eisenhauer, director of First Things First Porter County, will speak about the collaborative of community partners creating a rich system of care, support, and services so that every Porter County baby is prepared for a strong start in life.