Conferences/Conventions

AAUW-Ilinois State Convention
Celebrating 100 Years of Empowering Women

April 19-20, 2024, Elgin Community College, Elgin, IL

Read the Convention schedule
Read the Convention speaker biographies

REGISTRATION INFO  – Registration ends April 8

You have two ways to Register for the April Convention:

1. Online:  Register through Eventbrite (Use credit/debit card, PayPal, or Google Pay)

Register Online

2. Manually: Download and fill out the registration form, include your check, and mail to Sue’s address on the form.

Download Registration Form

  1. Final registration must be submitted or postmarked by April 8. Use the buttons above to register online or via mail.
  2. Room reservations at Holiday Inn, $109 + Tax. Holiday Inn Registration Link Or you may call: 1-855-797-6733 and use the code AUW (this is correct, 3-digit code). You may also make reservations by calling the hotel at 847/488-9000 but you must tell them you are part of “AAUW-IL Room Block” to receive the discounted rate.
  3. Table Display: Note on your registration form that you want a ½ table for your display or contact Kathy Malm il.elgin.membership@gmail.com.

Join us in Celebrating 100 Years of Empowering Women at the AAUW-IL, INC. 99th State Convention, April 19/20, at Elgin Community College Business Center in Elgin, IL.

Celebrate 100 years of branch and member accomplishments. Share your branch’s
stories or highlight historic material from the past 100 years or a current project on a table
display.

  •  “Truth, Trust, and Turnout: Navigating Elections, Civic Engagement, and
    Disinformation” Dr. Suzanne Chod, Professor of Political Science, North Central College,
    will explore the relationship between political trust, polarization, and disinformation and its effects on elections and democracy.
  •  Meghan Kissell, Senior Director of Policy and Membership Advocacy at AAUW, leads
    AAUW’s non-partisan and mission-driven public policy at the federal level and supports the grassroots advocacy work of AAUW’s membership network.
  • Ahlam Jbara, Chief of Staff for the IDHS, Division of Family and Community Services,
    will describe poverty in Illinois and efforts that are in place for women and children to achieve economic security.
  • Legislative Updates by Jenni Purdue, AAUW-IL Lobbyist
  • Dignity Index-The Batavia/Geneva/St. Charles Branch will lead a workshop on rating political speech to ease division and promote healthy dialogue.
  • The Next 100 years for AAUW-IL, includes dialoging in affinity groups and giving voice to the work of AAUW-IL ahead.

Keynote Speaker:

Dr. Suzanne M. Chod (she/her) is Professor of Political Science, Coordinator of Gender and Sexuality Studies, and Coordinator for Interdisciplinary Connections at North Central College in Naperville. Dr. Chod received her B.S. in Political Science from Bowling Green State University in 2002 and her PhD in the same field from Michigan State University in 2007. Dr. Chod joined the NCC faculty as an Assistant Professor in 2010. She teaches classes in American political institutions, parties, campaigns and elections, as well as courses focused on women in American politics and research methods. Her current research examines pedagogy, the use of technology in college classrooms to foster civic engagement, and how to increase political efficacy of young people.

Past AAUW Regional Conference

Held October 19 -21, 2023
St. Louis, MO

The Illinois group at the AAUW Regional Conference:

Past 2023 AAUW-IL, 98th State Convention

Everyone is a Leader for Equity
Held May 5 – 6, 2023

* Find the 98th Convention Booklet in the Members Only section *

  
L: Gloria Blackwell, CEO of AAUW
R: Dr. Shelia Quirk-Bailey, President of Illinois Central College

   
L: Dr Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat, Superintendent of Peoria Public Schools
R: Dr. Elsa Vazquez-Melendez –  Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics at UIC Peoria, with AAUW-IL President Donna Jean Simon

   
L: Marlene Daubert – 2023 Agent of Change, with AAUW-IL-North District Director Sue Topp (right)
R: Changemakers panel (clockwise from top): Representative Nabeela Syed, Crystal Owney, Emily Glimco


New AAUW-IL board members: Caroline Jones and Danielle Byron (not pictured: Lori Switzer)