Because of the generosity of our members and friends, AAUW was able to provide full scholarships for 30 of the 350 women who attended last year’s National Conference for College Women Student Leaders. This year, we expect 450 women to attend the conference. To ensure that limited financial means are not a barrier to young women who want to develop their leadership potential, we need your support even more this year.

Already, the following branches and states have committed to sponsoring students to attend the 2008 conference: the Huntsville (AL) Branch, AAUW of Maine, the McLean Area (VA) Branch, AAUW of Pennsylvania, the North Shore (MA) Branches, Danvers-Topsfield (MA) Branch, AAUW of Washington, the Fort Lauderdale (FL) Branch, the Tampa (FL) Branch, the Saint Croix (MN) Branch, the Wyandotte-Downriver (MI) Branch, the Ann Arbor (MI) Branch, the South East (MI) Branches, the Bryan-College Station (TX) Branch, AAUW of Ohio, AAUW of Tennessee, and the Reno (NV) Branch.

Here are three great ways that individuals, branches, and states can help support these women, as well as this unique leadership-building conference:

1. Pay the registration fee and perhaps help with transportation expenses for a college student from your community to attend the conference. Many branches already have money allocated to provide local college scholarships. Consider using some of those funds to send a woman to this conference.
   
   
2. Contribute to the Conference of College Women Student Leaders (make checks payable to AAUW-LTI-conference, fund number 2505). Your donations help ensure a high-quality conference for every attendee. Because of generous contributions to this fund in 2007, AAUW was able to bring speakers like Zainab Salbi to the conference. Salbi is the founder of Women to Women International, an organization that empowers women survivors of war, and was recently featured on CBS’s 60 Minutes.
   
   
3. Contribute to the Conference Scholarship Fund (make checks payable to AAUW-LTI-scholarships, fund number 2504). The scholarship committee uses this money to provide scholarships to as many women as possible. Preference is given to women who have financial need; travel stipends are also available. Women with leadership potential should not be left out because they cannot afford to attend.

Please send contributions to:

AAUW
P.O. Box 630832
Baltimore, MD 21263-0832

Need to know more? Here are some important facts about the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders:

• The conference will take place June 5–7, 2008, in Washington, D.C.
• The conference features more than 50 dynamic workshops, high-profile keynote speakers, networking opportunities, community service projects, and an opportunity to meet Women of Distinction award winners.
• The 2008 Women of Distinction Award recipients include Kimberly Dozier, an award-winning CBS News correspondent who was injured while covering the war in Iraq; Majora Carter, environmental activist and founder of Sustainable South Bronx; and Evelyn “Pat” Foote, retired U.S. Army Brigadier General and Vietnam War veteran who served on the Army's Senior Review Panel on Sexual Harassment.
• Branches and states that support the conference will be recognized on the conference website, in the program book, on signs at the event, in electronic mailings to members, and in a future issue of AAUW Outlook magazine.
• The AAUW McLean Area (VA) and Lansdale (PA) branches have already made generous donations to the 2008 conference.
• Some students who receive conference scholarships make presentations about the conference for the branches that supported them.
• AAUW keeps track of conference alumnae after the event. Almost 100 of the 2007 attendees stay in touch with AAUW through the website Facebook. This is a new and exciting way to get young women involved with AAUW.
• Campus Action Project winners will attend the conference and will present projects based on the research report Behind the Pay Gap.
• In 2007, students from 41 states and some international students attended the conference.
• In 2007, the conference was so popular that we did not have room for all the students who wanted to attend. In 2008, we will have room for 450 students.

For more information, visit www.nccwsl.org or contact Laura McCulty Stepp at 202-728-3303.

Thank you in advance for your contribution to making this year’s student leadership conference a success!