AAUW Farmington MI

12/03/2025

Farmington Public Schools Announces 2025 Winter Dance Concert

Featuring Student Dancers from Farmington and North Farmington High Schools

Farmington Public Schools is proud to present the 2025 Winter Dance Concert. Dancers from both Farmington High School and North Farmington High School will take the stage on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at 7:00 PM at Farmington High School.

This annual event highlights the creativity, dedication, and technical skill of the district’s emerging choreographers and performers. Audiences can expect a diverse program featuring original choreography, dynamic ensemble work, and expressive pieces shaped through months of rehearsal and instruction.

The Winter Dance Concert is a cherished tradition that not only showcases performance excellence but also the collaboration between our two high schools.

Tickets are available now and can be purchased in advance for $8 or at the door for $10 general admission.

12/03/2025

Every gift strengthens AAUW’s work to advance equity through education, leadership development, research, and advocacy. 💙

✨ Your Giving Tuesday contribution matters because it:
- Funds scholarships and fellowships that open doors for women in every field
- Supports research that sheds light on persistent equity gaps
- Powers advocacy to protect women’s rights and expand economic opportunity
- Invests in programs that help girls grow into confident, capable leaders

When you give to AAUW, you’re fueling change that lasts for generations.
👉 Join us this Giving Tuesday and help move equity forward — one gift at a time.

11/06/2025

Thanks to the federal government shutdown, federal funding for Head Start ran out over the weekend. Some Head Start programs across the country will not be immediately affected either because they have reserve funds, state funding sources, or their federal grant cycle renews in a different month, but programs in 41 states and Puerto Rico are in jeopardy. That includes nine programs affecting nearly 3000 children and their families here in Michigan in the Kalamazoo area and in the northern part of the state including the UP. Most of these programs report that they have reserve funds, community support, and other donations to continue operating for a while, but one program in the rural Gogebic-Ontonagon area of the UP is closing its doors as of today until federal funds resume.

Head Start provides more than daycare services and early education. Programs also provide transportation, meals, assessments and interventions for learning challenges and development delays, and referrals to mental and physical health providers. Research has repeatedly shown that children who attend Head Start have better educational outcomes in K-12 school than children who do not attend Head Start or other preschool programs, and parents rely on Head Start for childcare so they can go to work and earn money to support their families.

The administration proposed eliminating Head Start altogether in its draft budget proposal earlier this year, so the program does not appear to be a presidential priority. A notice on the Department of Health and Human Services website notes that "Mission-critical activities of HHS will continue during the Democrat-led government shutdown." Head Start is apparently not "mission-critical." Tell that to the affected families.

References:
https://www.mlive.com/education/2025/10/9-michigan-head-start-programs-impacting-2944-kids-at-risk-amid-government-shutdown.html
https://www.michiganpublic.org/2025-10-31/government-shutdown-halting-funds-to-nine-michigan-head-start-programs
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-government-shutdown-threatens-shutter-head-start-child-programs-2025-10-30/

11/06/2025

AAUW is deeply concerned about the Department of Education’s new Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) rule and its potential harm to equity, nonprofits, and public service. AAUW warns that this rule could deepen inequities for women and communities of color. Read the full statement: https://www.aauw.org/resources/news/media/press-releases/aauw-new-pslf-rule-raises-alarming-risks-for-equity-and-public-service/

11/06/2025

This is our moment to build a mighty wave of resistance and urgency that can bring about the change we need and restore the values we know are necessary to a government that works for all of us—and not just a privileged few.

11/06/2025

11/06/2025

From AAUW National’s Policy & Member Advocacy Director:

“As the federal shutdown stretches on, students and families are paying the price. We’ve heard the impact from campus administrators: child care centers closing, food banks getting more calls, and working students struggling to stay afloat. Families are grappling with rising health care premiums, straining already tight budgets.

Congress must act now to pass a funding bill and keep essential supports running for the people who need them most. Write to your members of Congress now.

College students already face high rates of food insecurity – 3.3 million college students are eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, though a majority encounter barriers that keep them from getting help. The prolonged shutdown is disrupting November SNAP benefits, compounding hardship for students, low-income families, and federal employees.

Your members of Congress need to hear from you. Ask them to find a bipartisan solution to end the shutdown swiftly.

Health care, food security, and education aren’t arenas for political plays – they are facets of people’s everyday lives. Thank you for using your voice to implore Congress to come to the table, for the sake of students, families, and our communities.

In equity and action,
Meghan Kissell

Senior Director, Policy & Member Advocacy

(Take Action by clicking the site below)

Tell your members of Congress that students & families deserve stability.

11/03/2025

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the AAUW Level Up: Salary Negotiation Program!
This new initiative supports a cohort of 20 early- to mid-career women as they strengthen their negotiation skills, build confidence, and advance their careers.
Through training, coaching, and community support, Level Up will help participants overcome barriers to fair pay and economic mobility — moving us closer to narrowing the gender and racial wage gap.
Thank you to Coca-Cola Company for supporting this important work.

11/03/2025

We shared a post last week about how the current administration wants to limit the diversity of future immigrants because they think there's too much diversity in the U.S. already. That post noted that the administration was also working on a more difficult citizenship test that would potentially reduce the number of successful test takers for whom English is not their first language, thus decreasing the diversity of future naturalized U.S. citizens. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services rolled out the new test last week, and the Washington Post has created an online quiz with ten of the questions from the test bank of 128 questions that could appear on an actual citizenship test.

If you've ever taken a sample citizenship quiz before, you might have laughed and said it was a good thing you were born an American and didn't need to take the test to become a citizen. You might have thought there was no need to make the exam more difficult. See what you think of these questions from the new, harder test: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/interactive/2025/united-states-citizenship-quiz/

10/18/2025

🚨Michiganders, the last day to register to vote online or by mail for the May election is Monday, October 20!

To register online, or to download a printable application, visit: MI.gov/vote “What is proof of residency? Proof of residency is a document with your name and current address. You can use any of the following:

a Michigan driver’s license or state ID card
a utility bill
a bank statement
a paycheck
a government check
any other government document”

10/18/2025

AAUW stands firm for academic freedom and inclusion.
We oppose efforts to condition federal funding on dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion, restricting campus speech, or limiting international enrollment.
America’s colleges should never be forced to choose between their values and their viability.
Read our statement here:https://www.aauw.org/resources/news/media/press-releases/aauw-opposes-trumps-higher-ed-compact-stand-with-students-not-political-litmus-tests/