AAUW Tahoe Nevada

03/28/2026

Celebrating Women’s History month by reading about an amazing women in our history, Frances Perkins.

03/28/2026

Today, we are proud to announce a landmark seven-figure gift from Meryl Streep to the National Women's History Museum.

Throughout her extraordinary career, Meryl has brought to life some of history's most iconic and complex women—from Margaret Thatcher and Julia Child, to Katharine Graham and Karen Silkwood. She has spent decades ensuring that women's stories are told with depth, nuance, and humanity.

Now, she is taking that commitment off the screen and into the future of how America learns and celebrates its history.

One of the Museum's earliest and most steadfast supporters, Meryl’s incredible generosity will help us expand how women’s stories are told through new digital content, educator programs scaling to classrooms nationwide, and a major surge in national visibility as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary. This investment helps ensure the story we tell about our nation is fuller, truer, and more complete.

“History is shaped not only by those who make it, but by those who ensure it is remembered,” said Meryl Streep. “The National Women’s History Museum has long been a catalyst for bringing forward the stories that deepen our understanding of who we are. I am proud to continue supporting this essential work so that future generations inherit a history that is both truthful and complete.”

Meryl believes women’s stories must be fully recognized, taught, and remembered. So do we.

“As one of the most influential storytellers of our time, Meryl Streep has spent her career illuminating the depth, complexity, and power of women’s lives,” said Susan D. Whiting, Chair of the Board of the National Women’s History Museum. “Her extraordinary generosity, paired with her unwavering commitment to truth, equity, and education, reflects the very mission of this Museum.”

Read the full announcement: https://www.womenshistory.org/news/meryl-streep-makes-seven-figure-gift-advance-future-womens-history

03/28/2026

She was rejected by NASA. Most people would quit. But Ellen Ochoa took flying lessons instead—and made history. Years later, she didn't just reach the stars. She brought her flute along for the ride. This is the story of the first Hispanic woman in space.
Ellen Ochoa was born in Los Angeles in 1958 to a family with Mexican roots. While other kids were playing outside, Ellen was fascinated by how things worked—taking apart radios, solving math puzzles, dreaming about the stars. She earned degrees in physics and electrical engineering, becoming one of the few women in her field.
In 1985, she applied to NASA with one dream: to become an astronaut.
Two years later, NASA called her in for an interview. She prepared for weeks. She imagined herself floating among the stars. But when the decision came, it wasn't what she hoped for.
"Not ready yet."
Most people would have given up. The rejection stung. But Ellen saw it differently—NASA didn't say "no." They said "not yet."
So she got to work. Ellen enrolled in pilot school, spending countless hours in the cockpit until she earned her license in 1990. She strengthened her application, refined her skills, and applied again.
This time, NASA said yes.
By 1991, Ellen was working at NASA. Two years later, in 1993, she boarded the Space Shuttle Discovery and launched into history as the first Hispanic woman in space. She looked down at Earth from 200 miles above and realized something powerful: the girl who was once rejected had just opened the door for millions of others.
Ellen didn't stop there. She flew to space three more times, logging nearly 1,000 hours beyond our atmosphere. NASA awarded her four Space Flight Medals, the Outstanding Leadership Medal, the Exceptional Service Medal, and the Distinguished Service Medal—one of their highest honors.
But here's the detail that makes her story unforgettable: Ellen brought her flute to space. Between experiments and spacewalks, she would play music floating in zero gravity, proving that science and art aren't opposites—they're partners in human achievement.
After retiring from space missions in 2007, Ellen became Deputy Director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, helping shape the future of space exploration. In 2017, she was inducted into the U.S. Astronauts Hall of Fame. In 2018, the International Air and Space Hall of Fame.
Ellen Ochoa didn't just break barriers. She proved that rejection isn't the end of your story—it's just the beginning of your next chapter.
When you work hard, stay curious, and refuse to give up, you don't just reach the stars.
You change who gets to reach them next.

03/26/2026

Progress isn’t guaranteed — and the pay gap is proof.

The latest Census data shows that women working full-time earn 81¢ for every $1 paid to white men. But women’s working lives don’t fit neatly into one box. Many women work part-time or seasonally, often because caregiving responsibilities, unpredictable schedules, or limited transportation make it harder to sustain full-time work. When we look at all working women, the reality is 76¢ to the dollar.

This isn’t about one paycheck or one choice. The pay gap is a sign of pay inequity — driven by a mix of factors like women being concentrated in lower-paid jobs, caregiving penalties, pay secrecy, and discrimination. That means we need a mix of solutions, too: stronger policies, employer action, and tools that help women advocate for themselves.

This Equal Pay Day, don’t just mind the gap — help close it. Learn more at AAUW about policy solutions, what employers can do, and AAUW trainings for women. act.aauw.org/thesimpletruth

03/25/2026

We had such a fun time with the SWEP team and the elementary school kids and families.

03/22/2026

There are still seats. Come to a movie screening, enjoy snacks, conversation & an award winning film, Space, Hope & Charity. Incline library on Wednesday, 2:30- 5:00.
It’s free. We are celebrating Women’s History Month. Register online at
tahoe-nv.aauw.net/events, seats are limited and must be over 15yrs old.

03/18/2026

Join us for a film screening, 3/25. It is open to the community, age 15+. We just need you to register. Here is the trailer: https://vimeo.com/749418902

03/14/2026

Happy Pi Day!
Here’s to the girls who love numbers, ask big questions, and prove every day that the future of STEM is limitless. .tahoenv

03/08/2026

… Girl Scouts has shaped the lives of countless girls …

Girl Scout Promise

On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

Girl Scout Law (Principles)

The 12 values that guide behavior are:
1. Honest and fair
2. Friendly and helpful
3. Considerate and caring
4. Courageous and strong
5. Responsible for what I say and do
6. Respect myself and others
7. Respect authority
8. Use resources wisely
9. Make the world a better place
10. Be a sister to every Girl Scout

What these principles aim to build

Girl Scouts focuses on helping girls develop:
• Leadership
• Confidence
• Character
• Community service
• Practical life skills

These ideas shape their activities like community projects, outdoor programs, STEM learning, and teamwork.

International Women's Day reminder that one girl's dream can spark a world of difference. 💚

03/08/2026

Celebrating those before us and sharing our knowledge for those to come.

Happy ! ✨ For 30 years, the NWHM has worked to ensure that women’s history is visible, accessible, and fully integrated into the story of our nation.

This work is not secondary to American history. It *is* American history.

This month (like every month!), we're excited to engage with our communities through virtual programming, amplify women's achievements across all fields, and spotlight lesser-known trailblazers, including:

✈️ Hazel Ying Lee, the first Chinese American woman to fly for the U.S. military, serving as a Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) ferry pilot during World War II

🗣️ Susette LaFlesche Tibbles (Bright Eyes), an Omaha woman who spent her entire life tirelessly campaigning for Native American rights as a speaker, activist, interpreter, and writer

📰 Nellie Bly, whose undercover reporting not only raised awareness about mental health treatment and led to improvements in institutional conditions, but also ushered in an age of investigative journalism

🪸 Joan Murrell Owens, the first Black woman marine biologist, geologist, and paleontologist who discovered a new genus of button coral

🏳️‍🌈 Laura M. Esquivel, a lifelong activist and cofounder of Latino(a) Le***an and Gay Organization (LLEGÓ) who's often referred to as “La Madre” of the Latino LGBTQ+ movement

🗽 Emma Lazarus, a Jewish American writer and activist whose words “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” are almost as well-known as the Statue of Liberty they're engraved on

🎨 Edmonia Lewis, the first professional Black and Native American sculptor in the U.S. who used her art to depict the stories of women and Indigenous people with reverence and beauty

⚖️ Sylvia Mendez, who, at age 8, played an instrumental role in Mendez v. Westminster, the landmark 1946 case that successfully ended de jure segregation in California

🪖 Maya Lin, a renowned artist and architect who began her career creating the Vietnam War Memorial at 21 years old after winning a national search competition with her innovative minimal design

Who are you celebrating this Women's History Month? Let us know in the comments!