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Recap:
AAUW Ohio Fall Summit 2025:
Connections, Communications and Resources
October 11 2025 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
All Saints Lutheran Church
6110 North High Street
Worthington, Ohio
Highlighting this year’s Fall Summit will be an afternoon panel discussion on the “State of Education in Ohio,” drawing from a wide range of educators from throughout the state.
Panelists will include Dr. Andrea Townsend, Superintendent at Tri-County Career Center, Nelsonville; Monte Bainter, Superintendent of the Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center, Zanesville; Dr. Naykishia Darby, Central State University, representing historically Black colleges; Dr. Deborah Wooldridge, Bowling Green State University; and Ana Chapman, board member for Berea City Schools and a member of Honesty in Education.
The morning sessions will offer ways to strategically plan and use the updated STARZ Award for branch success.
Lower registration fees in 2025:
In Person (With Lunch) $40.00
Online Via Zoom $20.00
Students (In Person or Online) No Cost
Read more on the AAUW Ohio website.
Recap: Those who attended the March 26, 2025 meeting were able to join 
Sharri Thomas in her mobile trauma unit as she told and demonstrated providing peer support to families and communities experiencing a devastating loss of a loved one due to violence. Sharri left politics to co-found the nonprofit Rivers in the Dessert and the mobile trauma unit, the Healing Room.
In an interview by News 5, Thomas said, “you look at a community where you see one murder and you see like three or four murders after that, a lot of times it’s retaliatory murders. People don’t have a place to put their pain. So yes, this could save not only the life of the person, the family member, but it could save the life of someone else’s family.” The Healing Room provides free access to peer support, case managers, and social workers who can meet people at the scene of a tragedy or wherever.
The mobile unit parked at the library for those in person to tour and those online to view through Sharri’s Zoom connection.
September 28, 2022, Wednesday, 6:45 pm — Topic: Travel to Tanzania: adapting ourselves to new surroundings. Presenter: Komeisha Rose. Business meeting to present the programs for the year and approve the budget.
October 19, 2022, 6:00 pm — Joint event hosted by AAUW Northeast Ohio Branch. Topic: Banned Books and the Schools. Presenter: Aurora Martinez, director of Morley Library at Morley Library, Painesville, OH. Ms. Martinez used material from the American Library Association to outline the Library Bill of Rights, a list of the books most frequently challenged in 2021, the top reasons cited to ban a book, and insight to answer, “Who initiates challenges.” We would all benefit from reading the ALA’s Freedom to Read Statement available on their website.
October 26, 2022, 6:45 pm — September rescheduled program as a hybrid event: in-person and the Mayfield Public Library and online by Zoom
November 6, 2022, Sunday, 3:00 pm — Seize the Day! presented by The Musical Theater Project– Getting My Act Together…, is about the life choices faced by Heather, a 39-year-old cabaret singer determined to change her life. Location: Fairmount Temple, 23737 Fairmount Blvd, Beachwood, OH. Followed by dinner at another location.
January 25, 2023, Wednesday, 6:45 pm –Topic: Restorative Justice. Speaker: Kirby Broadnax
February 25, 2023, Saturday, 1:00 pm –Topic: Russia and Ukraine: a book discussion of Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine.
March 22, 2023, Wednesday, 6:45 pm — Topic: What I Learned from Serving in Public Office. Speaker: Sharri Thomas.
April 19, 2023, Wednesday, Debbie Lesar of National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) spoke about women in construction. She has shared her presentation with us. If you were unable to attend our April event or would like to review her slides, download the PDF AAUW-Women In Construction 4.19.2023_online. Press <enter> to advance the slides.
May 31, 2023, Wednesday, 6:00 pm — Topic: Women Activists against Gun Violence; A Legislative Review. Speaker: Michelle Bell
Families from all walks of life find themselves struggling to survive and to address violence and injustice. Michelle Bell, founder of M-PAC Cleveland, More Prayer, Activity & Conversation, current and pending Ohio legislation addressing gun violence.
Statewide Annual Meeting and Convention Concludes
Members from across Ohio met April 13, 2024 at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio and online, in Convention, to learn and discuss from AAUW’s Nancy Shoemaker Open Membership https://openupaauw.org/, Ohio State Senator Paula Hicks Hudson The Carrot and the Stick for Pay Equity in Ohio SB 232, SB 231. Why is Pay Equity Important, How to Stay Engaged and up to date; and Public Education by Toledo Public School Board Member Sheena Barnes. The morning concluded with a journaling exercise Narrative Healing.
AAUW Ohio’s Fall Summit Called Success
Ohio Fall Summit with AAUW CEO Gloria L. Blackwell was a hybrid event in- person in Dublin, Ohio and on Zoom. Attendees called it “stimulating,” “great,” “a definite success.” This meeting of all Ohio branches pointed branches and members in the right direction for the coming year. Ohio members that work together can get things done, influence opinions and legislators. Requiring that a branch representative attend keeps us together and keeps the board on its toes. We aim to be a Model Branch this year.
The advocacy portion of the day was initiated by AAUW Ohio’s Public Policy Advocate Erin Czerniak who alerted us to find the sources of political donations to determine the leanings of candidates. She also mentioned a website speaking to women’s issues, key races, and the importance of the Ohio Supreme Court races and another about issues of the dignity of all people
Tim Johnson of the Ohio Poverty Law Center spoke effectively about Ohio House bills dealing with critical race theory and anti-gay law. HB 616, which is anti CRT and anti-gay should be ready carefully. He answered questions about how to advocate effectively.
William L Phillis of the Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy in School Funding has joined with Vouchers Hurt Ohio. Bill and Dennis Willard, the spokesperson for Vouchers Hurt Ohio, spoke about their efforts and reasons for taking the state of Ohio to court over the controversial private school voucher program, EdChoice. Districts that have joined the effort are listed on the website Vouchers Hurt Ohio.
Numbers do matter. Make your voice heard; influence your friends.
Meryl Johnson: A Concept Review of Critical Race Theory
Meryl Johnson reviewed critical race theory in a discussion for AA
UW HHL on February 23, 2022 at 7:00 pm. Meryl is serving her second term as an elected member of State Board of Education Ohio , representing District 11.