A few years ago, Carol Holzgrafe encouraged Janet McElroy to focus our Leadership Development Team (LDT) on “doing the work” to apply for Five Star National Recognition.

“Carol thought the Morgan Hill branch had all the elements covered and with a focus on completing the application, our branch would SHINE,” says Janet.  “So, as chair of the LDT, we sat on the Hansell patio, and the members got to work on the five elements for the first time.  A little wine and healthy snacks help speed the process.”

The National AAUW Five Star Program is designed to help branches align with AAUW’s strategic priorities and advance our mission of achieving gender equity for women and girls. By participating in this program, your branch contributes to a strong network of advocates, elevating both your local impact and our collective efforts nationwide.

Each year we have depended on Suman, current LDT Chair, to collate and compose the application which takes a significant amount of research and time. The five elements are:

1. Advancement
2. Public Policy and Advocacy
3. Governance and Sustainability
4. Programming
5. Communication and External Relations

The first team created a foundation and only 58 branches out of hundreds in the USA achieve all five stars!  Thank you, Janet, Monica, Joan, Kathy, Pat, Marian and especially Suman for making us so very proud of our Morgan Hill branch.

For more information go to: https://www.aauw.org/resources/member/5-star-program/