Applications are due by March 15, 2026.
Show Off Your Branch Activity and Earn an Award.
Has your branch created a unique and inspiring mission-based activity in the last year? Did it dazzle your members and your community? If so, we want to hear from you.
The Branch Activity of the Year Award is a chance to put forward a signature activity that your branch presented during the period of one year ending on March 1, 2026. This is your branch’s chance to showcase and share an activity that is:
- Novel – did you do something really unique, such as a play?
- Inspirational – did people leave your event inspired to take action on something, such as visiting their legislators or launching a new branch project?
- Reproducible – can another branch realistically do a similar event? Would they need a panel of nuclear scientists?
- Reflective of AAUW’s mission and image – did the event promote one of AAUW’s initiatives, which range from such things as gender pay gap and career development, or other?
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)– did the event contain at least one element related to DEI?
The activity may be a one-off program or event or a sustained recurring project for which your branch is known. Last year’s winners included:
- Berkeley: Student Immigration Rights
- Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek & Orinda-Moraga-Lafayette: School Board Project
- Sunnyvale-Cupertino: Intergenerational Climate Change
See descriptions of last year’s events submitted for the award here.
What are the awards?
There will be three awards. Winning branches will be honored with a small prize and recognition at the 2026 AAUW California Annual Event, as well as on the state website, in social media, the California Compass, and other AAUW communications.
How to apply:
We’ve streamlined the application process so that it’s easy to share your innovation and inspire other branches to follow in your footsteps.
Apply by: March 15, 2026: You can submit an application as soon as the activity has concluded.
Winner Notification:
Winners will be contacted by April 1, 2026.
Winners will be expected to provide a 5-10 minute video presentation at the Annual Event on April 18, 2026. There will be a practice session with the Branch Activity of the Year Awards Committee approximately 1-2 weeks before the event, and a mandatory practice for Annual Event presenters approximately one week prior to the event. Assistance with your presentation will be available upon request.
Questions?
Please contact Patricia Souza at souzapellow@gmail.com