Category Archives: Programming

See “The Revolutionists” and celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8

In honor of International Women’s Day, AAUW Naperville Area is excited to sponsor a production of The Revolutionists on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at 2:30 PM. Written by Lauren Gunderson, this historical and hysterical play invites audiences to experience the French Revolution from a female perspective.

This production will be dramatized by Violet Surprise Theatre, a Chicago area theater group whose mission is to vibrantly validate the voices of women.

See The Revolutionists in-person at the White Eagle Owners Club, 4265 White Eagle Drive, Aurora, IL. Tickets $30. Ticket sales link coming soon.

Register for Digital Media: Fact or Fiction – Virtual Mini Workshop Feb. 10

How much of the digital media that you consume daily is actually factual? Can you tell if a headline is disinformation? What about if a photo is AI? The answers might shock you!

As technology has evolved, it’s become more important than ever to examine and verify digital media. Distinguishing fact from fiction can be made easy by educating yourself and leveraging tools.

Join AAUW Naperville on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 7 PM for a virtual mini workshop. You’ll learn how to protect yourself from scams, find truth, and combat disinformation.

Attendee participation is highly encouraged! For the best experience, we recommend attending on a device with a larger screen, such as a tablet, laptop, or computer.

How secure are your voting rights? Webinar January 14, 2026

Current pending legislation such as the SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act), executive orders, and court cases could negatively impact your ability to vote and for your vote to be counted. Join League of Women Voters of Naperville and AAUW Naperville Area for a timely panel discussion on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 7:00 PM. Our panelists will share the possible effects and what can be done to counter these measures.

Speakers

David Goldberg

David Goldberg, PhD
Professor, Political Science
College of DuPage

Brandy Johnson

Brandy Johnson, JD
Assistant Professor of Law
Simmons Law School, Southern Illinois University

ZERO WEEKS: Documentary Screening January 28

AAUW Naperville Area is hosting a showing of ZERO WEEKS, a documentary about America’s paid leave crisis and the cost of doing nothing.

WHEN: Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 6:30 – 9:00 PM

WHERE: Ashbury Clubhouse, 3403 Lawrence Dr., Naperville, IL 60564

We will follow the viewing with a discussion of upcoming legislation for paid leave in Illinois and how we can support these efforts.

RSVP for Zero Weeks

Most Americans agree that family comes first, but we are the only developed country without paid leave. In one of the richest nations in the world, having a baby, a medical emergency or an aging parent can be a trigger into poverty. Weaving powerful personal stories with insightful interviews, ZERO WEEKS, explores America’s paid leave crisis and the cost of doing nothing. ZERO WEEKS is the fourth film by award-winning director, Ky Dickens, a female director with a track record of using her work to shift public opinion. To learn more or to view the film’s trailer, visit ZeroWeeks.com.

Please contact susanm414@gmail.com with any questions.

Digital Media: Fact or Fiction? A Virtual Mini Workshop Feb. 10

How much of the digital media that you consume daily is actually factual? Can you tell if a headline is disinformation? What about if a photo is AI? The answer might shock you!

As technology has evolved, it’s become more important than ever to examine and verify digital media. Distinguishing fact from fiction can be made easy by educating yourself and leveraging tools.

Join AAUW Naperville on Tuesday, February 10, 7:00-8:30 PM, for a mini workshop on Zoom. You’ll learn how to protect yourself from scams, find truth, and combat disinformation.

A registration link will be posted soon.

Building a Stronger Community Together – Virtual, Nov. 13, 2025

Join us for Building a Stronger Community Together, a virtual community webinar, on Thursday, November 13, 2025, 7 – 8:30 PM CT via Zoom.

ACLU of Illinois, along with co-sponsors AAUW Naperville Area, Alliance of Latinos Motivating Action in the Suburbs (ALMAS), Illinois NOW, National Council of Jewish Women Chicago North Shore (NCJW), and Naperville Neighbors United (NNU) are pleased to present a virtual, non-partisan community town hall responding to the pivotal moment that our country is in.

This conversation will focus on the nationwide civil liberties landscape, highlight state and local responses, and explore the role we can each play in our communities in the fight ahead. This event is designed to bring together current supporters in the Western Suburbs area while welcoming new voices to the movement.

Participants will hear directly from the ACLU of Illinois, local community members, and activists. And, you will have the chance to ask questions, connect with others virtually, and take action to help build a stronger, more informed, and more engaged community.

RSVP for Zoom link on ACLU event page*

*Please note that we also will livestream the program on the ACLU of Illinois’ YouTube channel. The livestream will be in English and does not require prior registration to view.

The ACLU of Illinois strives to create inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to fully engage with programming. We are planning for this program to be in English with an option for live translation in Spanish available to participants. We also will have live captioning in English and will monitor requests for additional accommodations to better participate in the event.

Questions? Please reach out to events@aclu-il.org.

Holiday Party With a Purpose Dec. 9 – RSVP by Nov. 23

Celebrate the season with AAUW Naperville Area friends at Hopvine Brewing in Aurora and benefit the Aunt Mary’s Storybook Project

Members and friends are invited to join AAUW Naperville Area at Hopvine Brewing Company, 4030 Fox Valley Center Dr., Aurora, Ill., on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, at 6:30 PM to mingle and support a great cause! Tickets are $30 and include hot and cold appetizers and sweet bites. A cash bar will be available.

Our party will benefit Aunt Mary’s Storybook, a project of Companions Journeying Together (https://cjtinc.org/), to help Illinois children and their incarcerated parents.

RSVP & Get Tickets

When a parent is incarcerated, a child’s whole world changes. Aunt Mary’s Storybook helps bridge that distance by recording parents and relatives reading stories, and then sending the recordings (and the books) to the children so they can hear their loved ones’ voices, feel their love, and know they are not forgotten.

So come for the festivities and fun — and bring a NEW, unwrapped book (or two) for children from newborn to 18 years old. Many Aunt Mary’s Storybook clients are African American and Hispanic families and they always need books sensitive to these cultures. They also need softcover books in addition to board books for babies and toddlers.

We encourage you to purchase books from local independent book stores. They will have good suggestions about current favorites. Some ideas:

Dr. Seuss; Disney; Anime; Manga; Animals; Baby Shark; Questioneers; Black history; Diary of a Wimpy Kid; Good Night Moon; Goosebumps; Where the Wild Things Are; Percy Jackson; Blues Clues; Bluey; Paw Patrol; Cars/Trucks; CoCo Melon; If You Give A Mouse A Cookie; If You Give A Moose a Muffin; Lilo & Stitch; Phineas & Ferb; Minecraft
Books about kids who have an incarcerated parent/loved one
Books for kids on the spectrum/autism
Spanish/bilingual for all ages. Please be sensitive about choosing books that show children of Spanish heritage.

Invitation – New and prospective member Meet & Greets on Oct. 21

The Membership Team is excited to invite you to a Fall Meet & Greet on Tuesday, October 21st! Whether you are a new member looking to meet fellow members and board members, or a prospective member with questions about AAUW, we’d love to welcome you all and share more about who we are and what we do.

Join us for one of two in-person gatherings on Tuesday, October 21 for casual conversation over light treats and beverages:

10-11 AM – Nature’s Best Cafe, 1904 Brookdale Road, Naperville

5-6 PM – Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea, 110 S. Washington St., Naperville

Click the link below to let us know you are coming, or email aauwnaper.mbr@gmail.com with questions.

RSVP for Meet & Greet

2026 Great Decisions Discussion Groups Announcement

Are you interested in learning about and discussing U.S. foreign policy? Each year the Foreign Policy Association researches and presents Great Decisions study guides on eight international policy topics of importance to the United States. AAUW Naperville Area sponsors two Great Decisions discussion groups, AM and PM, that meet weekly from mid-January through mid-March.

How to Participate

Discussions are open to AAUW and community members. If you signed up for Great Decisions at a recent AAUW Naperville Area event, you are on our notification list for 2026. Anyone who participated in Great Decisions in the past also will remain on the list. Contact info for sign-ups.

Briefing Book Pre-Orders

On October 7 we will start taking orders for the Great Decisions Briefing Book and you will receive an email with details for ordering. The cost is approximately $29. We purchase books in bulk to receive a discount. If you don’t receive the pre-order email, please contact one of the group leaders, Liz Kruk, kruk5@att.net, or Becky Glimco, beckyglimco@gmail.com, to be included in the bulk order. You can also order a book directly from the Foreign Policy Association.

New Leader for AM Group

Welcome to Liz Kruk, the new coordinator for AAUW Naperville Area’s AM discussion group. And sincere thanks to Lee Eastman for her years of leadership.

More Info

AAUW Naperville Area Great Decisions groups and topics

Join us for a conversation on healthcare with Rep. Lauren Underwood on Oct. 6

The community is invited to attend American Healthcare: A Conversation with Rep. Lauren Underwood on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, at 7 PM CT.

AAUW (American Association of University Women) Naperville Area and Aurora Area branches are pleased to present this informative and timely webinar with Rep. Underwood, 14th District of Illinois. As a healthcare professional and policymaker, Rep. Underwood is a passionate advocate for effective healthcare.