Impact Awards

The Impact Awards are four programs that advance AAUW-Walla Walla’s mission by supporting women and girls pursuing education and work after high school. Recognizing the many barriers to higher education, these programs focus on helping students enroll, persevere, and earn a degree or trade certification.  

Developed through input from AAUW-WW members, the Impact Awards establish working relationships with community leaders to achieve positive outcomes for women and girls in the Walla Walla Valley.  AAUW-WW works collaboratively with organizations and institutions, such as United Way of the Blue Mountains and Walla Walla Community College to distribute AAUW-WW funds effectively.

The four programs address: (1) Childcare Access, (2) Women in Trades, (3) Emergency Assistance, and (4) Sudden Unmet Needs.  Click on the link to learn more about how each program has its own history, strategy, and success story for making a lasting impact in our community – one life at a time.  

Childcare Access

AAUW’s mission to advance equity, education, and opportunities for local women and girls is often challenged by the dearth of a major community resource:  safe, appropriate, affordable childcare.  Women pursuing education or skill-based training, women contributing to family and community success through employment, and women who are choosing to become childcare providers can all be challenged by access barriers.  AAUW-WW’s intention through its Childcare Access Impact Awards is to address the gaps in community resources and to partner with community programs that also address the “childcare desert” we see.  

 In 2025, AAUW-WW awarded $5000 to The Kids Place as they opened a new childcare center on the Walla Walla Community College campus.  Our funds helped furnish new infant slots as well as ensured that a well-furnished, safe, age-appropriate facility was ready to serve local women with children. 

 In 2026, AAUW-WW awarded $4100 to the Early Learning Coalition to fund art curriculum/education for current local care providers, who are required to take on-going education courses to maintain their licenses.  This sequence of activities also provided networking opportunities and support for women in a business that can be quite isolating. 

In 2027, AAUW-WW will again update its understanding of local resource needs.  If you are a member who cares about children and are willing to help solve a challenging problem, consider joining this Childcare Access committee.  Reach out through this website for more information. 

Colorful toy cars on a play mat with children playing in the background.
Women participating in a discussion or meeting at a round table in a conference room, with various papers, bottled water, and food containers on the table.
Woman working with welding tools on a metal pipe or rod in an industrial workshop, wearing protective glasses, a welding helmet pushed back, gloves, and casual work clothes. Sparks and flames are visible from the welding process, with another worker in the background also engaged in similar work.

Sudden Unmet Need (SUN)

Membership feedback at the 2023 spring social highlighted the need to reevaluate the high school scholars program, which at the time focused on recognition. A committee was formed and ultimately recommended shifting to a more active support model for young women transitioning to post-secondary education. A needs assessment with seven participating schools identified common financial barriers, including housing deposits, textbook costs, equipment fees, application fees, and meal plans.

To implement the program, we partnered with the United Way of the Blue Mountains to help distribute funds and promote program guidelines. This partnership aligns closely with our mission.

Ongoing impacts from COVID and changes to educational programs have increased the need for support, creating an opportunity to make a meaningful difference for young women with limited resources. In May 2025, the committee formally proposed the program to the AAUW-WW board.

Launched in the 2025–26 school year, the program now includes all high schools in Walla Walla County. As of May 1, 2026, approximately 68% of allocated funds have been distributed, with continued support expected through the end of the fiscal year as additional needs arise. Thank you to AAUW-WW members for making this program possible. For more information about the SUN Awards program, please reach out through this website.

WWCC Emergency Fund

The purpose of AAUW-WW’s Impact Award to the WWCC Foundation Emergency Assistance Fund is to provide rapid financial assistance to female students who encounter an unexpected financial barrier to staying enrolled. This partnership between AAUW-WW and WWCC serves to keep women from dropping out after they have successfully enrolled. It was noted during a survey of our members that keeping women in programs was vital to their success. Overdue rent or transportation challenges are two examples of barriers that arise.

The WWCC Foundation serves as the fiscal agent dispersing emergency funds as needed to qualifying applicants. Annual reports of how the funds protected the education of women are provided to AAUW-WW. The Emergency Assistance Impact Award has been provided by AAUW-WW for the past three years. During the 2026 school year AAUW-WW has presented $4,125.00 to the WWCC Foundation Emergency Assistance Fund.

A glass jar filled with coins, with green plant growing out of it, placed on a wooden surface.

Women in Trades (WiT)

Recognizing there are many paths to economic self-sufficiency, in 2024 AAUW-Walla Walla started a program to support women seeking a degree or certificate in a trade.  We work cooperatively with Walla Walla Community College (WWCC) and other local institutions.  AAUW supports women students to achieve their educational goals so they can secure high-paying jobs in fields where they are underrepresented such as welding and automotive.  AAUW does this by:

  • Providing monthly networking lunches so they can meet other women pursuing "non-traditional" fields

  • Offering life-skills education such as career planning, tax filing, leadership, and interviewing.  

  • Promoting AAUW Scholarships to women seeking professional qualifications in fields where women are underrepresented such as manufacturing.

  • Making emergency assistance available for women who need Personal Protective Equipment, such as steel-toed boots, to stay safe and in school

  • Recognizing students’ individual educational achievements with gift bags and certificates

  • Providing leadership opportunities through a scholarship to the annual National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL) conference

  • Encouraging and supporting women as AAUW members get to know them as individuals

  • Promote the trades as a career choice for AAUW members through tours with female students enrolled in WWCC programs

A group of women wearing welding protective gear in an industrial workshop, with ventilation ducts visible overhead.
A person wearing a baseball cap stands in front of a whiteboard giving a presentation to a seated audience in a room with wooden beams and safety signs.
A woman wearing safety glasses and a jacket with a patch on it is working on a metal structure in an industrial setting.