A while ago I wrote about one of the greatest benefits of increased productivity: the extra time it allows you to give back to a cause you believe in. I am fortunate to be on the board of an Austin non-profit called GENaustin (Girls Empowerment Network). GEN’s mission is to foster healthy self esteem in girls by engaging them to explore and define their personal values and to build skills that empower them with confidence and the courage to make wise choices. They do an event every year called Career Week, where they invite professional women in to share information about their career path, with middle school girls. It’s a great opportunity to meet some fantastic girls, learn a bit about the work that GENaustin does, and share wisdom. This school-year the events are being held the weeks of October 25th and February 14th. The only qualifications are that you are a woman, that you live in the Austin area (or will be here during either of those weeks) and that you can speak about your career in a way that is engaging to middle-school girls (GEN staffers will give you tips and information to help you prepare). It takes only about 90 minutes of your time and can be scheduled at an Austin-area middle school that is convenient for you. GENaustin is targeting some professions specifically because they have been under-represented in the past, but anyone is welcome. And if you know any fabulous women in the following industries, we’d love to invite them to speak: financial/banking, doctor/nurses/medical professionals, STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) careers/high tech professionals, veterinarians, teachers, business owners, women in uniform (police, fire, military, etc).
If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to be a volunteer for a worthy cause, now is your chance! If you’re interested, please contact me directly at maura at regainyourtime dot com, or the Career Week Coordinator at GENaustin, Tiffany Merkel, at tiffanym at genaustin dot org.
Here is a little more about my involvement in GENaustin, and please check out their website!
