More than 70 local eighth- through 12th-grade girls will gather Tuesday at the Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara Goleta Center for lunch, talks and the creation of business cards before heading off to a number of local businesses for the 19th Annual Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara Take Our Daughters to Work Day.
This event is free of charge to the participating students and offered through the volunteer arm of Girls Inc. The day provides an opportunity for local girls to get a close-up view of businesses and career options.
This year, the high-schoolers will be treated to a short talk by Ariana Arcenas-Utley, corporate responsibility and sustainability specialist at Deckers Outdoor Corporation. After the talk, the girls will be transported to local businesses, including Nordstrom, Deckers Outdoor Corp., UCSB, Sephora, Goodland Kitchen and more where they will spend the afternoon participating in hands-on activities to learn about the business.
San Marcos High School career counselor Kathy Castaneda said she encourages students to participate in the program because it opens up the girls’ eyes to their future.
“San Marcos has a majors program where students learn about a career path, do research, create a resume, intern and have to do a job-shadow,” she said. “The Girls Inc. Take Our Daughters to Work Day qualifies as the job-shadow, so we really appreciate it.”
The girls will be brought back to the Girls Inc. Goleta Center for closing activities and to compare experiences.
— Beth Cleary is the community relations and administrative coordinator for Girls Incorporated of Greater Santa Barbara.