(Courtesy photo)
Girls Inc. of Carpinteria is calling on local businesses to partner with its Eureka! Program by sponsoring an extern to inspire, engage and mentor this school year as she navigates the workforce for the first time. In a shift due to the pandemic, businesses or organizations can also host externs virtually.
“Eureka! is designed to foster the career interests of local teenaged girls, prepare them for college and the workforce, and ultimately develop the next generation of strong, smart, and bold female leaders,” said Jamie Collins, executive director of Girls Inc. of Carpinteria.
“We’ve seen tremendous success with our past partners, both from the girls’ perspective and the local businesses as they continue to come back year after year to host our Eureka! members,” Collins said. “We hope the local business community will step up to provide an experiential work opportunity for the girls who have not yet had the chance to participate.”
Eureka! is a five-year college-bound program that breaks gender stereotypes by encouraging girls to explore different career paths including science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.
In the third year of the program, members shift their programming to the workplace, as the teens take on an externship in their field of interest.
“At Girls Inc. I was tasked with building challenges using sustainable materials and learned about our minimal water supply and how to conserve and irrigate it in different settings,” said Guadalupe R., a Girls Inc. of Carpinteria and Eureka! program alumna.
“I was exposed to women in diverse fields. This helped me lose my insecurities of wanting to study in a field that was mostly pursued by males,” she said. “This captivated my interest, and from this interest, I have decided to pursue a major in environmental engineering at the University of California Irvine.
“Girls Inc.’s Eureka! program has given me the tools and knowledge to be a smart, and successful young woman.”
The externship program includes 60 hours of work and is typically over a four-week period but can also be completed throughout the school year.
Businesses interested in sponsoring a Girls Inc. Eureka! member can contact Kenya Rodriguez at kenya@girlsinc-carp.org or 805-684-6364.
To learn more about Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, become a volunteer or offer support, visit www.girlsinc-carp.org/.