clubGEN is a weekly after-school mentoring program and support group for middle school girls. The goal of clubGEN is to create a girl-friendly environment that develops leadership skills, healthy self-esteem and decision-making skills, and promotes social and civic responsibility.

Three kinds of clubGENs:

1. A club is led by a group of approximately six high school juniors and seniors, supported by two to four adult sponsors.

Studies have proven that providing role models who are just a few years older can have a profound influence on both parties involved. clubGEN’s mentoring and peer education approach also benefits our high school mentors, as studies show young women experience a boost in self-esteem by participating in meaningful volunteering experiences.

The clubs are also supported by a by a minimum of two adults. Together, the high school facilitators and adult sponsors receive extensive training, arming them with leadership and facilitation skills, as well as information on adolescent health topics. The role of the sponsors is to provide constructive feedback to the facilitators and intervene when appropriate. Traveling to the schools will also be necessary. As a sponsor, volunteers will be the primary contact to GENaustin, providing information about club, conducting evaluations, and attending the monthly clubGEN committee meetings.

Time Commitment: (1 - 3 hours a week)
One to two adult sponsors will assist with the planning meeting that takes place with the high school facilitators and one to two adult sponsors will supervise the after school clubGEN meeting which takes place at the middle school. Each meeting lasts one hour in length. An adult sponsor is welcome to volunteer to attend both the planning meeting and the clubGEN meeting on a weekly basis or volunteer to attend only one.



2. A club is led by two adult facilitators/sponsors.

At least two adults, trained by GENaustin, will plan and lead a weekly after-school clubGEN at a local middle school. The adults will act as both a facilitator and a sponsor for the club. As a facilitator, the volunteers will get together to plan each week for the upcoming clubGEN meeting and will then meet to execute the clubGEN meeting at the middle school. Volunteers will be given a curriculum guide that will provide topics and activities to utilize in club. As a sponsor, volunteers will be the primary contact to GENaustin, providing information about club, conducting evaluations, and attending the monthly clubGEN committee meetings.

Time Commitment: (1 - 3 hours a week)
Volunteers will spend at least one hour a week for planning and one hour a week at the clubGEN meeting

3. A club may is be assisted by a support sponsor. A support sponsor is only needed for the clubGENs led by high school facilitators. A support sponsor can be an adult from the community or from the school staff.
• Trained by GENaustin staff and assigned to one clubGEN (one middle school and/or one high school)
• Volunteer will attend the Initial clubGEN Training in the fall
• Volunteer will attend the monthly clubGEN committee meetings

Duties will include:
Attend clubGEN planning meetings and club meetings if school sponsors cannot attend. Most meetings occur from 4:30 pm-5:30 pm on M, T, W or Th. The planning meetings occur once a week for an hour and the club meetings occur once a week for an hour. The volunteer will only fill in for Sponsors when possible. The volunteer is welcome to attend as many meetings/clubs as they choose.

Conduct a monitoring visit of the club, in the fall, to check in with the girls and evaluate the progress of the club. This monitoring visit will require filling out some evaluation paperwork. A GENaustin staff person will most likely attend with the volunteer.
Attend first and last club meetings to assist in administering the pre/post surveys and hand deliver them to the GENaustin office.
Will be the primary liaison between GENaustin staff and Sponsors.

Time Commitment: 1-4 hours per week

• Attend monthly clubGEN meeting (3rd Wed. of the month)
• Help with the “behind the scenes” work for the clubGENs (i.e., doing paperwork, computer work and mail outs, brainstorming ideas for programs for girls, coordinating end of year party for the girls and special events, seeking donations, writing/mailing newsletter, conducting public relations, acting as the lead on small projects)

• Create new curriculum; for example: creating a lesson (by doing research and developing your own activity) on such subjects as body image, self-expression, communication (getting your point across, learning to say no), deciding a future career, meditation, challenging societal beliefs, media, bullying between girls, conflict resolution, etc.;
• Edit existing curriculum;
• Get price quotes for printing and binding;
• Contact curriculum sources (i.e., authors, publishers) to ask for permission to use their content;
• Communicate/coordinate with curriculum developers (this person will be in lead role).

The purpose of the training day is to train approximately 100 teen girls and adult sponsors to facilitate clubGEN. The training provides the participants with leadership skills, facilitation skills, and educates them on selected health education topics. Having volunteers in the community including representatives from LCRA, Leadership Austin, Momentum Leadership, and Young Women’s Alliance, this training is fast developing into a top-notch event. The next clubGEN training day will take place in fall of 2004. GENaustin will need several volunteers to work on this event beginning in June 2004 to provide coordination efforts, donations, food, registration duties, etc.

This site was last updated on 04/14/2004.

Copyright © GENaustin, Inc. 2001. All rights reserved. GEN, GENaustin, and GENaustin logos used and displayed herein are registered and unregistered trademarks of GENaustin, Inc. All other trademarks, service marks and logos used herein are the property of their respective owners. Email us at office@genaustin.org.