GEN's Voice

Issue 38
Oct 2004

In This Issue:

In an effort to connect girls and teens with professional mentors and the information they need to enter and achieve in the work force, the M.O.V.E. (Motivation of Valued Employees) committee at Nordstrom’s Department Store is hosting a special evening of consultation, covering internships to skirt-length at their store in the Barton Creek Mall.

Responding to new school dress code policies, the staff at Nordstrom’s have formulated their own fleet of fashionistas to help Austin girls and teens stay in code and style, including their personal touch manager, who will make 15 to 30 minute presentations on wardrobe options; a petite focus manager, who will discuss internships and career; and a customer service, human resource and cosmetics associate, who will be marrying job applications with make-up application, giving girls and teens the entire scoop on looking and being professional.

M.O.V.E. will introduce the young women of GENaustin to a professional environment by incorporating the Nordstrom culture and encouraging success through knowledge.

“We thought there was more value in having the girls build relationships with successful women at our company by bringing them in and having them see how things really work – learning how women build their careers.” says Tammi Lynn Horton, human resources associate at Nordstrom’s.

The free event is geared to high school juniors and seniors. It will begin at 5:30 pm on October 18th. Seats are limited to 15 so reserve your seat now by emailing us at [email protected].

Building on the themes of esteem and awareness, October features some great Speaker Series events including one in Spanish and English to serve Austin’s growing Spanish-speaking audience.

“The Best of Friends: Helping Girls Navigate Peer Relationships.”
Thursday, October 14th, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Mendez Middle School *For girls & parents – bilingual Spanish presentation*

Learn how to better understand friendships with girlfriends, and get some constructive ideas on how to change uncomfortable relationship patterns. Annette Del Canto, MSSW, LCSW, practices psychotherapy in Austin, Texas, and has worked extensively with teen girls on issues such as peer relationships, dating, and self-esteem.


"Proud to be a Girl"
Wednesday, October 20th, 11:05 a.m.
Covington Middle School- *For girls and parents*

Come watch a fun and interesting video that tells the story of three very different girls and what it was like for them growing up as a girl and a talk afterwards where audience members will be encouraged to share what its like for them growing up as a girl. Barb Steinberg, LMSW, is an educational trainer and consultant who will be leading this presentation.


“Relationships and Healthy Choices”
Wednesday, October 27th, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Kealing Middle School - *For girls*

Based on SafePlace's "Expect Respect" school program, this presentation will address the promotion of safe and healthy relationships for all girls. A strong girl speaks her mind in a relationship, refuses to do things that make her uncomfortable, and expects people to treat her with respect - even when others might be angry or disappointed. The program’s focus will be on helping girls communicate their feelings, increasing girls’ sense of personal safety, and building healthy coping skills. The SafePlace School-based education and training team will facilitate this discussion.

Advising one of the first pilots of GENaustin’s oriGENal voice program are some of Bell County, Texas’s best basketball players! The Lady Diamonds select team was the first of a growing group of girls to volunteer their energy and commitment to the oriGENal voice campaign under the friendly and encouraging leadership of Scott and White Hospital Project Managers Gail Blount and Laurie Herzer.

“When we met the team for the first time, they actually had a skit on smoking planned for us.” says Gail, who located the team through a player that lives in her neighborhood. Adds Laurie, “It was so unexpected, but wonderful to see they had so much interest already.”

Upon hearing about oriGENal voice last year, Gail and Laurie began working with then coordinators Misty Zelent and Aili Jokela of Fleishman Hilliard Public Relations in Austin last spring rallying together the Diamonds with a training session and the creation of a public service announcement. Learning as of 2003, the tobacco industry spends over $9.57 billion a year, and more than $26.2 million a day, on advertising and marketing its deadly products, much of it aimed at kids (Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids), they were motivated to get their girls started on their campaign against Big Tobacco right away. Their efforts led to organizing an end of the year party at the Bronco Youth Center in Temple where their Lady Diamonds set up break-out rooms where movies depicting women smoking were shown for discussion, skits were performed about tobacco-use and pledge walls were signed.

Thanks to the support of the Texas Cancer Council, oriGENal voice Bell County became its own independent program this year, attracting girl and teen advisory group members from Temple and nearby Killeen, Texas.

“Though, they operate as an independent entity, GENaustin’s oriGENal voice in Williamson, Travis, and Hays counties happily extends our support and we will be sharing resources and publicizing Bell County news and updates on our website,” says GENaustin Director of Programs Barb Steinberg.

Though some of the basketball players have left the group since last season, a core group will continue this year’s program, in addition to newcomers. Gail and Laurie plan to expand the group to 30 to 35 girls by next year.

To learn more about oriGENal voice contact Christine Carlucci at 414-0472 or [email protected].

Former GENaustin Board Member Pei-San Brown has explored art and education, community service and research through a history of interesting jobs and extensive volunteering. With 20 years of dance performance experience in California and Texas and 15 years in teaching and choreography, Pei-San has perpetuated this love as an active member of Ballet Austin’s Community Outreach and Education committee for the past two years. But, the resume does not stop there. She was a continuing education instructor for early childhood educators and she has published extensively on the benefits of playgrounds, in addition to working for the National Institutes for Child and Human Development. She also has 15 years of experience in qualitative an quantitative research in biology, sociology and developmental psychology and education at institutions like the University of California at Irvine and the University of Texas here in Austin. Upon the provoking of other former GEN board member Ileana Abounader, Pei-San began volunteering at GENaustin sometime in 1999.

“As a dancer, I saw a lot of girls and young women abusing their bodies, eating horribly or suffering from anorexia and bulimia and smoking to curb their appetites. I couldn’t understand why people would hurt their own bodies. I thought that mentoring girls might help prevent at least a few from becoming self-destructive.” says Pei-San.

Her writing abilities, matched with Ileana’s programming skills created the blueprint for the GENaustin website. “It’s funny that the skills I learned working on the GENaustin site helped me a lot with my own site years later!” says Pei-San who currently operates her own precious stone and bead jewelry business online, Pei-San, Inc.

In continued support of GENaustin, Pei-San will be donating 5 percent of all jewelry sales generated by GENaustin supporters to GENaustin. Anyone interested in purchasing one of Pei-San’s lovely designs should enter “GENaustin” in the referral box (the box labeled "How did you hear about Pei-San, Inc.?").

To peruse Pei-San’s unique collection of necklaces, earrings and bracelets click: here

Congratulations to new hire, Christine Carlucci. Christine is no stranger to GENaustin serving on the resource development committee, in addition to working part-time in the office when she was needed last year. She will currently fill the new position of the oriGENal voice coordinator, where she will be overseeing all the machinations of this program that encourages girls to speak out against Big Tobacco. Christine brings some pertinent experience working for the American Cancer Society, answering an information hotline where she provides valuable information on cancer and the agents that cause it, offering a personal response to often worried callers. Her experience at ACS and ongoing devotion to supporting girls and women was the perfect marriage for this position. We are excited that this young Austinite, who is also interested in music and soccer, has joined our staff.

GENaustin’s acclaimed Speaker Series runs throughout the school year, offering presentations, panel discussions, and workshops at schools, community centers, and workplaces. The Speaker Series provides up-to-date, relevant information about developmental, parenting, and cultural issues affecting adolescent girls by bringing together professionals and role models to talk to youth and families on such diverse subjects as self-esteem, sexuality, parent-daughter communication, dating, careers, and education. We are currently looking for a few volunteers to fill some important committee roles for one of our longest-running programs.

We need:

Speaker Series Co-Chair

Primary duties: Work with Co-Chair and Committee to execute ~30 presentations during 2004-2005 school year, which have already been scheduled. Resolve any issues with speaker cancellations or rescheduling with volunteer coordinators and schools. Work each spring with committee to plan for next school year. Track committee volunteer hours and report back to Board liaison.

Time Commitment: Majority of time commitment in April - August. Four hours a week average during that time. Two hours a month the rest of school year. Meetings with Committee as needed.

Speaker Series Volunteer Coordinator: Dobie Middle School

Primary duties: Work with School Contact to promote events and secure permission for students to attend ~3 presentations/year. Presentations have already been arranged for 2004-2005 school year. Put together one panel presentation with help of committee. Build momentum for increased attendance in future years. Attend ~3 presentations during school year - during weekday - ~2 hours each.

Time Commitment: 4 hours during weeks of presentations; 4 hours planning for 2005-2006 school year in spring; committee meetings.

Speaker Series Volunteer Coordinator: Fulmore Middle School

Primary duties: Work with School Contact to promote events and secure permission for students to attend ~3 presentations/year. Presentations have already been arranged for 2004-2005 school year. Build momentum for increased attendance in future years. Attend ~3 presentations during school year - during weekday - ~2 hours each.

Time Commitment: 4 hours during weeks of presentations; 4 hours planning for 2005-2006 school year in spring; committee meetings

Interested volunteers should contact: [email protected]

GENaustin's programs are made possible through the generous support of 3M, Alice Kleberg Reynolds Meyer Foundation, Applied Materials, the Austin Community Foundation, Austin Independent School District, Austin Wine Merchant, Austin Ventures, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, the Dell Foundation, the Favrot Foundation, Girl Next Door, the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, the Silverton Foundation, Meredith Private Foundation, Safeway, Shoes for Austin, Texas Cancer Council, the Topfer Foundation, the Lower Colorado River Authority, the Webber Family Foundation, Wells Fargo and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati.

Make an online donation to GENaustin through Network for Good by clicking on this Web link: guidestar

GENaustin has been selected to take part in Buffalo Exchange’s Tokens for Bags Program. The program allows customers to choose to receive a token instead of a bag when making their purchase and the token represents a cash donation to a particular charity. So the next time you’re shopping at Buffalo Exchange (2904 Guadalupe), be sure to forego the bag and help out GENaustin by placing your token in our box. Our box is in the middle!

Now you can support GENaustin and its important programs simply by shopping online. Just go to GENaustin, Get Involved, Shop and follow the links to more than 400 stores, including Barnes & Noble, Land's End, Ann Taylor, Linens-n-Things, Neiman Marcus, L.L. Bean, Dell, Amazon.com, JC Penney, Old Navy, Gap and many more!

Pei-San Brown, Proprietor of Pei-San, Inc., will be donating 5 percent of all jewelry sales (not including tax, shipping, and website/credit card transaction fees) generated by GENaustin supporters to GENaustin. Anyone interested in purchasing one of Pei-San’s lovely designs should enter “GENaustin” in the referral box (the box labeled "How did you hear about Pei-San, Inc.?"). To peruse Pei-San’s unique collection of necklaces, earrings and bracelets click: here.

Inspired by the book Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls, GENaustin, a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization, was formed in 1996.

GENaustin is a non-profit organization based in Austin, TX, and was founded in 1996. GENaustin’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 courage to make wise choices. Our vision is that we become a premiere source/model organization in Austin and beyond for creative approaches that build girls' critical thinking, self-esteem and confidence.

For more information, please visit our Web site at www.genaustin.org. Our mailing address is P.O. Box 3122, Austin TX, 78764. You may call us at (512) 414-0472 or email us at [email protected].

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This site was last updated on 11/24/2004.

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.