Giving back to the communities we live and work in―including volunteering for local organizations―is a large part of the netlogx culture. There are so many causes that need volunteers to help support their missions for the betterment of our community. That’s one of the reasons that netlogx is happy to provide its team members eight hours of paid volunteer time throughout the course of the year, as well as regularly donate time, expertise, and money to organizations that support causes we’re passionate about.
Recently, netlogx team members volunteered at the Girls Inc. Indy Eureka! 2021 summer camp. Our CEO Audrey Taylor has always been passionate about developing young girls and women in STEM, and Girls Inc.’s mission is near and dear to our hearts. The combination of long-lasting mentoring relationships, a pro-girl environment, and evidence-based programming equips girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers, and grow up healthy, educated, and independent. In particular, the five-year Eureka! Program is focused on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and fosters personal development, college and career readiness, promotes lasting relationships with peers and mentors, and encourages positive risk-taking.
netlogx was thrilled to be able to share our expertise and interact with the Eurekans in different ways during this camp, including an interactive CVI Assessment session and mock interviews.
CVI Assessment
Personality tests have been around for a while and are trendy right now, but the Core Value Index™ (CVI) is one of the most accurate with a 94% repeat score reliability. As the assessment of choice for netlogx, the CVI provides the best insight into where a person can make their highest and most productive contribution to the world. Internally, the #netlogxteam uses our CVI profiles to help guide us, build teams, understand our clients better, and resolve conflict.
netlogx volunteers led an interactive session that helped the girls explore their CVI profile. The Eurekans learned about their profile and talked with our team about how to manage difficult peers, parents, coaches or friends. “We also talked about how each one of us handles all sorts of situations,” said Lynn Zettler, owner of Core Impact Coaching and long-time partner of netlogx. “Creating a good foundation is always key to being successful. I like to think that that small tidbit of time will help them in the future.”
The girls were also challenged to problem solve from the perspective of the opposite CVI profile. It was interesting to see how the girls put themselves into another mindset to solve a problem that was not instinctive to their strongest CVI profile. Volunteers shared their own stories and encouraged the Eurekans to go beyond any self-imposed limits.
At the end of the session, they had a greater understanding of motivators, learning styles, and conflict strategies for the different CVI profiles which will help assist them in relationship building and communication. It’s important to encourage girls all along the way of their education and experience. Giving them numerous examples of success and role models also helps them to see a vision for themselves.
“So often, I think we tell young girls and kids what to be and the path they should take but we don’t explain how to get there,” says Stephanie Sponsel, Chief Operations Officer. “Often, the path for anyone is never easy. You will always run into barriers or a roadblock. We’re teaching these young girls skills they can take with them to jobs now and future careers, as well as personal and professional relationship building.”
Mock Interviews
The other volunteer session involved #netlogxteam members conducting mock job interviews with the Eurekans. Before the interviews, volunteers talked about their own career experiences and the girls were able to ask questions.
The opportunity allowed for each Eurekan to interview twice with feedback provided after each mock interview so they had an opportunity for immediate improvement. Coming well-prepared for the session, the girls were open and ready to receive feedback. Since Girls Inc. programming begins in eighth grade and goes through graduation, the girls are offered the invaluable experience of making mistakes in a safe environment with the support to continually improve.
All the volunteers were pleasantly surprised and impressed with how well the girls were prepared for a professional job interview, considering that most of them were only sophomores in high school. They had well-written resumes, were dressed for success, confident, and well-spoken in explaining their career goals and accomplishments.
“I wish I had an opportunity to go through a five-year summer program like this when I was this age,” said Wendy Maple, Outreach Consultant. “The Girls Inc. Eureka program definitely helps give these girls an edge in learning life skills early on that will help prepare them for the real world, whether they plan to attend college or not after high school.”
The Impact of Girls Inc.
The netlogx volunteers expressed what an honor and privilege it was to interact with these girls and offer some professional advice and guidance. “Having a program like Girls Inc. Eureka! sends a powerful message to young girls,” said Diane Walton, Compliance and Bid Manager. “I think that message is that there are others who believe that they matter and are worth investing that kind of time and effort into their success and helping them achieve their future goals.”
netlogx would like to congratulate Girls Inc. for developing its Eureka program and the impact this program is making for girls in STEM. The meaningful experiences that Girls Inc. offers to girls can positively impact the rest of their lives. Thank you for the opportunity to share our expertise as well as learn from these girls.
