C. Pharr & Company: CPC Hosts Summer Career Camp at Girls Inc.

This summer, the CPC team has been volunteering and hosting a career camp at Girls Inc., an organization which works to make sure at risk girls and young women receive the education and encouragement needed to reach their full potential. C. Pharr’s four-week camp is structured to explain the process of finding a job by deciding what you are interested in, identifying an opportunity, completing an application and acing an interview. Additionally, each week we have chosen to focus on a certain job industry – science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); hospitality; retail and real estate/construction – to introduce the girls to a variety of possibilities and to get them thinking about careers they may not have heard of or considered.

In the first few weeks, the girls were given a personality assessment to help pinpoint a few things at which they might excel. They also learned about where to find a job, filled out sample job applications, discussed what kind of work environment they would enjoy and learned what should and should not be included on a resume. We just completed the third week, and in the final session, the girls will learn about the importance of a professional appearance and tips to survive the interview process.

Although the main objective is to raise awareness of the different types of career opportunities and to help prepare the girls for a future in the workforce, the C. Pharr team has equally benefitted from the camp. We enhanced our team building skills and challenged our creativity. Each week of the camp has been taught by two members of the C. Pharr team who by working together, took on the challenge of engaging a tough group – 12 to14 year-old girls on summer vacation. Each team collaborated to create PowerPoints with interesting content and videos, and fun handouts for the girls to work on and take home.

At C. Pharr, we are always looking for new and creative ways to give back to the community where we live and work. It’s important to our company that we are hands on and find opportunities where we can physically engage with the people we aim to help. Girls Inc. was the perfect fit. Our team has really enjoyed working with the girls, and I am personally impressed and inspired by their dreams and ambition. Through asking the girls questions, we found that they were eager to speak up and give their opinion or share what they hope to be in the future. We heard from a few who aspire to be FBI agents, choreographers and veterinarians, to name a few.

The ultimate goal of Girls Inc. is to empower girls to become strong, smart and bold women who positively contribute to our communities and who understand, value and assert their rights. In a world with endless possibilities, but that sometimes can deal a tough hand, it is important to have role models who can help steer girls like those at Girls Inc. in the right direction.