1. Note from Rachel
   
2. Girlstart Events and News
   
3. Volunteer Spotlight
4. Did You Know?
   
   

The month of October is gearing up to be a yummy, bloggy, spooky good time for all of us at Ghoul-start... I mean, Girlstart! Needless to say, October is one of our favorite months. Yes, I know we say that a lot around here, but how can you not love tricks and treats and all things creepy? We like to get our hands dirty, so join us for two great events sure to creep you out, and get your brain ticking.

First, check out our Parent/daughter workshop on Oct. 11th. You'll be cooking up recipes with a little bit of this and that. And closer to the witching hour, join us for a FREE family-friendly Halloween event we like to call our "Spooky Science Extravanganza" on October 26 at the Mexican-American Cultural Center. Families can learn about creepy creatures, mysterious constellations and more. Come in costume!

And finally, for the grown-ups, our women's workshop series continues with "Get Your Blog On" on October 9th. Register for a unique, fact-filled lunchtime workshop which will teach you everything you need to know about starting and promoting your own blog!

Girlstart Saturday Workshop: Edible Chemistry
Don’t miss Girlstart’s first Parent/Daughter Saturday Workshop of the season: Edible Chemistry on October 11th! A pinch of this and a dash of that and your recipe is complete. Girls and parents become mad scientists cooking up their own edible chemistry! Spaces are still available to enjoy a few hours of science fun with your daughter. Visit our workshop page for full details and registration information.

Girlstart for Grown-Ups
Girlstart’s first GrownUp Workshop, Social Networking 101, was a huge success! Mothers and professionals alike learned skills to help increase their online networking community. Spaces are limited in the next workshop, Get Your Blog On!, on October 9th! Our November 13th workshop, Join the Click is perfect for women wanting to learn more about their digital camera settings. Check out all Girlstart’s workshops at http://www.girlstart.org/workshops/adult-workshops.asp.

Mark your calendars!!!
Join Girlstart for Halloween fun for the entire family on Sunday, October 26th at the Mexican American Cultural Center from 2:00pm-5:00pm. FREE ADMISSION! Families will learn about creatures of the night, explore eerie science experimients, discover creepy constellations in Girlstart’s planetarium, and take part in the costume contest. Come enjoy this free, safe, family event with door prizes, candy, games, and more! Visit http://www.girlstart.org/spookyscience.asp for more information, including a map.

Free Brown Bag workshop!
Check out Girlstart’s first FREE Brown Bag Workshop "Online Safety" on October 21st from 11:30am-1:00pm. Learn tips to safeguard your family on the internet. Registration is easy and FREE--you just bring your lunch! Download the registration here and fax to 512-916-4776 or visit http://www.girlstart.org/workshops/adult-workshops.asp for more information.

Job Opening at Girlstart!
Are you a connector? Do you love matching people with great causes? Girlstart is looking for a dynamic person to coordinate Girlstart’s community outreach efforts with community partnerships, volunteers, and donors. This team member will manage the volunteer program, oversee the planning and implementation of program and development events, and serve as a key Girlstart representative in the community. Bachelor’s degree required. Email cover letter, resume, and professional references to Julie Shannan at julie@girlstart.org. No phone calls please! Please view the complete description for this job by clicking here.

Upcoming Events Calendar
Oct 9 Lunch and Learn grown-up workshop: Get Your Blog On!, 11:30-1:00pm at Girlstart
Oct 11 Edible chemistry parent/daughter workshop (4th-5th grades), 1:00pm-3:00pm at Girlstart
Oct 26 "Spooky Science Extravanganza" at the Mexican American Cultural Center, 2:00pm-5:00pm
Nov 13 Lunch and Learn grown-up workshop: Join the Click!, 11:30-1:00pm at Girlstart

Thank You Dell Volunteers!
We sincerely thank the Dell Global Operations Team who volunteered at Girlstart on September 3rd. The group of 20, organized by our very own board member Tracy Masson, spent an afternoon at Girlstart planting new grass in our backyard, painting, and helping to make our science shack, activity room, and technology lab fall-ready. Thanks to all of our wonderful Dell Volunteers for your hard work!

Current Volunteer Opportunities
Listed below are Girlstart's current volunteer opportunities. Click the project titles below to let a staff member know you are interested in helping with these projects!

Mailout Volunteer Opportunity
Girlstart needs help folding and addressing our Spooky Science Extravaganza flyers this Wednesday (October 1st) from 5:30-6:30 at Girlstart. Drop by after work and help us out! 4-5 volunteers needed.

Science Extravaganza Volunteers
Spooky Science Extravaganza is Sunday, October 26th from 2pm-5pm and we need your help to make it successful. We are looking for volunteers to help set up, lead activities, and greet visitors at the Mexican American Cultural Center. Bilingual Spanish/English volunteers especially needed to communicate with Spanish speaking families. Please note which volunteer role you would like to help with in your email.

Lunch Volunteers
Are you looking for a meaningful way to connect with Girlstart's after school club participants? Sign up as a Lunch Volunteer at Burnet Middle School (north) or Mendez Middle School (south). Lunch Volunteers sit with the Girlstart girls during their Tuesday lunch and serve as a positive role model. Girlstart will give you a "Lunch Topic" every week to further reach out to the participants in our afterschool clubs.

Burnet Lunch Volunteers
Tuesday Burnet Lunch: 6th grade- 10:50-11:20am; 8th grade – 11:40-12:10pm; 7th grade- 12:25 - 12:55pm
(please indicate which time(s) you are available to volunteer)

Mendez Lunch Volunteers
Tuesday Mendez Lunch: 7th grade- 11:10-11:40; 6th grade - 11:50-12:20; 8th grade-12:25-12:55
(please indicate which time(s) you are available to volunteer)

Do you want to impact the life of a high school girl? Be an IT Girl mentor!
As IT Girl participants prepare for life after high school, they could benefit from the counsel of those with more experience. The girls are making challenging college and career decisions and, naturally, they have many questions. That’s where mentors come in. Girlstart is looking for female professionals and college students to serve as mentors and help the IT Girls on their journey during their final year of high school. IT Girl is a 3-year project funded by the National Science Foundation designed to give high school girls the tools to use technology to make a change in the world around them. If you have questions about the IT Girl mentor program or wish to sign up, please contact Zakiyyah Kareem at Zakiyyah@girlstart.org or (512) 916-4775.

Visit our volunteer page to see how you can get more involved with Girlstart!

Did you know that owls regurgitate whole bones from their prey? Explore owl pellets and more at Girlstart’s Spooky Science Extravaganza on October 26th at the Mexican American Cultural Center. Click here to learn more. "Lunch and Learn" workshop series.

Current Sponsors Lucky Stars FOX 7 KTBC Austin  &nbsp National Science Foundation Super Stars The Dell Foundation   AMD   Silicon Laboratories   Texas State Technical College Shining Stars Applied Materials   IBM  &nbsp Motorola     A Glimmer of Hope Stark Martin Charitable Trust   Exxon Mobil   Topfer Family Foundation Rising Stars Freescale    Kodosky Foundation    Nowlin Family Foundation Randall's   Ten Eyck Landscape Architects YWA Foundation RGK Foundation   Wells Fargo Shooting Stars AMEC Geomatrix   KLE Foundation Maxwell Locke & Ritter    Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr    Pape Foundation 3M    Samsung  &nbsp Symantec   Qualcomm Girlstart gives girls the tools they need to be leaders of their generation. Help a girl change the world. Give to Girlstart now!