Oracle supports employees getting involved with their communities through numerous volunteer opportunities that focus on education, environment, and community. Oracle employees can find a cause they are passionate about and either join an existing project or lead one of their own. In July 2019 I partnered with one of my Oracle colleagues, Vice President of Go to Market, Dev Patel, and her 16 year-old son Deven Parkin for a unique volunteer project.
Deven took the lead on a Communication Debate Workshop with middle school aged girls from Richmond’s Police Activities League Beautiful Minds Coding Club. This was a follow up to an Oracle Women’s Leadership (OWL) sponsored event that took place earlier in the year to celebrate International Women’s Day 2019 with Richmond’s Beautiful Minds Coding Club.
The Communication Debate Workshop was focused on teaching a small group of middle- school students the basics of speech and debate, which are life skills they can use as they continue their education, and into their young adult careers. The students had the opportunity to apply what they learned to debate US policy on Immigration.
Each student learned how to use an iPad and Google Scholar to do research that helped them support their argument. The iPads were donated and the students were able to keep them at the end of the session to further enhance their skills and use it for their upcoming school year.
I am planning another event with the girls to focus on financial literacy as well as my annual celebration of International Day of the Girl. Please let me know if you would like to join me – I am always looking for my new volunteers to help me in my projects.
Heather VanCura 