Read about the company’s commitment to the communities we live in.

Corporate Responsibility Manager

Community

Imagine a world where gender equality isn't just a distant dream but a reality — a world where biases, stereotypes and discrimination are relics of the past. A world where diversity is valued and celebrated, every voice is heard and every achievement is recognized. We strive for this vision as we celebrate International Women's Day and Women's History Month.This year's theme underscores the importance of fostering a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive – a world where differences are not just accepted but embraced. It’s a day to raise awareness about the ongoing struggles for gender equality and to take action to drive meaningful change.Building a new talent pipeline&nbsp;Through partnerships with organizations like&nbsp;<a href="https://women4cyber.eu/">Women4Cyber</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.czechitas.cz/">Czechitas</a>, we work to expand cybersecurity skills among women and close the gender gap that still exists throughout the global tech sector.&nbsp;&nbsp;One of the best ways to reach those goals is mentorship. Women4Cyber’s Mentorship programs are designed to help women advance their careers in cybersecurity and IT. Mentors, all of whom are working tech professionals, spend six months meeting regularly with their mentees to provide personal and professional guidance, share their experiences, and help mentees identify and achieve career goals. Since 2021, Women4Cyber has matched more than 300 mentors from across Europe with more than 500 women just starting in their cybersecurity careers.&nbsp;&nbsp;Czechitas, another one of our nonprofit partners, provides reskilling and technical education programs for women in the Czech Republic. The organization engages working tech professionals and experts to lead their intensive long-term courses. Tech professionals also provide mentorship, advice and guidance for enrolled students as they work on their own projects.&nbsp;&nbsp;Both organizations help to ensure that the future of the tech industry is a more inclusive one, with women having equal access to skills-building and career opportunities in cybersecurity and beyond.&nbsp;&nbsp;Among those mentors are Gen team members, who have year-round opportunities to participate in these organizations’ mentorship programs. On February 13, Women4Cyber hosted a Speed Mentoring event to connect junior professionals working in cybersecurity with Gen experts. Each mentee had four one-on-one conversations with different team members, offering them a chance to gain well-rounded guidance to navigate their careers in the cybersecurity industry. &nbsp;

Later in March, Czechitas, and the Gen Corporate Responsibility and DEI teams, and our WONDER Community, will host a webinar on the future of work and technology, and the future of women in STEM.&nbsp;

Advocating for women&nbsp;At Gen, advocating for women is a year-round effort. We're always supporting women, and we pay extra attention to helping them succeed in tech because that's what we're good at.&nbsp;One example of this success is Leyla Bilge, Director of Scam Research Labs. She’s made cybersecurity her life since starting in computer science at the age of 18. After an internship with our company, she took on a full-time role. Twelve years later, she’s made tremendous waves as a Gen leader.&nbsp;When asked about setting goals, she spoke frankly saying, “I never actually set goals because I always thought I could never achieve them. Then, at one turning point, I finally realized I could&nbsp;achieve them.”&nbsp;Leyla set abstract goals for herself; she wanted to apply a different leadership style that’s not so common – she wanted to be an egoless manager, leading by motivation and making ambition contagious. She saw the results.Recently, she was recognized for her work at the&nbsp;<a href="https://seramount.com/about-us/seramount-news-and-press/searmount-reveals-the-2023-women-of-excellence-for-their-commitment-to-advancing-women/">Seramount 2023 Women of Excellence Awards</a>&nbsp;and was named STEM Steward. The awards honor women who are committed to their own success while selflessly mentoring and championing other women. And Leyla was a perfect example of this.A message to others: Set goals that aren’t the most obvious or common. We can achieve them. Don’t be afraid to apply for awards or submit papers to academic conferences. That’s how we earn the recognition we deserve. And do what you can to uplift women, no matter what gender you are. &nbsp;The work continues&nbsp;Our work is far from over. Discrimination, bias, and inequality persist in various forms. We must continue to challenge these injustices and work towards gender parity in all aspects of life. We must support and uplift each other, amplifying the voices of marginalized people and advocating for policies that promote equality.Inclusion means that all actions taken on International Women's Day are valid. Whether participating in marches and rallies, organizing educational events or having conversations about gender equality. Every effort contributes to the larger goal of building a more inclusive world.As we come together to celebrate International Women's Day and Women's History Month, let the achievements of women inspire us. Let us raise awareness about discrimination and take action to drive gender parity. Together, we can forge a future where every person, regardless of gender, can thrive and succeed.&nbsp;Let’s continue to #InspireInclusion.

Building a more inclusive future

Celebrating International Women's Day: From Empowerment to Action

Corporate Responsibility 

<a href="https://saferinternetday.us/">Safer Internet Day</a> is here again. For 21 years, the campaign has empowered people everywhere to use technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively—especially students and young people.&nbsp;&nbsp;Gen understands the importance of building good digital habits early. That’s why Norton, a leader in consumer Cyber Safety and part of Gen, partnered with <a href="https://www.discoveryeducation.com/">Discovery Education</a> the worldwide education technology leader nurturing student curiosity and supporting educators. In 2023, we created <a href="https://mydigitallife.discoveryeducation.com/">My Digital Life</a>. This program, designed for educators in grades 3-8, features lesson plans, videos and interactive tools aligned to learning standards and meant to address the sorts of issues young people face online, things like cyberbullying, privacy risks, misinformation, viruses and scams.&nbsp;In just a few months since its launch, My Digital Life has proven to be a favorite amongst many Discovery Education educators across the country, helping kids learn how to be positive digital citizens.&nbsp;<h2>What Is My Digital Life?&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>My Digital Life is available to all on <a href="https://mydigitallife.discoveryeducation.com/">mydigitallife.discoveryeducation.com</a> and to users of Discovery Education Experience, the company’s award-winning K-12 learning platform. The resources encourage responsible online decision-making by teaching students common warning signs about viruses or scams, how to stay safe on social media and gaming apps, and the basics of digital privacy. Norton helped design these resources and they are refreshed regularly, making sure they stay current on the latest cyber threats and best practices.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>What Has Its Impact Been?&nbsp; &nbsp;</h2>Elementary and middle school educators in the U.S. have embraced My Digital Life. “I have been sharing this with my fourth and fifth graders,” wrote one teacher. “They have been really engaged, as it seems to nail that intangible magical mix: fun to watch for middle-graders, not too baby-ish/uncool, AND educational.” Another wrote, “This is so important!”, while another added, “Should be part of every classroom! It is essential to learn as a thinking skill!”&nbsp;Between September and December 2023, teachers brought the My Digital Life platform to more than 102,000 students in 47 states and 712 school districts, 62% of which were Title I schools.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>What’s Next?&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>In 2024, My Digital Life has <a href="https://mydigitallife.discoveryeducation.com/pages/783b7abf-2489-4685-b6ff-634da5e8b99a">recently expanded</a> into to schools in the U.K. The partnership with Discovery Education will also launch a new component called Career Connect, in which Gen team members can find skills-based volunteering opportunities and connect directly with teachers and students.&nbsp;&nbsp;We also continue to drive Cyber Safety education for children and families around the world. Examples include <a href="https://www.gendigital.com/blog/impact/community/the-smart-talk-2023">The Smart Talk</a>, which helps families have open, positive, ongoing conversations about digital safety, our <a href="https://www.gendigital.com/blog/impact/community/day-of-the-girl-2023">Surf Smart 2.0</a> program, a collaboration with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, and the <a href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/guide/online-safety-for-lgbtq-young-people/">Guide to Online Safety for LGBTQ+ Young People</a>, created in partnership with <a href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org/">The Trevor Project</a>, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people.&nbsp;

Celebrate Safer Internet Day with Norton and Discovery Education

Building Cyber Safety into the School Curriculum  

Head of Corporate Responsibility and Public Policy

2023 was a year of firsts for our Social Impact program. We hosted our first ever <a href="https://www.gendigital.com/blog/impact/community/gen-volunteer-day-2023">Global Volunteer Day</a> as Gen, uniting team members around the world in one massive day of service. We debuted <a href="https://www.gendigital.com/blog/impact/community/my-digital-life">new tools</a> to help children and families develop Cyber Safety skills and launched a <a href="https://www.gendigital.com/blog/impact/community/online-safety-lgbtq-youth">pioneering guide for LGBTQ+ young people</a> to navigate the digital world safely.&nbsp;&nbsp;For these and other projects, we’re thrilled to announce two distinguished honors: Gen has been named one of Newsweek’s Most Responsible Companies for 2024 and been listed on this year’s Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI). &nbsp;

The DJSI is one of the world’s leading benchmarks for ESG performance. The North American Index utilizes the <a href="https://www.spglobal.com/esg/csa/">S&amp;P Corporate Sustainability Assessment</a> (CSA) to evaluate the ESG practices of the largest &nbsp;600 North American companies in the S&amp;P Global Broad Market Index. The resulting list collects the top 20% of these companies based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria, with each receiving a score out of 100. Gen was awarded the high score of 46, &nbsp;landing us on the North America index for the second year in a row. &nbsp;

This is also the second year in a row we’ve appeared on Newsweek’s List of America’s Most Responsible Companies as Gen. Newsweek, along with its partner Statista, surveys the country’s top 2,000 companies’ ESG programs based on 30 KPIs then survey more than 17,000 U.S. residents on their perceptions of the companies’ CSR performance. &nbsp;&nbsp;Gen’s social impact mission is to bring together our team, passions and technology to support people and communities, making the world a better, safer place. Program highlights that contributed to our high scores include:&nbsp;<ul><li>Philanthropy: Our Cyber Safety education &amp; training efforts reached more than 2.8 million people in fiscal 2023. Key partnerships between Norton (part of the Gen family of trusted brands) and organizations such as Discovery Education, the <a href="https://www.gendigital.com/blog/impact/community/day-of-the-girl-2023">World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts</a> and the <a href="https://www.gendigital.com/blog/impact/community/the-smart-talk-2023">National PTA</a> helped focus these efforts on children, families, and young people.&nbsp;</li><li>Environmental Stewardship: We introduced the award-winning <a href="https://www.gendigital.com/blog/impact/environment/seal-sustainability-awards-2023">Sustainable Home Improvement Program</a>, reducing our Scope 3 emissions and empowering employees to do their part for the planet. 98% of our products are now delivered digitally, and of the few physical products we have, 50% of their paper is FSC-certified.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Corporate Governance: We continue to disclose demographic data on both our broad employee base and our Board of Directors. In 2023, women represented 40% of our Board, and 30% of our Directors are members of an underrepresented community.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>We’re excited to be named among so many other companies showing the way forward on corporate citizenship and sustainability. We look forward to building on these achievements and reaching new heights in the year to come.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Gen is named one of Newsweek’s Most Responsible Companies and listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index

Earning Recognition for Our Social Impact Programs

Gen donates $424K to nonprofits on Giving TuesdayGiving Tuesday is a holiday tradition for us here at Gen. Every year, we look for ways to inspire team members to take part in the campaign, which encourages people everywhere to support the causes and organizations that mean the most to them. This year was no different.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On November 28, we offered a 2:1 Donation Match to team members across the company, and more than 300 people jumped at the chance to increase their impact. Between employee contributions and our matching donations, we collectively donated $424,000 to nearly 430 causes. We’re also incredibly proud that every person on our Leadership Team donated. &nbsp;The organizations we supported were wide ranging and international in scope. <a href="https://www.muziprotirakovine.cz/">Nadační fond MUŽI PROTI RAKOVINĚ</a>, a nonprofit in the Czech Republic pushing for early detection of prostate cancer, and the <a href="https://www.icrc.org/en">International Committee of the Red Cross</a> were two of the most funded causes this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;More than half of employees participate in Giving@Gen&nbsp;

This effort comes on the heels of another important milestone for us: the one-year anniversary of the Gen Giving Hub platform launch, powered by Benevity. We <a href="https://www.gendigital.com/blog/archive/giving-tuesday-highlights-2022">launched the Gen Giving Hub</a> after we came together as a new company in November 2022, and it has come to exemplify the thriving culture of giving that we enjoy all year long.&nbsp;In just eight months – April through November – 55% of Gen team members participated in our Giving@Gen program.&nbsp;To honor this one-year anniversary moment, Gen rewarded each employee with $50 to donate to a charity of their choice over a 10-day campaign. More than 2,000 team members supported their favorite causes, resulting in donations to 916 causes. These included organizations supporting those affected by the conflict in Israel and Gaza, as well as military veterans in the United States, cancer patients in the Czech Republic, global LGBTQ+ safe spaces, and many more. Thanks to our teams, this campaign contributed upwards of $135,500 to high-impact nonprofits. &nbsp;Supporting our local communities this holiday season&nbsp;Many of our sites are planning to keep this momentum going by planning local, holiday-inspired donation drives and service projects throughout December. In Dublin, team members are collecting food and essential items for donation to <a href="https://www.capuchindaycentre.ie/Capuchin_Day_Centre_2013/Capuchin_Day_Centre_for_Homeless_People.html">The Capuchin Centre</a> and offering multiple opportunities to volunteer their time. Our American offices are working with <a href="https://familygivingtree.org/">Family Giving Tree</a> and the <a href="https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/">Salvation Army</a> on gift drives for those in need. Our Czech Republic sites are organizing gift and clothing drives with organizations including <a href="https://www.dejmedetemsanci.cz/">Dejme detmi sance</a> (“Give Kids a Chance”), <a href="https://jeziskovavnoucata.rozhlas.cz/p/jak-byt-jeziskovo-vnouce">Jeziskova Vnoucata</a> (“Santa’s Grandchildren”) and <a href="https://www.friendshipprague.com/">FriendShip Prague</a>. Team members in Chennai are supporting <a href="https://bhumi.ngo/">Bhumi</a>, which works to transform disadvantaged communities in India through education. &nbsp;We are so proud of the generosity of our team members and the many ways they supported their communities this year. &nbsp;We wish you a joyful and impactful holiday season — from all of us at Gen.

Gen celebrates the holiday season with donations, service projects, and more

Encouraging a Spirit of Giving

Technology abuse is an increasingly common part of domestic violence. Many abusers use technology like <a href="https://www.kaspersky.com/about/press-releases/2023_digital-violence-through-stalkerware-showing-little-sign-of-slowing-according-to-new-kaspersky-report">stalkerware</a> to track their partners’ device activity, location and movements, email and online messages, and browsing histories. Intimate partner violence often involves financial abuse, in which abusers steal their partner’s identity, improperly access online accounts or ruin their credit scores. There is a critical need to ensure survivors and advocates understand tech-facilitated abuse, its impact and how to identify it. They also need digital tools that can help.&nbsp;

<h3>Providing Free Products to Domestic Violence Survivors&nbsp;</h3>&nbsp;Our newest product donation initiative is dedicated to providing survivors with the information and tools to help them lead their online lives safely and confidently.&nbsp;Through this unique program, Norton, a part of Gen, is donating up to 5,000 free product licenses to survivors of domestic violence to help them recover from financial or technological abuse. These licenses will be distributed by eligible organizations that are members of the Safe Shelter Collaborative and TechSoup will help facilitate the donations, for which organizations can <a href="https://page.techsoup.org/2023-domestic-violence-survivor-support?hs_preview=zzrhKfSe-132649155171">apply online</a>.&nbsp;

Norton 360 Deluxe, one of the products offered through the new donation program, can prevent activity or location tracking, information theft, installation of malicious programs and uninvited changes to devices. We are also offering Norton Secure VPN as a standalone product, which protects a person’s online privacy by hiding the computer’s address from websites visited from any device. Eligible organizations may request up to 100 licenses of each product, which then must be distributed to survivors of domestic abuse.&nbsp;The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) is another nonprofit partner of ours – which represents the 56 U.S. state and territorial domestic violence coalitions, who in turn represent more than 2,000 local programs and the millions of survivors they serve annually – also collaborated on the new pilot program. &nbsp;<h3>Learning Good Cyber Hygiene&nbsp;</h3>According to Armin Waiscek, Senior Research Manager at Gen, good cyber hygiene is diligence, care and human judgment, and it’s an important part of an online safety plan. “Security software is extremely important, as is education on Cyber Safety awareness. This involves day-to-day vigilance and learning how to spot the signs that someone has access to, or is trying to access your online accounts, devices or location.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Waiscek offered tips on how important cyber hygiene is to domestic violence survivors. “Through our work with NNEDV, we have learned survivors often need help to secure their digital assets, remove or stop using shared accounts, and create accounts on clean devices that haven’t been accessed by their abusers,” he said.Here are a few suggestions to improve cyber hygiene:<ul><li>Create a list of all platforms, systems and devices that are in use.</li><li>Change passwords to all accounts or create new accounts.</li><li>Update any online accounts that are accessible through Facebook, Google, Twitter, or Apple ID log-ins.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Use unique passwords that exclude personally identifiable information (i.e., birthdays, names, pet names, etc.).</li><li>Utilize a (new) <a href="https://my.norton.com/extspa/passwordmanager">password manager</a> to track passwords and to create strong, unique passwords</li></ul><h3>Maximizing Our Social Impact &nbsp;</h3>This pilot program exemplifies our continued large-scale effort to align our volunteering, giving and product donation programs for maximum impact. In addition to this program, we have provided training and technical assistance to NNEDV for years. In 2022, we announced a $100,000 grant each year for three years to NNEDV to support the organization’s <a href="https://nnedv.org/content/technology-safety/">Safety Net</a> technology abuse response initiative, as well as its <a href="https://nnedv.org/about-dv/dv-economic-justice/">Economic Justice</a> program. We are also a founding member of the <a href="https://stopstalkerware.org/">Coalition Against Stalkerware</a>, which was formed to help keep malicious technology like stalkerware and creepware out of the hands of abusers.&nbsp;To learn more, visit the new donation program <a href="https://page.techsoup.org/2023-domestic-violence-survivor-support?hs_preview=zzrhKfSe-132649155171">landing page</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Norton donates 5,000 licenses to help protect survivors of domestic abuse

New Product Donation Program Supports Domestic Violence Survivors

For the 20th year in a row, companies, government agencies, nonprofits and more have come together to recognize October as <a href="https://staysafeonline.org/programs/cybersecurity-awareness-month/">Cybersecurity Awareness Month</a> (CSAM). This annual campaign spreads the word about digital security and encourages everyone to protect their personal data against digital theft.&nbsp;&nbsp;This CSAM, we are highlighting women who have taken part in IT and cybersecurity career training programs run with leading nonprofit partners and supported by Gen. Organizations like <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=czechitas&amp;oq=czechitas&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCQgAEEUYOxiABDIJCAAQRRg7GIAEMgYIARBFGEAyBggCEEUYOzINCAMQLhivARjHARiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIGCAYQRRg9MgYIBxBFGD3SAQgxNDU3ajBqN6gCALACAA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Czechitas</a>, <a href="https://women4cyber.eu/">Women4Cyber</a> and <a href="https://www.nasscomfoundation.org/">nasscom foundation</a> work on the ground across Europe and India to enable a higher level of digital proficiency among women and ultimately close the gender gap that persists in many tech fields.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Czechitas, based in the Czech Republic, operates a diverse range of programs, from summer camps and workshops for young women just beginning to build their digital skills to professionals looking to newly embark on tech careers. For the latter, Czechitas’ Digital Academies offer comprehensive three-month courses in programming, web development and data analysis, as well as job placement resources for those who complete the program. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;One such graduate is Andrea Řezníčková. She spent 20 years in financial roles at a large construction company before enrolling in Czechitas’ programming courses during the pandemic. She felt nervous to pursue a career change, particularly after so many years at the same company, but the welcoming, supportive atmosphere created by the Czechitas instructors and her fellow students quickly put her at ease. She now works as an IT analyst at ČSOB, focusing primarily on the core banking system, where she uses the SQL knowledge that she acquired at Czechitas on a daily basis.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The encouraging environment of the Czechitas classes is a common topic of conversation among graduates. Eva Moniová is another alum who enrolled in the Digital Academy looking to change careers. After working as a reporter, she chose the Data Analytics track and developed such strong connections with fellow students that the group still meets in person to this day. Moniová now works as a Data Quality Team Leader at MONETA Bank in Prague.&nbsp;&nbsp;We heard similar stories when we spoke to <a href="https://www.gendigital.com/blog/impact/community/india-impact-women-2023">graduates of the nasscom foundation’s</a> digital skills programs in India. The organization focuses on women from rural communities with limited access to technology, giving them the relevant skills training they need to compete for tech jobs. These women spoke not only of the value of the in-depth digital education but also of the supportive network of peers and fellow professionals.&nbsp;Take Uppala Sujana, for example. She got her degree from the Sree Dattha Institute of Engineering and Science in Telangana, but it wasn’t until she found the nasscom foundation program that she felt connected to her work. She took classes in programming languages, software development and data analysis, and formed close bonds with the students and instructors. She called the program a “transformative experience” that boosted her confidence, opened up new career opportunities, and provided a sense of fulfillment she didn’t know was possible. She now works at Amazon as a Network Analyst.

Manju Mounika agreed. Mounika went straight from the Ravindra College of Engineering for Women into the nasscom foundation program, where she encountered nurturing instructors who helped “clear her doubts” about her ability to excel in tech. The program helped her find a trainee position at HCLTech, though which she’s able to provide for the rest of her family.&nbsp;&nbsp;In Europe,&nbsp;we also work with the organization <a href="https://women4cyber.eu/">Women4Cyber</a>, which seeks to&nbsp;close the gender gap in cybersecurity through awareness and mentoring programs for women. Participants use the program to&nbsp;access&nbsp;information about advanced technical courses and scholarships available throughout the EU, find jobs in cybersecurity and network with others, including through mentorship.&nbsp;Ayhan Gücüyener&nbsp;used the mentorship program to&nbsp;expand&nbsp;her&nbsp;existing cybersecurity expertise. Gücüyener was already working at a research institution when she found Women4Cyber&nbsp;and began working with a senior mentor, which she says encouraged her to connect her academic understanding of the field with real-world issues. Her experience&nbsp;even&nbsp;led her to establish a partnership between Women4Cyber and her university to provide new opportunities in cybersecurity for college-aged women in Turkey.&nbsp; Now, Gücüyener works as a Local Administrative Coordinator at CyberMACS.&nbsp; &nbsp; We are proud to provide ongoing support for these important partners and to contribute to a more equitable tech sector. As a leader in Cyber Safety, the Gen family of brands, including Norton, also works year-round to make digital life more secure for people across the globe. We provide Cyber Safety education and training that helps young people, families, and vulnerable people stay safe online. Over the past year, these programs—which include partnerships with <a href="https://www.gendigital.com/blog/impact/community/my-digital-life">Discovery Education</a>, the <a href="https://www.wagggs.org/en/what-we-do/surf-smart-20/">World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts</a>, the <a href="https://thesmarttalk.org/">National PTA</a> and more—have reached more than 2.8 million people, meeting our fiscal 2024 goal early.&nbsp;

Gen celebrates Cybersecurity Awareness Month and highlights career training programs that help women land jobs in IT and cybersecurity 

Closing the Gender Gap in Tech

Young people in the LGBTQ+ community face significant threats online. <a href="https://ed.buffalo.edu/content/dam/ed/alberti/docs/Bullying-Cyberbullying-LGBTQ-Students.pdf">Research</a> shows that almost twice as many LGBTQ+ students reported being cyberbullied compared to heterosexual students, which can have negative consequences such as emotional distress, mental health issues, and suicidal thoughts and attempts.&nbsp;At the same time, the internet can also be a positive environment for LGBTQ+ young people. It can give them the privacy to explore questions about sexual health and coming out, and introduce them to safe, supportive communities of peers and allies.&nbsp;&nbsp;

That’s why Gen has partnered with <a href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org/">The Trevor Project</a>, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, to create the <a href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/guide/online-safety-for-lgbtq-young-people/">Guide to Online Safety for LGBTQ+ Young People</a>. This free digital resource helps queer youth navigate the digital world. A few sample tips from the resource include:&nbsp;<ul><li>Block Negativity: Familiarize yourself with different forms of harassment like cyberbullying, hate speech and doxing. Report and block harassers when necessary. When you block someone on Instagram, they’re never notified, and they can no longer view your posts or search for your account. (And you can unblock them at any time.)&nbsp;</li><li>Customize Your Experience: We all have different life experiences and challenges, and LGBTQ+ young people are known to experience depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse or suicidal thoughts at higher rates. Most social media platforms will let you restrict certain content and customize your pages in ways that make you happy.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Be Picky About Sharing: If you’re excited to share something but only want a select group of followers to see, adjust your privacy settings to narrow your audience. Many photos contain EXIF data (data that is built into a picture) that includes your location data. Disable this in your device before uploading to a social media platform.&nbsp;</li><li>Seek Supportive Communities: Join LGBTQ+-focused online communities like <a href="https://www.trevorspace.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw9rSoBhCiARIsAFOipllmtQwVQslggTZ_ty0684kINPib09S_Yv8ricPiYR0mlCn19-xs4rgaAsv4EALw_wcB">TrevorSpace</a>, providing safe spaces for discussion and support. Feeling safe and understood in at least one online space is associated with lower suicide risk and lower rates of recent anxiety for all LGBTQ+ young people.&nbsp;</li></ul>

Launching this resource in October was intentional, as it’s both LGBTQ+ History Month and Cybersecurity Awareness Month. LGBTQ+ History Month provides the opportunity to not only lift up the achievements and contributions of LGBTQ+ people, but to raise awareness of ongoing discrimination and struggles, including suicide and cyberbullying among young people. LGBTQ+ young people need safe, accepting and supportive environments – at home, at school, in their communities and in the digital world. And we are proud to play a role in providing resources that help them navigate the internet more safely.&nbsp;This initiative with The Trevor Project is one of the <a href="https://www.gendigital.com/blog/impact/community/pride-month-2023">many ways</a> Gen provides year-round support to members of the LGBTQ+ community. Our partnership with The Trevor Project includes financial support for <a href="https://www.trevorspace.org/">TrevorSpace</a>, an affirming online community for more than 400,000 LGBTQ+ young people. We also work regularly with <a href="https://outandequal.org/">Out &amp; Equal</a> to make our workplaces as inclusive as possible. &nbsp;We would love your help in distributing this important guide. Please feel free to share our <a href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/guide/online-safety-for-lgbtq-young-people/">Guide to Online Safety for LGBTQ+ Young People</a> resource with people you know and your networks.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Gen and The Trevor Project launch new Cyber Safety resource

Helping LGBTQ+ Young People Navigate the Digital World Safely

Every year, <a href="https://www.un.org/en/observances/girl-child-day">International Day of the Girl</a> reminds us that young women everywhere face a unique set of obstacles. From discrimination and gender-based violence in the physical world to cyberbullying and misinformation in the digital one, threats against the rights of young women continue to mount. The need to advocate for them has never been stronger.&nbsp; &nbsp;At Gen, one way we support young women is by providing the tools they need to stay safe online. For the past several years, Norton, one of our leading Cyber Safety brands, has collaborated with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) to create <a href="https://www.wagggs.org/en/what-we-do/surf-smart-20/">Surf Smart 2.0</a>. This badge-earning course teaches the basics of online safety and responsible digital decision making to girls between the ages of 5 and 25. The Surf Smart program launched in 2011 and to date has reached more than 600,000 young people across the globe.&nbsp;

This year, we’re pleased to report that Surf Smart 2.0 has continued to expand its reach. In the past five months alone, the program has positively impacted more than 5,200 youth in 15 countries, with thousands more expected by the end of 2024. In addition to the lives directly reached, the Surf Smart 2.0 curriculum has been downloaded more than 12,000 times. Some additional highlights from 2023 include:&nbsp;<ul><li>The latest phase of Surf Smart 2.0 hinges on the <a href="https://www.wagggs.org/en/what-we-do/surf-smart-20/surf-smart-advocacy-fund/">Global Advocacy Fund</a>, which teaches young people not only to be responsible digital citizens but also to make the internet a better, more inclusive place. Participants, or “Smart Surfers,” create their own digital advocacy campaigns using the skills they learn through Surf Smart 2.0. Six member organizations have signed on so far, with the first generation of Smart Surfers currently being trained. The program expects to reach 200 young women in 10 countries by the end of 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>The <a href="https://www.wagggs.org/en/what-we-do/surf-smart-20/surf-smart-fund/">Surf Smart 2.0 Fund</a> awards grants of up to £8,000 GBP (~USD$9,800) for member organizations to provide the Surf Smart 2.0 curriculum to their members. Sixteen local organizations have participated this year, including five in Europe, four in the Asia Pacific region, one in the Western Hemisphere and six in Africa. WAGGGS estimate these grants will support 200,000 young people worldwide by the end of 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Three WAGGGS <a href="https://worldcentres.wagggs.org/about/">World Centers</a> in London, Switzerland and India have become hubs for in-person Surf Smart 2.0 training. Volunteer leaders have led sessions for more than 1,200 World Center visitors since April, and a virtual training module is nearing completion. The Centers also train local unit leaders to train their members in digital safety. After attending a training in India, a Pune School teacher and female unit leader reflected, “It was like a wake-up call for me. I knew most of these things before but did not realize cybersecurity was that important.”   &nbsp;</li><li>In July, the Surf Smart 2.0 curriculum went live on <a href="https://campfire.wagggs.org/">Campfire</a>, WAGGGS’ online hub, including <a href="https://campfire.wagggs.org/topic/ss-overview">background</a> on the program and a <a href="https://campfire.wagggs.org/book-page/surf-smart-activity-pack">Surf Smart Activity Pack</a>. The resources are available to Guides and Scouts anywhere in the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>

This International Day of the Girl, we hope you’ll consider sharing stories of girl changemakers, letting girls lead, investing in organizations tackling inequalities experienced by girls and engaging with government officials to advocate for policies and services that support girls. We look forward to continuing to grow the Surf Smart 2.0 badge program in new communities around the world. For more information on all the ways Gen supports gender equity, check out our <a href="https://www.gendigital.com/us/en/social-impact/social-impact-report/">2023 Social Impact Report</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Gen celebrates International Day of the Girl

Empowering Young Women Around the World to Surf Smart

Our culture of giving is part of the fabric of everything we do at Gen. In 2023 alone, we launched the Gen Giving Hub, a go-to resource for all our service and donation-matching opportunities, and hosted our first ever <a href="https://www.gendigital.com/blog/impact/community/gen-volunteer-day-2023">Global Volunteer Day</a>, which impacted more than 2,400 people around the world in just one day.&nbsp; &nbsp;As the year goes on, we are always on the lookout for new ways to make positive change in our communities. Most recently, our teams came together to host “Back to School” volunteer events in locations around the world, setting students up for success as they embark on a new school year.&nbsp;In August and September, 209 employees volunteered more than 540 hours during the Back-to-School events, directly reaching a total of 535 children. These volunteer efforts were coupled with investments of more than $22,000 in the local organizations we partnered with.&nbsp;

Through partnerships with <a href="https://www.b2sa.org/">Back 2 School America</a>, employees in Tempe, Arizona (shown above), and Plano, Texas, spent their volunteer time assembling free school supply kits, that included essential items like backpacks and reusable water bottles requested from the benefitting organizations. The National Center for Children in Poverty estimates that 38% of all children in the U.S. live in low-income households. Gen’s efforts will help these families save the more than $840 they’re expected to spend on school supplies each year. &nbsp;

In addition, our team in Dublin (shown above) partnered with <a href="https://www.loveactuallycharity.ie/">Love Actually Charity</a> to provide learning resources for students with disabilities.&nbsp;

The Brno office gathered to translate IT course materials from English into Czech with CoderDojo, an international organization that provides supplemental IT education for kids. These efforts help make the lessons more accessible and useful for students and teachers in Czech Republic. In Prague, volunteers created inspirational pre-career materials for young people, aged approximately 15-24 in partnership with Nadani a Dovednosti. Nadani works to expose youth from children’s homes, orphanages and other disadvantaged backgrounds, to in demand careers, and thanks to Gen employees their job profiles now include junior roles in IT, Communications and Marketing, HR, and Sales.&nbsp;We also brought back one of its most popular virtual events from Global Volunteer Day. We once again partnered with <a href="https://www.storypirates.com/">Story Pirates</a> to give our team the chance to read children’s stories and offer positive feedback.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In addition to the examples above, we organized Back to School events to support children in Chennai, Belgrade and through another virtual event supporting <a href="https://girlsfriendlysociety.org.uk/">Girls Friendly Societ</a>y.&nbsp; &nbsp;Supporting children and families is a key part of our social impact strategy. Our Cyber Safety education programs empower young people to stay safe online, and we design free tools, like <a href="https://thesmarttalk.org/">The Smart Talk</a> and <a href="https://mydigitallife.discoveryeducation.com/">My Digital Life,</a> to help families set healthy tech limits together.&nbsp; &nbsp;We wish everyone a great 2023-2024 school year.&nbsp;

Gen teams volunteer at global Back to School events

Preparing Students Around the World for a Great School Year

Erin Gallegos is no stranger to social impact. She supported English education in a rural village in Thailand as a Peace Corps Volunteer and then led part of an anti-corruption education project supported by the United Nations Development Program. She joined AVG, which is now part of the Gen family of consumer Cyber Safety brands, in 2016 in an internal communications role and before she began her current role as Corporate Responsibility Manager at Gen, based in the Czech Republic, she led programs that focused on equity and inclusion, employee engagement, and philanthropy at the former Avast Foundation.&nbsp;&nbsp;I recently spoke with Erin about social impact at Gen in the Czech Republic.&nbsp;KA: I want to start by asking what drew you towards and has kept you working in corporate responsibility?&nbsp;EG: Well, I’m interested in systems and communities. Our field is constantly evolving, which is also very compelling. Today, there’s a greater focus on how companies can both do well and do good, and that increases the potential to make a positive impact in partnership with the communities and NGOs tackling challenging societal problems day in and day out.&nbsp;KA: How does social impact typically manifest for employees in the Czech Republic?&nbsp;&nbsp;EG: While people have individual preferences and interests, our Czech employees are united in two things: they care about community impact and efficiency, and they rightfully challenge our team to make sure we’re working in ways that create meaningful impact.&nbsp; &nbsp;People seem especially keen on volunteering. I’m always pleasantly surprised to learn that many of my colleagues volunteer their time outside of work or make recurring donations to nonprofits they care about. I’m focusing on connecting what resonates with them with what we offer as a company to make a bigger impact.&nbsp;&nbsp;

KA: Are there any social impact highlights from the Czech Republic sites you’d like to mention?&nbsp;&nbsp;EG: Recently, a few of our employees participated in summer camps and summer IT schools for kids organized by our strategic partner, <a href="https://www.czechitas.cz/en">Czechitas</a>. They acted as judges at student competitions and taught lectures, as well. I’m consistently impressed with how many of our employees work directly in the community to share their knowledge.&nbsp;&nbsp;KA: I’m curious if there are unique perspectives you’ve gained or things you’ve learned by working in social impact in the Czech Republic specifically.&nbsp;&nbsp;EG: I’m still learning about this sector overall and in the Czech Republic specifically. I have experienced two large-scale social upheavals while living here—COVID and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In both, what I observed in Czech society at large, as well as in the Gen community, was the immediate sense of solidarity. People see a need, and no one has to ask them to fill it. They just act.&nbsp;&nbsp;KA: Finally, when you look back at your work in social impact, are there projects you’re especially proud of, or moments that still stick with you?&nbsp;&nbsp;EG: I’m always proud of the work that centers on young people. We have numerous Cyber Safety education programs that help prepare youth for the challenges and opportunities of a fully connected future – partnerships with Discovery Education, World Association of Girl Guides and Girls Scouts, Save the Children India and more. I’m also proud of our work with <a href="https://globalfundforchildren.org/">Global Fund for Children</a> and <a href="https://www.moonshotplatform.org/">Moonshot Platform</a> to support young people who are making change.&nbsp;We’re excited to have Erin on the Gen Corporate Responsibility Team and welcome her as a new contributor to the Gen Impact Blog. Check back on the blog soon for her insights leading product donation and for the new targeted product donation pilot program she is running in partnership with TechSoup.&nbsp;

An Interview with Erin Gallegos

Engaging Employees and Communities in the Czech Republic

Digital citizenship includes the basic skills and knowledge people need to engage safely and responsibly online. These safety skills give people the power to navigate online spaces safely and confidently take ownership of their digital lives. Learning how to navigate the online world also helps protect kids from cyberbullying, privacy risks, misinformation, harmful content, scams, viruses and more.&nbsp;&nbsp;Educators need tools and processes to help them provide Cyber Safety education. Now is the perfect time to talk Cyber Safety as students and teachers are diving into back-to-school for the 2023-2024 school year.&nbsp;To help get appropriate and effective resources into the hands of educators, Norton – a leader in consumer Cyber Safety and part of Gen™ – has <a href="https://www.gendigital.com/blog/archive/partnership-discoveryeducation">teamed up with Discovery Education</a> to create <a href="https://mydigitallife.discoveryeducation.com/">My Digital Life</a>. The My Digital Life resources are created with intention and purpose. Norton is the most recognized Cyber Safety brand globally and part of Gen, a global company with a family of trusted brands including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, Avira, AVG, ReputationDefender and CCleaner.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.discoveryeducation.com/">Discovery Education</a> is the worldwide EdTech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Discovery Education’s award-winning K-12 learning platform is a secure place teachers can rely on for lesson plans, engaging and timely content, and useful tools to engage students, track progress and gain professional inspiration every day. &nbsp;Discovery Education offers virtual field trips, videos, ready-to-use resources, podcasts, text, career spotlights, professional learning, social impact initiatives and other vetted services and resources for educators to integrate into lessons.&nbsp;My Digital Life is a resource center designed specifically for educators in grades 3-8 and includes topics like misinformation, oversharing information and how to stay safe online. The resources encourage responsible online decision-making as students learn to navigate their world and create connections using the fundamentals of digital citizenship and Cyber Safety. The resource center adds value to educators’ experience by providing relevant information in easy-to-utilize formats.&nbsp;&nbsp;

We began our partnership with Discovery Education and the <a href="https://naaweb.org/">National AfterSchool Association (NAA)</a> in October of 2022, providing a $2.4M investment that will span through 2025 and reach a broad educator and student audience. And that’s just the beginning. New resources are always being added in response to the needs of educators and students and in line with current events. For example, this week we are launching an animated topic series that includes an educator guide with wrap-around resources aligned with U.S. curriculum standards and in November we are expanding the program to the U.K.&nbsp;<a href="https://mydigitallife.discoveryeducation.com/">Learn more about My Digital Life and how you can integrate it into your curriculum.</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;

Norton and Discovery Education launch “My Digital Life” Digital Citizenship initiative

Inspiring the Next Generation of Digital Citizens

Hearing the phrase “summer interns” might bring to mind images of running errands or standing at the printer making copies all day. At Gen, we tell a slightly different story.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This summer, our interns did everything from contribute to our <a href="http://www.gendigital.com/social-impact-report">2023 Social Impact Report</a> to assist in our outreach to policymakers. They attended discussions about DEI in the workplace, oversaw communications for our Giving@Gen philanthropy programs and participated in a volunteer event that brought English enrichment opportunities to students in Latin America. &nbsp;

To understand how they managed to fit all that activity into a single summer, we talked to our interns, Lynnea Bao and Kaki Huebner. We heard what social impact means to them, what it looks like at a Cyber Safety company and what’s next for them.&nbsp;

Before we get into some of the fantastic work you both did, how did you decide to pursue these internships? Was social impact something you were interested in?&nbsp;

LB: Yes, I’m studying ESG and Business Analytics at UPenn. This was definitely something I sought out. I’m interested in sustainability both at the corporate and personal level. I thought exploring social impact would be a good way to bring those two things together. My long-term trajectory is to go into Environmental Business Law after undergrad, but I’m currently looking at a bunch of different pathways to get there.&nbsp;&nbsp;

KH: Honestly, I never realized I could find a job that is at an intersection of my personal and academic interests! Choosing to spend a summer with Gen was an easy decision. I realized I could learn more about marketing and focus more specifically on Government Affairs. The resources Gen provides to employees at every level are invaluable. I am taking online Harvard business tutorials, meeting with executives to learn about their careers and participating in revolutionary work that will further establish the new identity of Gen. It’s amazing. &nbsp;

Tell us more about your specific roles. Kaki, you mentioned you were the Government Affairs intern. What have you been working on?&nbsp;&nbsp;

KH: I’ve worked with domestic, UK and EU governing bodies, as well as outside consultants, to promote Gen as a leading force in consumer Cyber Safety. My favorite part of the summer was learning AI regulations in order to help the company navigate legislative changes that are being proposed on AI globally. &nbsp;

Lynnea, how were things on the social impact side?&nbsp;&nbsp;

LB: I’ve been able to be involved in a lot of different aspects of social impact. My favorite has been working on the 2023 Social Impact Report. I learned so much from just sitting in on the meetings and seeing how the environmental data was sourced and calculated. It was incredible to see the report come to life through each of the different versions.&nbsp;

Last question: Do you do any volunteering in your personal lives?&nbsp;&nbsp;

KH: Yes! Ever since the pandemic started, my sister and I volunteer with the Samaritan House in the Bay Area. We deliver weekly groceries and hot meals to residents who are facing life-threatening illnesses and food insecurity.&nbsp;

LB: My favorite non-profit back home is the Alameda County Food Bank. It’s always a joy to work with them. I wanted to also shout out People’s Kitchen in Philly. They are an Urban Farming Collective focused on solutions to food insecurity. They do great work in Philadelphia.&nbsp;

Gen has a dynamic, supportive culture with core values that celebrate diversity, promote teamwork and encourage every team member to contribute and grow. Review the open positions on our <a href="https://gen.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/careers/">careers site</a> and join us.