Nine Reasons to Go Back to School: Introducing BSR University

Authors

• Melanie Janin

  Former Managing Director, Communications, BSR

---

We all felt it on the final day of our family vacation last week in the Pacific Northwest—that first unmistakable tinge of fall in the air, despite the warm weather. Coupled with angst-ridden discussions among the kids about potential teacher assignments, reality set in: It’s back-to-school time.  

In the working world, all of us are also busy making long to-do lists, new-school-year’s resolutions of sorts: “I will not check my email every two minutes,” or “I’ll take a 10-minute standing break every hour I’m hunched over the computer.”  

Harder to prioritize is how to invest in our careers through ongoing education and training, which can take significant time and resources away from already busy schedules. But while our time is precious, we should acknowledge that our long-term professional success depends on our ability to re-energize by learning new skills.

At BSR, we’re filling out the details of our flagship annual Conference, taking place November 3-5 in San Francisco, and we’re prioritizing learning like never before. We hope you’ll join us on Tuesday November 3 for one or more of nine BSR University trainings (what we’ve called our Pre-Conference trainings in previous years).

We have kept some of our most popular half-day trainings in the curriculum—such as Sustainable Business 101 and Human Rights Integration—and added new topics, including the Circular Economy and Sustainable Procurement.

We’re also excited to offer two new and different trainings this year: a full-day Marin Food and Farm Tour (think sustainable cheese, oysters, honey, and wine) and a four-hour Public Speaking Demystified training led by the founder of the San Francisco Voice Center, who coaches Fortune 100 executives on this invaluable business skill. 

Of course, the learnings will continue throughout the entire BSR Conference, with more than 25 break-out sessions, inspiring plenary speakers, and all the networking opportunities that set our event apart.

So as you’re writing up that start-of-September to-do list, remember the value of going back to school at any age or stage of life—and the value of investing in yourself while investing in a just and sustainable world.