Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Day!

Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work is a national public education program that connects what children learn at school with the actual working world. By accompanying their parents and guardians to the workplace, girls and boys across the country discover the power and possibilities associated with a balanced work and family life.

Launched by the Ms. Foundation for Women in April 2003, Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work broadened the discussion about the competing challenges of work and family. Designated for the fourth Thursday of April each year, the program’s accompanying curriculum takes what boys and girls learn in the workplace on Thursday and apply it to their classroom studies on Friday.

By involving whole communities—schools, girls and boys, parents, workplaces, and mentors—the program helps young people make connections between what they learn in school and their future goals. While children recognize that their parents and other adult members of their families have jobs outside the home, they often do not comprehend the efforts that must be made by parents to meet seemingly simple needs of the home, such as budget management, arranging for day care, household tasks, and even maintaining a normal dinner schedule around athletics and school events.

Many children may not even really know what their parents do at work. As adults, we understand there is a lot more to a job than a title. A child who knows her father is an engineer may not know what his work entails. When a child states his mother is a pharmacist, does he understand the intricacies of her work? These are the topics Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work aims to address. The intention is to enlighten children on the work their parents and guardians to every day and motivate them to begin to imagine

Interactive workplace activities encourage girls and boys to think now about how their dreams—both for their work and family lives—can be achieved. For example, if they plan to have a job that requires travel, or work a night shift, who will take care of things at home? Can responsibilities be shared to create a nurturing environment for children, and for adults?

The activities are fun, encourage dialogue, and engage girls and boys in thinking about work and home life in ways they may never have before.

Girls and boys want and envision a future in which they can be involved in all parts of their lives. Through Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work, adults can show them opportunities they may have otherwise never known existed.

For more information on how you can celebrate work, family and education in your community, visit www.daughtersandsonstowork.org.

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