Take Our Children to Work at the University of Oregon is back this year, virtually. It will have a new format and approach but the same opportunity for university employees to share their place of work with their child or children.
For many years, the UO has participated in the national Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day by hosting its own on-campus event, which lets employees share their workplace with their children.
“Unfortunately, we had to cancel this event over the last couple of years due to COVID-19,” said Jen Mirabile, senior HR programs coordinator. “While it is back, the event will be offered in a virtual format over several weeks so employees and their kids, even their whole family, can explore the university together through activities and employee profiles.”
Under the new format, the event will run from April 28 through May 27, rather than a single day. Weekly activities will allow children to have an entire month of fun while learning what it is like to work at the university, Mirabile said.
An activity kit will be available starting April 12. The kit includes an activity packet, coloring pages, colored pencils and model plane supplies that the children can use to win prizes. There will also be other fun souvenirs for the children to enjoy. Supplies are limited to the first 100 requests, and kits will be mailed to employees through campus mail.
The UO Take Our Children to Work event includes a variety of organized activities to share the exciting work happening at this university and spark interest in children of faculty members and staff. Activities are targeted for children ages 9 to 13 and can be completed from the comfort of their own home.
During the event, those participating will have the chance to win prizes. Each time they complete an activity, watch a video or read an employee profile, they can submit answers to a set of questions and be entered into prize drawings.
The event will launch on April 28 with its first featured activity. New activities, videos and employee profiles will be added each week. Each activity will include a recorded presentation from a UO employee that highlights their amazing work and connects to their job at the UO.
Activities will include assembling a model airplane, dissecting a strawberry and planning a day of travel, and involve UO libraries, the athletics department and the geographic information science mapping department, to name a few.
In addition to the featured activities, participants will have access to videos about UO research such as artificial intelligence, volcanoes, product design and adolescent behavior. A variety of employee profiles will be shared so participants can learn about university jobs from an academic and career adviser to boat operator.
“We are excited to offer this event in a new way and allow the children to start to understand all the great work and people here at the University of Oregon,” Mirabile said.
Participants can enter a raffle for prizes when they submit completed activities and other forms. They increase their chance to win by submitting multiple entries as they complete activities, watch videos and learn about UO employees. Each activity submitted counts as one raffle entry.
Visit the HR website for more information about the event.