Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Day

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (January 2007)

Take Your Daughter to Work Day redirects here, for The Office episode, see Take Your Daughter to Work Day (The Office episode).

Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Day is an American educational program that revolves around parents taking their children to work for one day. It is the successor to Take Our Daughters To Work Day, which was expanded to include boys in 2003. It usually falls on the fourth Thursday in April.

[edit] History

The Take Our Daughters To Work program was launched by the Ms. Foundation for Women in 1993. The program encouraged employees in the United States to invite a prepubescent-aged girl to spend the day with the employee at his or her workplace, with the aim of exposing girls to various career opportunities. The day has generally been scheduled on a day that is a school day for most children in the United States, and schools are provided with literature and encouraged to promote the program. Educators are provided with materials for incorporating career exploration into school curricula on the day before or after the event.

The program was expanded to include boys as well in 2003. The program's official website states that the program was changed in order to provide both boys and girls with opportunities to explore careers at an age when they are more flexible in terms of gender roles. The Ms. Foundation also states that men who have hosted children have benefited from being seen as parental figures in addition to their roles as professionals, which can contribute to combatting gender stereotypes as well.

Prior to the inclusion of boys, the Ms. Foundation contended that the program was designed to specifically address self-esteem issues unique to girls and initially resisted pressure to include boys. Much of this pressure came from educators who did not wish to include the event in their curriculum given that their male students were not encouraged to participate.

Employees typically invite their own children or relatives to join them at work, but the program particularly encourages employees to invite children from residential programs or shelters who may not be exposed to many adults in skilled professions today.