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Celebrating Our 15th Anniversary of Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day!
Why did the Ms. Foundation launch Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work®? Girls and boys want and envision a future in which they can be involved in all parts of their lives. In a study conducted by the Families and Work Institute, 90 percent of students who said they plan to have a job, also plan to have children. What's more is that 81 percent of those girls and almost 60 percent of boys said they will reduce their work hours when they have children.
During the ten years we organized Take Our Daughters To Work® Day, we realized how difficult it will be for children to realize those expectations. While we were creating opportunities for girls and women, men were thanking us for creating a day when they could be "public fathers" in the workplace. They reported that if they left early for a parent-teacher conference or to care for an ailing relative, the unspoken rules of the workplace assumed work was not their top priority. Such challenges are even greater for the thousands of adults working multiple, low-wage jobs just to survive.
The stories we heard from men through Take Our Daughters To Work® Day echoed those we had heard from working women for decades—working adults want to be more involved in their families' lives, but fear that care-giving responsibilities limit their job possibilities and chances for advancement at work. National research confirms these fears. In a study conducted for Johnson & Johnson by the Families and Work Institute, 41.5 percent of employed mothers and fathers agreed that employees who put their family or personal needs ahead of their jobs are not looked upon favorably.
By creating an opportunity for girls and boys to share their expectations for the future in the context of seeing new opportunities, we will begin a conversation about the changes girls and boys hope for.
How is this program different from "Take Our Children to Work"? This is the first time that most girls and boys will be asked to talk about how they envision their future home and work lives. For some participants it will be easier to start these conversations in a group comprised of their own gender. For this reason, we recommend separating the girls and boys for the first few activities. After girls and boys have a chance to articulate their ideas, it will be easier to come together and share them.
Why a school day? In fact, many girls participated in Take Our Daughters To Work® Day through their schools, especially in low-income communities. Teachers helped workplaces "adopt" whole classrooms for the Day, allowing children to walk through doors they otherwise would not have the chance to enter.
By sticking to a national date—the fourth Thursday in April—communities and schools plan ahead and work together to create a dynamic interaction between the workplace and the classroom. And by participating on the official date of the program, a young person recognizes that s/he is one of millions helping to shape the future.
We conducted a poll with RoperASW for the 10th Anniversary of Take Our Daughters to Work® Day. Our findings revealed that the program increased girls' interest in education, influenced their decision to go to college or professional school, and broadened girls' thinking about their goals and aspirations with reference to work opportunities. The new program is an educational experience for all of our nation's daughters and sons.
How do I contact the Ms. Foundation for more information? What is the theme for 2007? What is the national date of the program? Who sponsors Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day?
The Ms. Foundation for Women launched Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® in April 2003 to broaden the discussion about the competing challenges of work and family. For girls to achieve their full potential, whether it is in the home, workplace, or community, boys also must be encouraged to reach their potential by participating fully in family, work, and community.
Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® is a new program, with new goals, and new activities. Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® is designed for both girls and boys, and focuses on expanding future opportunities for all our children, in both their work and family lives.
Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day is organized during the school year so girls and boys can take what they learn in workplaces on Thursday and apply it to the classroom 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.
For more information about how to organize the Day call (800) 676-7780 or email us at mckcon@mindspring.com .
Revolutionizing the Workplace is the 2007 theme for Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day.
The national date for Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® is always the fourth Thursday in April. This year the date falls on Thursday, April 26, 2007.
Our sponsors are companies and organizations that recognize the potential in young girls and boys and are committed to helping them access and realize opportunities. For a list of companies and workplaces that sponsor the Day, visit the Sponsor page of the website.
