Children try their hands at the dunk tank target during Take Your Child to Work Day on June 24.
One of the most popular new programs at Take Your Child to Work Day (TYCTWD) this year was “Who’s Blood Is It,” where children learned about different blood types and used that information to solve a mystery.
The 19th annual event, held June 24, attracted 150 children and their parents, and featured 26 programs and hub activities. Kids had a chance to design a rocket and launch it into the air, try their hands at the dunk tank target, stay cool by enjoying some ice cream made with liquid nitrogen, and decorate paper animals with lemon juice or soap to learn the basics of acids and bases.
TYCTWD volunteers include NCI at Frederick and Fort Detrick employees, as well as high school and college interns. “This event isn’t possible without the volunteers,” said Julie Hartman, a member of the TYCTWD Planning Committee.
Every year, TYCTWD brings children ages 6 to 13 to the NCI Campus at Frederick to learn about scientific research.
“It exposes the kids to a wide range of the work that goes on at NCI and helps give them a better idea of what scientists do,” said Randy Johnson, bioinformatics analyst, Advanced Biomedical Computing Center, Leidos Biomedical Research
