Take Your Child to Work Day, scheduled for June 29, gives children hands-on experience with scientific research.
“How long until the next Take Your Child to Work Day?” is a question Randy Johnson hears multiple times throughout the year from his five children, who range in age from 7 to 14.
“It’s really fun and you get to experiment with things,” said Johnson’s 10-year-old daughter, Mary Joy.
Be a part of the annual event that kids look forward to all year long and help foster the next generation of scientists. The 20th annual Take Your Child to Work Day (TYCTWD) at NCI at Frederick is coming up on June 29, and registration for hub and program activities ends May 16.
Johnson, Ph.D., technical project manager, Data Science and Information Technology Program, said his children especially enjoy the activity “You Be the Investigator,” where they create a device to protect their patient (an egg) from deadly diseases.
“My kids have fun remembering all the times they got their eggs safely to the hospital…or when they broke spectacularly during the helicopter drop,” he said.
Jerry Burge, associate clinical project manager, Clinical Monitoring Research Program, has brought his daughters to the event for the past six years.
“My girls can’t get enough of the snakes,” he said, referring to the hub activity “Hands on Snakes.” He added that other favorite activities include “Pus Is Us,” where kids view immune cells through a microscope and learn how the human body fights infections, and “Mysteries of the Brain,” where kids get to touch a human brain.
“The memories you will make with your children are invaluable,” Burge said. “They get to see and experience science in a fun atmosphere.”
TYCTWD brings children ages 6 to 13 to the NCI at Frederick campus to learn about their parents’ careers and to nurture their interest in science and biomedical research.
However, without enough programs, the event cannot take place. Consider signing up for a program or hub activity today—registration closes May 16. Members of the Planning Committee can provide assistance if you are not sure what type of activity to provide; you can contact the committee at tyctwd@mail.nih.gov or 301-846-6878.
Registration for children opens May 20.