This spring, we have all witnessed the unprecedented upending of many seasonal events. At Civiltech, one of the events that we missed the most was Take Your Child to Work Day (TYCWD). This annual event, held the fourth Thursday in April, is a national program intended to inspire children to explore the workforce, learn about different careers and workplace tasks, and of course, spend the day with mom or dad.
Traditionally, participants in Civiltech’s TYCWD have enjoyed a full day of fun, hands-on, and innovative STEM activities. We have built popsicle stick towers and launched eggs from catapults. We have flown drones through the halls and relaxed with a movie. We have eaten donuts and pizza and popcorn and treats. But this year sadly, our offices were quiet and dark on TYCWD.
At Civiltech however, it takes more than a pandemic to stop TYCWD from happening! Our creative staff ensured that their kids still learned about our engineering work with fun and creative STEM activities at home. Some celebrated an official Take Your Child to Work From Home Day (TYCTWFHD) dedicating the specific day to time with their kids and engaging in some of the traditional favorite Civiltech activities. And, many of our staff utilized fun STEM activities to keep their little ones busy throughout the weeks of working from home.
Our staff shared stories of growing avocado trees and growing crystals on rocks, building with Legos and learning to hammer a nail, racing marbles on rollercoasters and racing dominos, creating volcanos and designing sustainable houses, turning boxes into playhouses and turning old electronics into pretend offices.
When we look back on this time, we hope to recognize positive outcomes that emerged from the things we missed. At Civiltech, we believe that this meaningful time spent closer to home and more engaged with our children will be one of those outcomes. We look forward to celebrating TYCWD again – hopefully, next year. And when the day arrives, it will be with great anticipation and all the more fun!