York University is participating in the annual Take Our Kids to Work program, a day when Grade 9 students accompany a parent, guardian, relative to work to observe the daily activities of the employee at work. This year’s program will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 5.
The Take Our Kids to Work program at York University is only open to University staff and faculty members.
York University students who wish to bring their own Grade 9 student to campus must make prior arrangements with a York staff or faculty member to have the student observe the staff or faculty member in a work environment. Completion of the Take Our Kids to Work permission and release, and registration form, (as indicated below), applies.
To enhance the basic program of having students shadow their parents/guardians at work, the University is offering an optional information session that highlights its academic programs and extracurricular activities, followed by a tour of the Keele Campus. The information session is open to the first 70 registered students. It will be held in the Senate Chamber, N940 Ross Building and will begin at 10:30am. The campus tour will begin immediately following the session, and will end at the Founders Assembly Hall, 152 Founders College.
If participating in the information session, parents are expected to drop off students at the Senate Chamber at 10:15am for the information session and campus tour, and then rejoin them for lunch at noon in the Founders Assembly Hall.
The Office of the Vice-President Finance and Administration is sponsoring a free lunch of pizza, salad and soft drinks. Monitors supervise the students during the lunch period, however, parents are expected to join and remain with the students for lunch. The pizza lunch is open to the first 140 registrants.
Of special note:
- If students are participating in the above activities, parents are responsible for coordinating drop-off and pick-up from the activities (i.e. students are not to tour or roam between activities without adult supervision).
- Students will not be permitted to leave the lunch area without a parent or designate.
- These activities are available on a first-come, first-served basis to all employee groups and the students being sponsored.
To register for the Take Our Kids to Work program and for the optional information session, the following information is required:
- Faculty and staff who plan on bringing a Grade 9 student to work must complete, sign and return the Take Our Kids to Work permission and release, and registration form (Appendix A) by Oct. 31 to the address indicated on the form.
- To participate in the information session and campus tour, complete, sign and return the registration form (Appendix B) by Oct. 31 to the address indicated on the form.
Health and safety
There are some areas of the campus such as workshops and science labs where operational risk factors may make it challenging to accommodate a Grade 9 student. If you work in this type of environment, organizers will try to find an alternate supervised University worksite. To arrange an alternate worksite, contact Caroline Sillars-Reid, Human Resources, at ext. 66220 or at csreid@yorku.ca.
All employees bringing children to participate in the Take Our Kids to Work program are reminded that the safety rules of the workplace apply to the students and, accordingly, each student should be instructed and supervised by the respective employee.
The Take Our Kids to Work program was initiated by The Learning Partnership in 1994. Its mission is to continue to nurture the partnership among schools, businesses and communities devoted to strengthening the publicly funded school systems; to encourage caring adults to share their ideas, talents and resources with students; and to create learning opportunities that young people will find challenging and exciting.