York University is participating in the annual Take Our Kids to Work program, a day when Grade 9 students accompany a parent, guardian, or relative to work to observe the daily activities of the employee at work. The program was initiated by the Learning Partnership program in 1994. This year’s program will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at the Second Student Centre on York University’s Keele campus.
The Take Our Kids to Work program at York University is open to University staff and faculty members.
Why is it important to support the Take Our Kids to Work program?
- The educational and business sectors often speak different languages and have different needs. Take Our Kids to Work helps to bridge that gap with the common purpose of providing young people with the skills and abilities they’ll need in the future.
- Take Our Kids to Work allows employers to explain to students what skills are most important in the workplace, including communication, team work, time management, self-regulation and more, so that they will be more prepared as incoming employees.
- The program gives employers a chance to promote their industry and the professionals within it so that they can attract future specialists for their field.
In addition to Grade 9 students shadowing their parent or guardian at work, the University is offering the following optional activities:
- A campus tour starting at 9:30 a.m. The tour will begin and end at the Second Student Centre on the Keele Campus.
- A complimentary lunch will be served from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Convention Centre (with closing remarks by Joanne Cary, interim assistant vice-president, Human Resources and chief HR officer at 12:15 p.m.)
- Students accompany their parent or guardian to work starting at 1 p.m.
If participating in the information session and tour, parents and guardians are expected to drop students off at the Convention Centre located on the second floor of the Second Student Centre (the new building) at 9 a.m. and then rejoin them for lunch at noon. Each parent/guardian is expected to join and remain with her or his child for lunch.
Take note:
- If students are participating in the above activities, parents and guardians 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 guardian.
To register for the Take Our Kids to Work program and for the optional information session, the following is required:
- To participate in the campus tour, complete and return the attached Registration Form (Appendix A) by Nov 9 to the address indicated on the form.
- Faculty and staff who plan on bringing a Grade 9 student to work must complete, sign and return the attached Permission and Release, Waiver & Indemnification and Photography and Video Consent form (Appendix B & C) by Nov 9 to the address indicated on the form.
- York 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 Permission and Release, Photography and Video consent, Waiver & Indemnification Forms is required.
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 Farah Rafiq, Human Resources, at ext. 66220 or at frafiq@yorku.ca.
All employees bringing students 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.