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Women's Caucus
Take Our Kids to Work Day

Stay tuned for the 2026 program!
We feature different activities each year so that children can try out a broader variety of careers and healthy lifestyle activities, and to share the benefits, and costs, of the programs across campus. Keep checking this website for more details on this year's activities.

Career Exploration for kids ages 8-11! Activities encourage confidence, inquisitiveness, and resilience through participation in activities that introduce them to the broad range of science-, environmental-, and engineering-based careers fostered at ESF. Session leaders supervise experiments or facilitate discussions and role-playing. Invited guests answer questions about what they do on the job, and why they like to do it. Many of our students and employees are also active in the larger community, and sometimes activities feature this aspect of their lives. Members of the ESF community serve as escorts between sessions.

Registration 

History

Take Our Daughters to Work Day

TOD2WD was launched nationally in 1993 by the Ms. Foundation. Studies by Harvard University, American Association of University Women (AAUW) and the Minnesota Women's Fund indicate that a girl's self esteem, confidence in intellectual development, and interest in math, science, and technology (and thus their chance at a variety of future jobs) plummet as they advance toward adolescence. Other studies have shown that girls are more likely to see themselves as scientists and engineers when they perceive these fields to be relevant to their lives. Girls even have fewer fictional role models, as children's literature and television (and LEGO minifigure populations, although that is improving) generally feature boys in the starring and most other roles (Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and Fem Inc), or the few girl characters are unrealistic or inappropriate role models (miss representation).

By encouraging girls to develop an early interest in careers that require math and science, and ultimately, maintain that interest as they grow up, we help ensure a more diverse, dynamic, and productive workforce in the future. Additional findings show that children, both girls and boys, assign gender to a host of professions (Nocek et al 2009), and it is therefore important for all children to interact with female role models, and envision both women and men in a variety of careers . Former astronaut Sally Ride recommends introducing girls to women scientists to "allow them to put a female face on these careers." She also stresses the importance of involving parents and preventing the perpetuation of stereotypes that girls are not good at math or science. The Girl Scouts have similar advice.

The Ms. Foundation conducted a poll with RoperASW for the 10th Anniversary of Take our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Findings revealed that the program increased girls’ interest in education, influenced their decision to go to college or professional school, and broadened girls’ thinking about their goals and aspirations with reference to work opportunities. 

We encourage you to look for additional options for your older or younger child, or for you to arrange for them to "shadow" you, a relative or family friend.

Why Kids?

The program was expanded (on campus, and nationwide) in 2003 to "Daughters and Sons" in response to comments by fathers that they, too, want balance between work and other aspects of their lives, and the realization that for girls to reach their full potential in the workplace, community, and at home, their future coworkers and partners must be encouraged to do the same. In addition, boys also benefit from positive female role models that counter media stereotypes that women are either bad at math and science, or that women who enjoy such work are asocial and unfeminine (Bhatt et al. 2012). While we appreciate the National Programs decision to list "Daughters and Sons" to keep girls specific developmental needs in the forefront, we also realize that gender (and gender conformation) can be a challenging subject for some children or their adults.  Further, we field many questions about grandchildren, godchildren, niblings and siblings.  "Kids" includes all of these contigencies. The national movement adopted a similar stance in advance of the 2025 program, when the program was rebranded as Take a Child to Work Day and Beyond.  ESF's planners have also long preferred the plural and collective "our kids" over "your",  so will anticipate inviting "Kids"--and using the beautiful  ESF graphic that showcases so many ESF majors.

When?

 The National "Take a Child to Work Day and Beyond" is the fourth Thursday in April, and schools are encouraged to build on the program when kids return to regularly scheduled classes on Friday.  ESF's program may be changed to a different date to avoid spring break's long scheduled family vacations, religious holidays or statewide testing, and while we're doing that, we aim for a date when our laboratory spaces aren't in use by the college kids. Previous iterations of the National program site discouraged alternate program dates, but their stance has since relaxed to allow local hosts to select individual dates.

FAQs

School districts may not automatically recognize this as an excused absence. The Excused Absence Request Form explains the ESF program, and should facilitate your communication with your child's teacher and/or principal about our expectations for the day, and for them to communicate with you about work they might miss and the means to make it up.  In the rare instance that your school requires a school-specific form, or a detailed schedule, please contact Heather Engelman (engelman@esf.edu). 

The program is set up much like a school day. After you sign your child into "homeroom", your child will be in "classes" until you (or someone you designate) sign them out--we often have a special, often a"PE" component featuring either healthy work-life or a life skill. There are few differences, of course: we have a heavier focus on science than the average elementary or middle school and make use of working laboratories; kids are escorted between all activities; and many parents join their kids in our "lunchroom." Although "homework" is voluntary, it is much appreciated, as we take kids and parents comments seriously in developing next year's program. Your evaluations provide valuable feedback to the session leaders, too, so that they can continue to improve their outreach efforts--and writing them is great practice for our kids, too.

Not necessarily.  The registration form asks when during the day you can be available to help, but this is not required for your child(ren)'s participation.  (If you would like to stay with a group, please check with your supervisor and talk with Heather Engelman engelman@esf.edu )

No, there is not. However, if you can help out by offering an activity, donating materials, Guiding Groups at any point of the day; or assist session leaders or planners that day or in preparation thereof, we welcome your support.  Please return evaluation forms, and if you take photos at any point during the day, or if your child needs to prepare something for their Excused Absence, please share them with us!

We provide lunch, and build that into our schedule so that families and chaperones don't get caught up in the lunch rush at the Trailhead Cafe. Our regular menu is sandwiches, cut veggies and fruit.  A vegetarian option will be available.  Please include allergies or other dietary constraints on registration forms.  Please note, if your kid is a particularly picky eater, please coordinate with us about sending your own food.  

Both! Each program is built around a series of structured, hands-on workshops--and while there can be a session or two in common between the two schedules, the featured fields are largely different.

We use "Our" kids rather than "your" kids, to welcome all the children in our lives (albeit within our age range).   So enroll siblings and niblings, grandchildren, neighbors, mentees, and friends, and/or volunteer to facilitate an activity, escort kids to and from sessions, help serve lunch or to assist a session leader.

Space is limited, and registration is required. Registration forms are available about one month prior to the program.

For questions about helping as part of your Service Learning Track, contact your program coordinator.

For questions about food, volunteering, or any other questions, contact: Heather Engelman (engelman@esf.edu). 

Past Activities

We feature different activities each year so that children can try out a broader variety of careers and healthy lifestyle activities, and to share the benefits, and costs, of the programs across campus.

 Children learned about the Chemistry behind slime with Chemistry's Kate Bailie; visited ERE's Water Movement Lab with Karen Karen, to model the change in landforms with erosion, filtered water and assembled rain guages.  Analytical and Technical Services' Deb Driscoll had kids bring samples from home for Water Testing, during which they measured water 'hardness' and contrasted their samples against a brand name bottled water and DDI water. They also worked with The Chestnut Project's Linda McGuigan and Hannah Pilkey, for a primer on Plant Tissue Culture, where they each transferred tissue cultured plants to fresh media. They joined Dr. Deb Hilbert's Arboriculture class to look at the benefits of Urban Forestry.  They measured the quad hackberries, and estimated the carbon dioxide removal, storm water absorption and pollution sequestration those trees will provide. Kids joined one of the groups in Dr. Shari Dann's Advanced Environmental Interpretation class.  With Jenna Magioncalda, Maggie Menigoz, Will Morris, kids completed a circuit of conversations around “save your pennies, save your planet”: environmental and ecological impacts of reducing food waste and consumption, which concluded with meal planning using leftovers. There were also short demonstrations on the Anatomy of a Landfill (Heather Engelman) , as well as a visit with Mystery Guests, Hazel the therapy dog and her "handler" Jen Webb. Jen discussed the required behaviors and skills to visit schools, hospitals, and nursing homes, while Hazel demonstated her ability to respond to verbal and hand commands, in crowded spaces and without being startled by lound noises.  While Hazel enjoyed belly rubs from her new admirers, Jen described the training to prepare them for that service work, and the situations in which Hazel is permitted to provide and accept kisses (in school settings, most likely yes; in nursing homes, and hospitals, where residents and patients are often immunocompromised, no).

Special Thanks to those that provided support through the program:  Undergraduate Admissions provided totebags; ESF Bookstore provided pencils and fungi pins; Office of Communications & Marketing provided an array of stickers and pins; Centennial Hall provided bandanas, stress balls, flying disks and temporary tattoos; ESF Women's Caucus and ESF Auxilary Services provided notebooks, snacks and lunch; Facilities set up and cleaned rooms; Trailhead staff prepared lunch; and departments above provided materials and time for presenters.  We also thank our four chaperones, who guided small groups around campus, and provided unwavering support for their groups over the day.

The day opened with STEM & the Scientific Method, where Dr. Gary Scott, Chemical Engineering, asked kids to form hypothesis about a series of short demonstrations, and when prediction didn't come true, to suggest next steps to tease out why.  They also discussed the importance of repetition experiments and good sampling technique.  For instance, older kids have longer hair?  Do they truly, or did Dr. Scott simply choose older kids with longer hair and younger ones with short cuts?  Hidden in Plain Light-Kate Bailie, Chemistry, discussed UV light, compared effectiveness of a few modes of sunscreen, and kids personalized bracelets with UV reactive beads and elastic.  Water Lab (Karen Karker, Environmental Resources Engineering)-provided an opportunity to explore the properties of water, chemical and physical, and kids repurposed bottles into rain-guages.  In Deconstruction--Jen Webb, Computing and Network Services helped kids take apart desktop computers to better understand what makes them run.  She also shared part of CNS's computer museum, with machines (or parts thereof) from the 40s, 80s and 90s.   In Climate Change Zines, Kids discussed the 7 Generations Model while assembling 'zines' with Jean Yang, Department of Landscape Architecture, and Dr. Maddie Nyblade, Department of Environmental Studies.  Kids also toured the Roosevelt Wild Life Collection with curator Sabrina Horrack, talked with Rochelle Strasser, Sustainability Office, about the just concluded Campus Waste Audit, and modeled the pipeline and loss points between ecosystems and homes in a Water Conservation Relay with Environmental Interpretation students Geri  Tolentino and Carter Smith.  

Special Thanks to those that provided support through the program:  ESF Bookstore provided pencils and landscape pins; Office of Communications & Marketing provided I Acorn ESF pins; Centennial Hall provided bandanas, pencils and assorted other items; ESF Women's Caucus provided notebooks, snacks and lunch; Facilities set up and cleaned rooms; Trailhead staff prepared lunch; and departments above provided materials and time for presenters.

Energy from the Sun—Dr. Danielle Kloster, Department of Sustainable Resources Management, led students through assembly of model cars with solar (or AA battery) powered engines.  The Electromagnetic Spectrum, Dr Lindi Quackenbush & Karen Karker, Department of Environmental Resources Engineering, continued the conversation on solar energy by measuring different hues, prism experiments, and the impact of sunscreen.  In Water chemistry, with Chemistry's Kate Bailie, kids used their newfound knowledge of the electromagnetic spectrum to measure phosphorus in an area water body. They also learned about safety precautions, record keeping, and how to pipette.  Public Speaking Lab's Christina Ciercek used Simon Says, This or That, and a few other challenges to practive active listening, projection, argumentation and tone.  In Sights and Sounds of Spring, with Environmental Studies Dr. Shari Dann, kids made their way across the quad, sketching and journaling flowers.  Paper Making and Testing with Dr. Ericka Redmond (with Kelly Watson-Collins, Sean Hohm and George Westby) gave kids a change to make 'hand molds' (hand-made paper) and to test the strength of commercially made paper cups.  In Tree Growth, kids aged trees through disks (aka tree cookies), cores, and talked briefly with Sustainable Resources Management's Heather Engelman, about comparing diameters of living trees at different points in time!  Particularly cool this year:  Drs. Quackenbush, Kloster and Redmond, Heather,  and Sean and George are all ESF graduates! 

Tremendous thanks to:  our group guides Brad Fierke and AXS's Lyndsay Cyrek, Dana Fries and Sophia Wankmuller; the lunch crew from Trailhead Cafe.  Kelly Berger deserves special mention for leading our SUNY Child Protection Policy guidance and training.  We are grateful to ALUMNI RELATIONS/ESF BOOKSTORE for sprout pencils;  CENTENNIAL HALL bags, seeds, and sunglasses ; and to the PROVOST and ESF Women’s Caucus for notebooks, lunch, and snacks

Our return to in-person programming featured:  ESF Sustainability. New Energy Manager (and alum) Michael Amadori measured electricity required for common household items; coached Wasketball, sorting trash from recycling; and helped kids put solar energy to work.  Color changing chemistry! Kate Bailie and graduate student assistants guided students through simple acid-base reactions, use of a complete circuit through salt water to create a temporary “ink”; and assembly of teeny temperature sensitive LCDs  All about Maple. Alumna Jill Rahn, Forest Properties, talked about syrup production.  Somethings Fishy: tracing mercury. Kids helped Environmental Toxicologist Dr. Roxanne Razavi and EB grad students Abby Webster and Mike Ackland keep records, measure length and weight of whole yellow perch and (with very careful supervision) retrieve otoliths (tiny ear bones that can be used to age the fish, much like rings in a tree), eye lenses, and a piece of dorsal fin.  Samples, along with many others, will be assessed by the Project Breathless team to help trace mercury through the collection area.  In the Lego® Bridge Challenge, ERE’s Karen Karker briefly demonstrated bridge modeling software, before kids planned (on paper) and built a bridge wide enough to carry Thomas the Tank Engine™ over 2 Matchbox™ car wide lanes, with as few bricks as possible. They also determined carrying capacity.  Building an Urban Ecosystem. In small groups, Kids diagram a park or community garden. As they explained their choices, Open Academy’s Dan Collins and Maura Harling Stefl provided additional challenges, such as alleviating heat in open and paved spaces, and managing the resultant trash load.  The Alchemical Society’s David Spector and grad student John Pezzulo ended the day with a Super Cool “Cooking” Demo, emphasizing safe handling of liquid nitrogen. While Kids (and chaperons) enjoyed “the best ice cream ever,” John shared a secret: that colleges might pay you to continue learning through graduate school stipends and tuition scholarships.  The national effort also celebrated 30 years of Creating New Horizons. Tremendous thanks to:  our group guides Brad Fierke, Allison Oakes, John Turbeville, Kelly Berger, Kathy Lang and Linda McGuigan; Registration and pick up teams Diana Jaramillo and Nichole Doherty, and lunch crew Morrisville Auxiliary Corp, Nichole Doherty, Danielle Gerhart and Steve Waldron.  Kelly Berger deserves special mention for leading our SUNY Child Protection Policy guidance and training. 

In addition,  ALUMNI RELATIONS/ESF BOOKSTORE, provided pencils & magnets; COMMUNICATIONS, pencils & temp tattoos;  CENTENNIAL HALL seeds, notebook, popsocket, lipbalm, game, sticker; and the PROVOST and ESF Women’s Caucus contributed notebooks, lunch, and snacks

Kids Day remained remote, with the new Take our Kids to Work Day playlist, featuring a Kitchen Crafting Polymer lesson (Maura Stefl, OELO); The Science of Chromatography (Sarita Perez, 2nd yr Biotechnology major); Wetlands, Closer than You Think (Dr. Sharon Moran, Environmental Studies), an Introduction to Landscape Architecture (3 part series, by Ashley Crespo, Mary Martin, Hannah Noll, Matthew Romano, Elena Juodisius); and DIY Deodorants and DIY Body Butter (Sue Fassler, Sustainable Facilities Manager). 

Additional Videos

Kids built terrariums with Linda McGuigan, Allison Oakes and Hannah Pilkey, who work on the Chestnut Project.  They explored a few chemical reactions on paper prior to activating self-inflating balloons with Chemistry’s Kate Bailie.  They developed storyboards with Sarah Grabman of the new Digital Storytelling Studio.   Teams, each given the same materials and coached by a member of either Engineering for a Sustainable Society or Engineers without Borders, competed to most effectively remove particulates through Water Filtration (staff support provided by Karen Karker, Instructional Support Specialist, Environmental Resources Engineering).  Following a quick lesson on bird anatomy and habitat, EFB graduate students Laine McCall and Ravyn Neville took advantage of the beautiful afternoon and lead a Bird Walk across campus and into Oakwood Cemetery.  Because life is more than work, we also featured an art session!  Kids upcycled materials that Maura Stefl, Office of Experiential Learning and Outreach,waylaid from the wastestreams from campus (curtains and cardboard), homes (fence posts), and a small business (mitten scraps) into a succulent plantscape.  Cool lessons:  art flowers don’t need to look like any that exist in real life!  Take inspiration from the colors and textures of the materials, and add dimension. (Thank you: Mark Poupore for cutting fence posts to size; Lauren Gibbs, Laura Crandall, Julie Fishman, Brad Fierke, for their help with glue guns.) The day concluded with Heather Engelman, Forest and Natural Resource Management and We All Need Trees, a rapid examination of many household products and foods that make use of tree products for strength, flavor, and texture, and some ties to ESF’s programs of study.  We also thank:  Group Guides Brad Fierke, Julie Fishman, Laura Crandall, Amy McGuigan, Malika Carter, Jackie Whitehead, Lenny Leonard, and Linda McGuigan, with the assistance of Philippe Vidon, Erin Tochelli, Katherina Searing and Sarah Houck.  Lunch team: Mark Bremer, Linda McGuigan, Katherina Searing, Andy Marshall, Josh Arnold, Kathy Lang, Lena Randall.  Photographers: Heather Engelman and Julie Fishman; the many offices that contributed stuff for kids to carry out activities: ALUMNI RELATIONS and the ESF CAMPUS BOOKSTORE, pencils and magnets; Communications, sunglasses; SU BOOKSTORE, pencils; PROVOST’s OFFICE and ESF WOMEN’S CAUCUS, lunch, snacks, color printing, notebooks, some of the terrarium supplies; CHESTNUT PROJECT, plants, potting media, distilled water, and other components for the terrariums; PHYSICAL PLANT and MORRISVILLE AUXILIARY SERVICES, set & clean up; COPY CENTER, B/W printing.   We also thank Tom LeRoy, Janice O’Mara, and the Office of Research Programs for their assistance with program compliance with SUNY’s Child Protection Policy.

Megan O’Keefe, Forest and Natural Resources Management; Wind Turbines– Maura Stefl and Brittany Wong, Experiential Learning and Outreach; Yoga– Mary Hagemann; Great Lakes Food Web– Stacy Furgal, Environmental and Forest Biology; Stormwater Infrastructure– Environmental Resource Engineering Club (ERE Club) & NY Water Environment Association (NYWEA); Designing a Park– Prof. Maren King, Savy Kep, Shaghayegh Shahhosseini,Olivia Pinner, Remi Lynch, Maggie Pasanen, Landscape Architecture & the Center for Community Design Research and Analyzing Human-Wildlife Conflict– Dr. Andrea Parker, Environmental Studies.  See photos here. We also thank:  rock star chaperons: Brad Fierke,Vizma Leimanis,Makayla Thornton,Kanika Jakhmola,Steven Grunwald, and Hollis Harrington; Prep team: Heather Engelman and Nichole Angell; Lunch team: Kanika Jakhmola, Dawn Jewell, Caroline Bailey, Linda McGuigan and Josh Arnold; photographers: Heather Engelman and Paul Otteson; the many offices that contributed stuff for kids to carry out activities: ALUMNI RELATIONS and the ESF CAMPUS BOOKSTORE, pencils and magnets; SU BOOKSTORE, mugs; COMMUNICATIONS, string backpacks; OPEN ACADEMY, puzzle pens; PROVOST’s OFFICE and ESF WOMEN’S CAUCUS, lunch, snacks, color printing, potting media; GREENHOUSE, pots and space; CHESTNUT PROJECT, seed; PHYSICAL PLANT and MORRISVILLE AUXILIARY SERVICES, set & clean up; COPY CENTER, B/W printing. Consistent with the 2018 national program theme, each of these individuals, organizations and offices are, indeed, agents of positive change.

In Chemistry, kids made "Fluffy Slime" with Ms. Joy Logan, Chemistry. They modeled and tested Watersheds with Ms Molly Welsh, Grad Program in Env Science  & Ms Meghan Mussehl, Env Resource Engineering, visualizing how landforms and vegetation alter water flow, and what that water picks up in transit. Open Hand Theater's Mr. Peter Fekete helped kids think quick and through Improv games. After finding out how plants can be used to draw contaminants from soil through a process called phytoremediation,kids potted up pansies or tomatoes, and toured the Greenhouses during the Wonders of Plants with Dr Lee Newman, Env & For Bio. For STEM & Scientific Method, Dr Gary Scott, Paper & Bioprocess Eng, engaged participants in a series of short experiments to test their predictions, and discuss why or why not, made adjustments, and continued on. By participating in this iterative process, they saw how "failure" is also a learning opportunity--often more interesting than when everything simply falls into place! In Natural Building: Getting Muddy, Ms Sasha Batorsky, MS student studying Sustainable Construction in the Department of Forest & Natural Resources Management, had kids make "cob" (still used today, in a process very similar to that demonstrated in The Ten Commandments), a stone wall, and used "The Shake Test" to separate soil by its components. Dr. Jaime Mirowsky discussed and demonstrated Air Pollution & Health Effects through an asthma simulation, and measuring airborne particulates. Photos Here. Special thanks to:  Presenters (and their Supervisors, Department chairs or advisors) and our Volunteers. ALUMNI RELATIONS and the ESF CAMPUS BOOKSTORE, magnets and pins; COMMUNICATIONS, pencils and tattoos; PROVOST’s OFFICE and ESF WOMEN’S CAUCUS, lunch, bags and color printing; PHYSICAL PLANT and TRAILHEAD café (MORRISVILLE AUXILIARY SERVICES), set & clean up; COPY CENTER, B/W printing.

Kids spent some time with Dr. Whitney Lash Marshall, US Society for Environmental Economics and Visiting Instructor in Environmental Studies, Thinking in Systems:  Connecting the Environment and the Economy by diagramming the steps involved in obtaining the ingredients in something they would eat that day (our novice environmental economists selected strawberries, meat,  a chocolate shake, and a donut).  They extracted DNA from  strawberries with Ms Linda McGuigan, of the Chestnut Lab.  In Paper Making and Testing, each participant made a sheet of recycled paper (to their artistic specifications) and used readily available, more standardized construction paper, newsprint, and paper cups to test paper strength—these were under the supervision of Mr. Burry and the PBE Club and service track; some kids also visited the paper machine to discuss scaling up their handiwork with Dr. Biljana Bujanovic.  In Getting Ento Something, kids collected and identified insects with entomology students Giuseppe Tumminello, Levi O’Brien, and Brandon Halstein. Eggs-ceptional Engineering featured a classic egg drop with the Environmental Engineering Club. Participants also worked on their hand-eye-torso coordination by Hula Hooping with Vanessa Vortex (more commonly known on campus by her current role as a GPES MS candidate).   We concluded the formal program with a Liquid Nitrogen Demonstration, where Dr. Kelley Donaghy, Chemistry, and her service track students discussed safe handling, and whipped common cream and vanilla into a most refreshing end to the day.

For the first time in a long while, our program coincided with some age-appropriate Earth Week festivities, allowing some kids to also visit “Talons! Birds of Prey Experience”, “Upcycled, Recycled, Refashioned Denim Crafts” or “Tie Dyeing.”

Special thanks to:  Presenters (and their Supervisors, Department chairs or advisors), Service Learning Track Students (and their advisors), and all our Volunteers (especially Brand Fierke and Jordan Shindler, who helped all day). ALUMNI RELATIONS and the ESF CAMPUS BOOKSTORE, magnets; COMMUNICATIONS, pencils and tattoos; MOON LIBRARY, pencils and cloths; AN ANONYMOUS OFFICE and SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE, pens; PROVOST’s OFFICE and ESF WOMEN’S CAUCUS, lunch, drawstring bags and color printing; PHYSICAL PLANT and MORRISVILLE AUXILIARY SERVICES, set & clean up; COPY CENTER, B/W printing.

Kids looked for the Invisible in Water with Analytical and Technical Services Deb Driscoll; searched Oakwood for insects with Entomology (EFB) MS Candidate Wendy Leunberger; App Design with local Microsoft Community Development Specialists Jackie Al-Nwiran and Maya McCallum, and talked with Information Studies PhD candidate (and GPES grad, 2007) Janet Marsden, about Smart Cities--jumping off from the amenities The Jetson's expected the future to bring. They learned to check tire pressure and to Fix-a-Flat tire with Mello Velo's Sara and Steve Morris. They ended the day with The Music Society's Ecotones (among some other acts) who shared what they do for fun (quality time with friends is part of a healthy work-life balance, after all!) but also shared all the different foci that brought them to ESF in the first place. Among the myriad of professional female role models, this year's session also featured some unstated family models: Sara and Steve co-manage their shop, café and their home--and will welcome their first child in a few short months, and our lead chaperons off-ramped and are at-home dads.

Acknowledgments: We thank all our presenters for their time, energy and supplies! Superdads Paul Baltzersen and Brad Fierke helped all day; and the ESF Service Track students and members of the Student Environmental Education Coalition pitched in around their class schedules. ESF Kids2Work LOGO by RINNAN WHITFORD. ALUMNI RELATIONS/ESF CAMPUS BOOKSTORE, cloth shopping bags; OUTREACH, pens. SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE, pencils; COMMUNICATIONS pencils, bumper stickers and Oakie tattoos. CENTENNIAL HALL water bottles and frisbees. COPY CENTER provided print services. Lunch, snacks, and organizational oversight were provided by the ESF WOMEN'S CAUCUS, with the assistance of the PROVOST and MORRISVILLE AUXILIARY SERVICES. PHYSICAL PLANT set up spaces in Gateway and Marshall Hall--with very little turnaround time between other events in both spaces.

Department of Chemistry, offered Electrochemistry: using electricity to put coats on metal, in which kids copper plated nickel, changed the color of other metals, and investigate Dr. Kelley Donaghyed conductive putty. , also Department of Chemistry, helped kids make Borax silly putty, and demonstrated exothermic and other reactions. Dr. Sharon Moran and Mr. Christian Bucknell, Department of Environmental Studies, used a Bottle TossMs. Joy Logan! to launch a discussion of recycling effectiveness. Kids learned their way around compasses and maps in Compass 101 with Heather Engelman and Adam Wild, Department of Forest and Natural Resources Management. Unfortunately, the poor weather kept us indoors. Olivia Donachie, Zach Bellis, Jesse Olsen and Dan Dohman, various departments, offered Plant a Seed with SEEC (Student Environmental Education Coalition), and also helped chaperon other activities and transitions over the course of the day. In Deconstruction, Ms. Devin Hansen and Ms. Nicole Pointeck, Department of Environmental Studies, shared theirprevious backgrounds in electrical engineering. They helped kids dissect some soon-to-be salvaged computers to see how they are put together. (Thank you, CNS, for postponing that pick up!) Termite Trails, with Dr. Melissa Fierke, Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, actually introduced quite a few insects, up close and personal under microscopes. Acknowledgments: We also thank: the ESF Service Track Students for their help throughout the day. ESF Kids2Work LOGO by RINNAN WHITFORD. ALUMNI RELATIONS/ESF CAMPUS BOOKSTORE, cloth shopping bags; OUTREACH, ESF in the High School pens. SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE, notebooks; COMMUNICATIONS pencils and Oakie tattoos. CENTENNIAL HALL water bags. MOON LIBRARY and VP for ADMINISTRATION, pencils. COPY CENTER provided print services. Lunch, snacks, and organizational oversight were provided by the ESF WOMEN'S CAUCUS, with the assistance of the PROVOST and MORRISVILLE AUXILIARY SERVICES. PHYSICAL PLANT set up spaces in Gateway and Marshall Hall.

Dr. Diane Kiernan, FNRM and LeMoyne College, introduced the concept of dendrochronology and kids aged trees using both cross sections (aka Tree Cookies) andwork in progress increment cores. Kids then worked with water in both a working Watershed Hydrology model (Ms. Molly Farrell, EFB and Onondaga Environmental Institute) and in Designing a Fountain (Dr. Ted Endreny and Mr. Paul Szemkow, ERE). They also learned about the Chemistry involved in Liquid Crystal Displays and marbled paper (Ms Joy Logan, Chemistry), used I-tree to model their urban forest (Ms. Allison Bodine, USFS). Kids also toured the Roosevelt Wildlife Museum (Mr. Ron Giegerich and Ms. Meredith Perrault, EFB) and entered the Recycled Shelter Contest. For Communications take on the day, visit here. Also note that Dr. Kiernan, Ms Farrell and Ms Bodine are all ESF graduates! Acknowledgments: We also thank: the ESF Service Track Students for their help throughout the day. ESF Kids2Work LOGO by RINNAN WHITFORD. ALUMNI RELATIONS/ESF CAMPUS BOOKSTORE, cloth shopping bags and cedar cookies; SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE, notebooks; COMMUNICATIONS pencils, window clings & temp tattoos. CENTENNIAL HALL water bottles, lanyards and Frisbees. MOON LIBRARY and VP for ADMINISTRATION, pencils. COPY CENTER provided print services. USFS for Smoky Bear comics, folders, rulers and bookmarks. Lunch, snacks, and organizational oversight were provided by the ESF WOMEN'S CAUCUS, with the assistance of the Provost.

STEM and the Scientific Method (Dr. Gary Scott talked about careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and the steps of the scientific method. Kids made predictions, and learned how the US mint uses paper science, chemistry and more to make currency); Termite Trails (Dr. Melissa Fierke introduced chemical communication and kids trained termites to follow synthetic pheromones); In Managing for trees and wildlife, Ashley Simpson, Eva Hopper, Jeff Kehoe, and Tejal Kuray of the ESF Society of American Foresters/Forestry Club demonstrated resource availability and its impact on both tree growth and the wildlife that lives in forested habitat. Kids Cash Kit and Caboodle (Thom Dellwo, Cooperative Federal Credit Union. Kids assembled 3 part banks to Save, Share and Spend money, and developed budgets to care for their future [fictional] pups.) Landscape Architecture and Green Infrastructure (Dr. Margaret Bryant introduced the field of Landscape Architecture and how ESF's green infrastructure projects capture rainwater to reduce pollution from stormwater runoff into the Onondaga Creek Watershed--in really beautiful ways. Chemistry (Joy Logan) used readily available dyes (Sharpies), solvents (100% isopropyl alcohol) and lots of ventilation to personalize the 100% cotton t-shirts designed by ESF junior Rinnan Whitford (Before you wear your shirt: Wait at least 24 hours for the rubbing alcohol to completely evaporate (to keep color from fading as much); hand wash or machine wash (by itself) in cold water; dry in dryer set to medium heat (shirt may shrink a little and color will fade some); Tree products and ESF programs (Heather Engelman) Acknowledgments: We profusely thank Dr. Neil Abrams and Dr. Melissa Fierke for the use of their laboratories, the Departments of Chemistry and Environmental and Forest Biology for the dyes, solvents, and termites they purchased for this program, Rinnan Whitford for the ESF centric Kids Day logo, and our photographer, Sai Nakama. We also thank ALUMNI RELATIONS/CAMPUS BOOKSTORE for cloth shopping bags and Centennial Pens; COMMUNICATIONS for window clings, postcards and pencils; The VP for ADMINISTRATION, pencils; CENTENNIAL HALL, Frisbees and pens. Lunch and snacks were provided by WEGMANS and the PROVOST. The COPY CENTER provided print services. The ESF WOMEN'S CAUCUS, with the assistance of the PROVOST, provided t-shirts.

Introductionswere facilitated by Janine DeBaise. Artistic Wax (using chemistry to make crayons, keeping manufactured pigments, and one very special naturally derived one-Russian soil--suspended in wax, so its transferable to paper. Kelley Donaghey and Joy Logan). Sustainable Construction (Siting buildings correctly helps make the best use of natural light in windows and solar panels. And the same angle necessary for positioning those panels was used in the construction of functional sundials. Paul Crovella). Seed Bombs for Native Plant Biodiversity (compared caterpillar populations among the different microclimates of the quad, then headed to the greenhouse to mix potting media and embed native seed within it in 'seed bombs' to use in enriching our yards, empty lots, or wherever butterflies would be welcome. Kathy McGrath and Caterhine Landis). EE Round Robin--the kids helped the Environmental Interpretation class try out their lesson plans in population dynamics (Oh, Deer--how do they respond to resource scarcity?), mini-herb gardens, and learned about tracks (Beth Folta and class). Forest Health and Management (what things do foresters and arborist look for in assessing individual tree health and development? looked at tree cookies, insect and fungal specimens, and took some measurements, too. Jess Gibson, Jessica Craft, Colin Bartholomew, and Bill Van Gorp). Bike Safety.Tish Jubinville from the National Safety Council shared rules for the road, guidelines for proper helmet use to ensure maximum protection, the importance of seeing and being seen by motorists, and even a computer game to test bike safety decision making. Acknowledgments: We thank Wegmans for providing lunches and snacks, the International Society of Arboriculture for temporary tattoos, and J.L. Darling for the rite-in-the-rain notebooks, for each participant. Other support from the program came from the Provost's Office, Alumni Association/Campus Bookstore, Moon Library, Outreach, Centennial Hall, The Offices of the Vice President for Administration and Communication. We are greatly appreciative of the departments and individual laboratories for the time and supplies used in the activities.

Introductions were facilitated by Janine DeBaise. The Chemistry of Art (how does dye work? how do jewelers get those cool colors of metal? Kelley Donaghy and Julie McGaulley), Tissue Culture: Plants in a Test Tube (phosphorescent and carnivorous plants, among others, Linda McGuigan), Engineering in Action: Landfills (how do civil engineers handle our waste stream? what can individuals do to make their jobs easier? Jennifer Smith), Paper Making (handcrafted paper--with some high tech help, Beth Arthur), The Dirt on Worms (various plants and animals serve as indicators of forest health--conservation biologists use tools and safety protocols to check out one of those species, and return it safely back home, Cait Snyder and Stacy McNulty), and African Dancing and Drumming (local artist Biboti Oukahilo transformed Nifkin Lounge into a introductory dance studio; everyone had a chance to try the instruments, as well as to learn one of the dances.) Kids also witnessed the Remote Sensing class attempt to launch a weather balloon from the Quad. Financial and other support for the program came from the Provost's Office, Alumni Association/Campus Bookstore, Moon Library, Outreach, The Office of the Vice President for Administration and The Office of Communication. We also thank the departments and individual laboratories for the supplies used in the activities.

Dean Cynthia Sedgwick welcomed our kids to campus this year. Kids then headed to the chemistry lab to investigate polymers (as well as some oxymorons) with "Bouncing liquids, hard water and ice-less ice cream" (Kelley Donaghy/Julie McGaulley). They also checked out dilant properties of "Oobleck" (a suspension of cornstarch in water). Kids conducted a biodiversity survey with a biologist (Melissa Fierke), and participated in a demonstration of "Losing Your Habit." In "Engineering a Fountain" (Ted Endreny), they observed the height of a fountain as the velocity of water and the diameter of fountain were altered, and then used this information in the preliminary design of their own fountains. "Bits, Bytes, and Bugs" demonstrated how viruses and spyware snatch credit card information, social security numbers, and passwords; slow a computer down, and even corrupt pictures of Aunt Sue. Finally, kids learned the history of "Morris Dancing," as well as the songs and steps of two dances with Maria Hosmer-Briggs and others from the Bassett Street Hounds. Financial and other support for the program came from the Provost's Office, Alumni Association/Small Stores, Moon Library, The Office of the Vice President for Administration and The Office of Communication

Introductions were facilitated by Janine DeBaise. Kids visited a botany lab to propagate moss (Shana Gross and Brittany Cronk), Outreach to discuss "food miles" (Nicole Werner), a chemistry lab to "extract from the environment" (Kelley Donaghy/Julie McGaulley), a soils lab to get "the dirt on dirt" (Ruth Yanai), the quad/greenhouses to determine "Ladybugs: friend or foe?" (Melissa Fierke and Terry Ettinger) and participated in a "self-defense/cardio-kickboxing seminar" (Marcia Barber). Financial and other support for the program came from the Provost's Office, Alumni Association/Small Stores, Moon Library, The Office of the Vice President for Administration, The Office of Communication, and Computing and Network Services. Supplies for activities were courtesy of the Departments of Chemistry, Environmental and Forest Biology, and Forest and Natural Resources Management.

Janine DeBaise introduced the program, and facilitated introductions. This year's sessions included Clean and Green: Household Chemistry (Becky Jarrell), Yoga (Mary Hagemann), Buds and Bugs (an ecotourism hike with Diane Kuehn), Landscape Architecture (Robin Hoffman), and We all need trees (can you identify which everyday items use wood ingredients? Many more than most would expect--Heather Engelman). Who am I? guests represented a wood decay specialist (Sue Anagnost), a hydrologist (Laura Lautz) and a environmental writing instructor (Maria Hosmer-Briggs). Financial and other support for the program came from the Provost's Office, Alumni Association/Small Stores, Moon Library, The Office of Communications, and Wegmans. Supplies for activities were courtesy of the Faculties of Chemistry and Landscape Architecture.

Janine DeBaise introduced the program, and facilitated introductions, asking each participant to tell a little bit about what they like to do, and what they might like to be when they grow up. Smaller groups then headed off to lessons in Microbiology (Annette Kretzer), engineering (The world in maps and images-Lindi Quackenbush), Information literacy (Internet scavenger hunt-Jo Anne Ellis), and Chemistry (Molecules in motion-a chemical expedition-Julie McGaulley). Who am I? guests represented analytical (Deb Driscoll) and environmental chemistry (Sarah Fitzpatrick). And because we hope our kids have a healthy work-life balance, they concluded the program with a cardio-kickboxing/self defense seminar (Marcia Barber, with trusty assistants Heather Engelman, Andrea Baird, and Tim Blehar). Financial and other support for the program came from Admissions, Alumni Association, Computing and Network Services, the Provost's Office, Moon Library, and News and Publications.

Raydora Drummer opened the program with "A cold wind blows", a diversity appreciation and get-to-know one another activity. The kids then divided into smaller groups to investigate chemistry (Amusing Molecules--Julie McGaulley and States of Matter--Marlene Braun), environmental law and policy (Pollution Solutions--Sharon Moran and Thane Joyal), and Landscape Architecture (Playground design--Scott Shannon). Special Who am I? guests Lee MacBeth and Heather LeFever were quizzed in 20-question style about what they do in the community. Now that their identities have been revealed by the inquisitive participants, we can share that Lee is the Watershed Coordinator for Skaneateles Lake, and Heather is a volunteer firefighter--she also a biology teacher at Henninger High School. 

Acclimatizing Venus Fly Traps (Linda Polin), Papermaking (Senior PSE students), Community Design (Ellen Soffa and Scott Shannon), Who am I? (Sue Senecah, Chris Langlois, Janet Marsden), Fun with Chemistry (Julie McGaulley)

Microfungus among us (June Wang and Cathy Catranis), The Wonderful World of Chemistry (Venera Jouraeva), Who am I? (Tory Gray, Jim Williamson, Karin Limburg, Lisa Engelman), Going the Distance (Heather Engelman), Down and Dirty (Ruth Yanai)

The Wonderful World of Chemistry (Venera Jouraeva), Designing Playgrounds (Amanda O'Connor), Who am I? (Diane Kuehn, Heather Engelman, Becky Corbin), Chemistry in the Classroom (Andrea Baird), Predators and Prey (Valerie Luzadis)

Greenhouse (Daniella Shebitz), Smart Spending (Bonnie Charity), self-defense (Marcia Barber), self-esteem exercises (Carmen McCoy Harrison), Diversity Bingo (Carmen McCoy Harrison) 

2000-Free to me you and me

1999-The Future is Me

1998-Imagine a Day

1997-Five years of Work towards a life time of confidence

1996-Vote for me

1995-A Girl is Watching

1994-Take our Daughters to Work.

Year-round or other opportunities 

Specific dates and programs are also shared on our Facebook page.

In Central New York

It is held most 3rd Saturdays September through June, 9:30-11 at the MOST, Armory Square, Syracuse. Topics include "All About Submarines: High Technology Under the Seas!" and "Artificial Intelligence: Can computers really think?" Free, but RSVP's encouraged! Participants can explore the museum at no cost at the program conclusion.

Fun and exciting hands-on experiments and activities for 3rd-5th grade kids, focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math topics! First Wednesday of each month at 4 PM at the Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard Street, Fayetteville, NY 13066, (315) 637-6374, Registration required.

Fee-based week-long camps during some school breaks, weekend sessions over the school year. Intended for 5th and up, but some flexibility.

(Also syrup making tours, woodsman team demos, and kite making), date varies each year. Heiberg Memorial Forest. Watch campus news and college bulletin boards for advance sale ticket locations (past ticket prices were ~ $5 for 12 and up, $3 for ages 6-12,with 5 and under free); they generally also sell tickets at the door to accommodate interested alumni and community members.

It is a place for students, parents and educators to learn about education pathways to STEM careers in CNY; for educators to share successful practices and innovative programs; and for businesses to collaborate with schools to develop business-education partnerships. 

Every 3rd Thursday, 6:30-8 pm, STEM women talk about what they do and share a a hands-on activity at Onondaga Free Library, 4840 West Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse, NY 13215. Meetings also include a snack and time with maker kits, legos, circuits, etc. Visit the library schedule to see upcoming sessions and register.

Website

Weeklong summer camp (follow same link for other opportunities)

 Groups at a few elementary and middle schools.

Girl Scouts are G.I.R.L.s (go-getters, innovators, risk-takers, leaders)™ who are changing the world. Games, meet local troops.

learn the basics of Circuitry and Electricity by building working circuit boards and FM Radio. Field trips to Lockheed Martin and Seneca Falls Women's Museum.

Offers annual Girls Summit for 5th-10th graders with presenters coming from a variety of places each year. They've working with offices at ESF (since 2015) and SU (starting in 2016) to host it "on the hill."

Online

It is a program of the National Academy of Engineering. "The NAE launched EngineerGirl to help address the underrepresentation of women in engineering fields. Although women represent more than 50% of the U.S. university population, they make up a mere 20% of engineering undergraduates and even fewer become engineering professionals. Many middle school girls do not consider engineering as a possible career choice simply because they have little exposure to engineering and limited access to mentors and role models. EngineerGirl provides a wealth of information to inspire girls’ interest in engineering, including career descriptions, biographical sketches of working women engineers, and interactive tools for girls, parents, teachers, and guidance counselors. EngineerGirl also sponsors an annual essay competition for students in grades three-12. In 2018, the EngineerGirl Ambassadors Program was launched to connect high school girls who were former EngineerGirl participants to serve as peer mentors to middle and elementary school girls and share their enthusiasm for engineering."

As of April 2013, The Scientista Foundation offers live online "Office Hours", with links to recorded sessions. Office hours aim to provide every science student access to the top minds, removing barriers to accessing mentorship, advice, and role models. These meetings offer Q&A for laypeople and pre-professionals, to help them learn more about these fields, so are perfect for older kids interested in going into those fields or undergraduate students thinking about graduate school. Sign up to get notices.

Website

It is live, but resources are available year-round.

This is what a scientist looks like invites scientists to submit photos and bios to challenge the stereotype that scientists are socially inept, lab coat donning, old, white men

Program for Research and Outreach on Gender Equity in Society (PROGRESS) focuses on teaching negotiation skills through in-person workshops and online forums. The program is housed at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College.

Odean, Kathleen. 1997. Great Books for Girls: More than 600 books to inspire today's girls and tomorrow's women. Ballantine trade paperback.

Odean, Kathleen. 1998. Great Books for Sons: More than 600 books for boys 2 to 14. Ballantine trade paperback. 

Website

Funded by the National Science Foundation, Great Science for Girls has seven programs operated by intermediary organizations to provide informal opportunities for elementary to high school graders to explore science. Some of the programs focus specifically on astronomy, \scientists, engineering, and scientific inquiry. Visitors can find basic information about the target audience of the program, the setting, how long each session takes, and the cost to the organization for materials is provided in the introduction to each program. The website provides "Evaluation and Results" and "Materials and Activities" information for each of the seven curricula, under the "Curriculum" tab. The "Resources and Research" tab has resources for practitioners, staff, organizations, role models, and, of course, girls. There is also a section on "Research" that provides access to documents like the "Status and Participation of Women in STEM", "Effective Practices in STEM", and "Afterschool Program Effectiveness". For any educator looking to encourage young women to discover STEM disciplines, this site is well worth a visit.

Website

Readings about girls and boys in American education:


Gender Gaps: Where schools still fail our children, American Association for University Women, 1998.

Ong, Walter, 1981. Fighting for Life. Cornell Univerisity Press.

Orenstien, Peggy. 1994. Schoolgirls: young women, self-esteem, and the confidence gap. Doubleday.

Sadker, Myra and Sadker, David. 1993. Failing at Fairness: How our schools cheat girls. Touchstone.

Shortchanging Girls, Shortchanging America: A Call to Action, American Association for University Women, 1991.

If your own career decisions were affected by previous participation in a Take our Daughters or Daughters and Sons to Work Day program, the Take our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation (spun off from the Ms. Foundation) would like to hear from you. Please use the link below to reach their survey.

Logo

The ESF Kids' Day Logo was created by Rinnan Whitford, ESF Class of 2013, for the 20th Anniversary Program in 2012. She met our challenge of incorporating the name of the program, name of the college, as many majors as possible, in a timeless design that is--very important to a low budget program--printable in b/w. Rinnan, THANK YOU very much for this tremendous and timeless gift.