- What exactly is Take Our Children to Work Day?
- This national observance in the US gives children a glimpse into the working world. Created by Gloria Steinem in 1992, it focuses on taking children to work to inspire them to consider future job opportunities and the significance of education. At UC Davis, we view it as a family-oriented “mini” Picnic Day.
- What age children can participate in this event?
While the national program is geared towards children aged 6-12, our campus is open to all ages. Please see event listings above for a more specific age range for each activity, and plan accordingly.
For those younger than 6, please make sure that time on campus (particularly in the workplace) is very limited. Have another adult available to manage and bring the child home after a brief visit. Most ages enjoy visiting the museums, participating in crafts, and lunch at the Dining Commons. Some older than 12 enjoy the career-aspect of the day and are welcome to participate. We trust the parent or caregiver to determine whether an activity would be good for the child, as well as respectful to the work environment. Please do not bring a child younger than the indicated age to any event. You will be turned away if your child is not of listed age.
- How do we get the time to participate? Do I need to take the day off?
Participating employees should coordinate with their supervisors for time away to ensure coverage for operational needs. Limited release time is appropriate with supervisory approval. What does this mean? It means that it is your supervisor's discretion as to how you can participate in the day based on the needs of the organization. Each supervisor/director sets parameters based on what is appropriate for their work environment.
Some units utilize the day as a unit-wide celebration of family and approve release time or juggle schedules for their staff, others limit participation to a window of time, while some may ask you to use PTO or vacation time. We allow and encourage another adult in your family to attend who can supplement taking the child to activities away from your work time for a portion of the day or who can transport a child after a part-day of fun (honestly this is all most kids can absorb anyway).
- Do I have to register for the event?
- Yes. You will register for the entire day in advance at our website. If you are interested in one of the lottery events, the lottery will close at noon on the Friday before TOCs. The lottery will be processed and you will be notified of the results on Monday.
- How is the Lottery processed and why can't I indicate more than one choice?
Every employee will have one entry to the lottery event of their choice. As we do not have a budget to run this program, the lottery is run by one employee using a Random Number Generator to select the entries for the lottery events. This is a complicated process when dealing with single entries for each employee.
We managed a lottery when we offered each employee the chance to choose their top three options, however, it became more complicated to locate the duplicate entries once an employee was selected to attend a tour. Given that this is a manual process, and we are completing 30 different lotteries for almost 1000 employees, we do not have the capacity to change this process.
The chance to enter the lottery closes on the Friday before TOCs. The lottery is processed and the results are emailed on the Monday of the week of TOCs. Please check your spam or junk folders if you do not locate this email in your inbox.
- What type of activities can we expect at TOC?
- The goal is for youth to envision their future, so many sites have hands-on activities and tours for youth to learn about different career fields. The descriptions above will tell you about the activities. There is everything from sports to science, to creative opportunities to explore.
- How do we get from event to event?
- Fifteen minutes is built in between each activity to allow you to get to the next activity. Most people bike, while strategically scheduling their visits. Some drive to the off-campus animal sites and then do on-campus biking. If you need help finding OPEN HOUSE locations, please use the Event Map linked above. Remember, as the departments participating in our event are VOLUNTEERS, we can't control how spread apart these events are.
- What about lunch?
- Lunch is on your own, but the Dining Commons $2.00 child lunch coupon (up through age 12) is a great way to have your child experience lunch at college! We will send the link on the Wednesday before TOCs to those who have registered for the day...simply click and present it to the cashier at the Dining Commons. Once emailed, the coupon will be available on the TOC website.
- Is this event only for children of employees?
- No. We encourage employees to bring any important child in their life to the day.
- How do we see everything?
- You don't. Based on years of experience, we highly recommend pacing yourself, choosing the appropriate amount of input and stimulus for the age of your child, and not running from event to event. Also consider choosing an activity you may not have done in previous years or are unfamiliar with--that's how we grow, gain new visions and discover hidden interests. Consider not applying for a lottery event that you have already done in the past so we can spread the joy around more equitably.
- How does this event work with my child's school schedule?
- You may need to check your child out of school early to participate in some activities.
- If randomly selected for a LOTTERY event, what happens if I "No-Show" the activity?
- As our LOTTERY events are in such high demand, we need to respect the time and efforts of the units that host these activities and fill as many spots as possible. Therefore, if you "no-show" a LOTTERY event, you will not be eligible to participate in the lottery for the following TOC program. We ask that you please cancel your participation by 12 pm the Wednesday before TOCs, if possible.
- Any safety rules?
- Adults or caregivers must supervise children at all times. Parents/guardians are responsible for care, custody and control of minors at all times. If you want to attend a lottery event, ALL members of your attending group must meet any age guidelines. Use common sense regarding safety and appropriate behavior (please no children under six in the office for more than a brief visit!).
- What are the options for parking on campus?
- AggiePark via the AMP Park app is Aggie's Pay-to-Park app and solution to your daily parking needs. Please visit the UC Davis Transportation Services website to download the app, set up your profile, and learn more.
- Any other things I should know?
- Have fun. Plan ahead with your child. Get out of your comfort zone and explore wider possibilities and remote corners of campus. Don't rush from thing to thing. Focus on a day of education and exploration. Lastly, please remember it is an all-volunteer event and respect the fantastic students, staff, departments, and amazing people who have taken the time out of their busy day to host you and your guests...and don't forget to express appreciation to them!
