On Thursday, April 24, 300 children came to Main Campus to take part in Temple’s first Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day — a day filled with fun activities and learning opportunities for the university’s young guests.

Eric Brunner, a leader of the day’s organizing efforts and manager of the Human Resource Department’s division of Learning and Development, said the day was meant to provide more than just an opportunity for children to see where their parents work.

“We didn’t want to just entertain them,” Brunner said. “We wanted to open their eyes to opportunities that they might not have known about otherwise.”

Throughout the day, the children — whose ages ranged from 8 to 14 years old — were given campus tours, met with Temple athletes and coaches, and took part in a variety of educational workshops and demonstrations, including a robotics demonstration by the College of Engineering, a design and acting workshop by the School of Communications and Theater, and a gymnastics demonstration by Temple Athletics.

In addition to reinforcing the value of education, the day’s events were intended to instill a sense of Temple pride in the children. Toward that end, each child was loaded up with Temple gear before heading out for the day: children were given a Temple bag filled with a Temple T-shirt, a rain poncho, a Temple water bottle, and snacks for their journeys across campus.

By the end of the day, it was clear to many of those involved that the mission had been accomplished: The kids appeared to be learning and having fun at the same time.

“As a chaperone, I thought that the kids were engaged,” said Sheryl Love, a lecturer in the Biology Department, who volunteered to be a group leader and accompanied a group of 8- and 9-year-olds to their activities. “The staff members who spoke with them were understanding and attentive. Everyone was willing to answer questions, and they were very patient. It was a fun day; a very positive experience. … At the end of the day, I heard kids saying ‘See you next year.’”

Jenine Gouch, assistant director of Payroll Management, brought her 8-year-old son, Joshua, to work with her. Gouch also felt that the event was successful.

“The whole day was great for him,” Gouch said. “He was excited from the time he got up in the morning, until leaving in the evening.”

Temple’s first Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day was a universitywide effort, with workshops, demonstrations and tours being provided by the School of Communications and Theater, the College of Science and Technology, the College of Engineering, the Fox School of Business, Temple Athletics, Campus Safety Services, Undergraduate Admissions, Computer Information Systems, the College of Health Professions and the School of Medicine. The day’s planning efforts, which began in the fall, also showed collaboration and teamwork, with 23 schools, colleges and departments represented in the planning committee.

Planning for next year’s Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day will begin in the fall. Look for upcoming details on the Human Resources web site, www.temple.edu/hr, during the fall semester.