From boosting the energy at the Board of Commissioners meeting, to conducting a mock 2020 Census, more than 40 young people made parents, mentors and loved ones proud on April 25 as Multnomah County celebrated Take Your Child To Work Day.
“By offering a day of youth focused programming, we are not only providing an important benefit to the employees, but also fostering connections, promoting workplace wellbeing, and demonstrating Multnomah County's commitment to building community,” said Carey Burney, a Department of County Assets human resources analyst, who helped organize the event.
Children spent the day planting herbs and vegetables, learning about different County jobs, role playing as U.S. Census workers, and enjoying arts and crafts. They also got to meet Ranger, an award-winning German Shepherd serving on the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit.
Ten-year-old Victoria Norris has participated in Take Your Child To Work Day for years. This year, she said she was excited to learn about healthy living with “Farmer Jerry” from the Office of Sustainability.
“Take Your Child To Work Day is important to me because I get to learn more about what you all do and how it helps our communities,” Victoria said. “I've been coming to Take Your Child To Work Day with my mom since I was three.”
Twenty years ago, Commissioner Susheela Jayapal said, she celebrated Take Your Child To Work Day with her own kids. Now her children are in their twenties, but the meaning of the event isn’t lost on her.
“My children are very large children at this point,” Commissioner Jayapal said. “This takes me back 20 years when I first took them to work, and what a spirit lifter that was, so it's about, as my colleagues have said, opening up opportunities, opening up eyes, and also about lifting our spirits as parents and as people who work here.”
