Dozens of children—from toddlers to teens—took over Clark College’s main campus on April 24 for Take Your Child to Work Day 2025. This annual national tradition, now over 30 years strong, offers children the opportunity to imagine their future careers, explore the world of higher education, and learn more about the work their parents do every day.

At Clark, the event is more than a fun day off school—it’s a chance for young minds to engage with science, art, technology, and wellness through interactive activities across campus. For many, it also sparks early interest in college and the diverse career paths available in higher education.

Hands-On Learning and Big Smiles

The day’s main activities were hosted in Gaiser Student Center, where children moved from table to table, building, creating, and discovering. Some highlights:

• Security made 91 future penguin ID badges that children proudly wore
• Jasmine, daughter of Gabriela Sanchez-Ronceros (Transitional Studies), knelt on the floor to pet Oso, the therapy dog.
• Finn and his mom, Alyssa Montminy (ODEI), got creative with Lego bricks.
• Asher, supervised by his aunt, Jenifer Rivera (Financial Aid) painted a cookie – and later showed off his bright blue lips and tongue after eating it!
• Scarlett and her father, Daniel Rogers (Foundation), worked together to build a platonic solids 3D shape at the STEM Engineering table.
• Oliver, son of Cath Bush (Student Life), gently cradled empty mason bee cocoons during a guided tour of the STEM bee garden, proudly sharing them with others.

The main event was held in Gaiser Student Center. For two hours, children explore the world of higher education at Clark with these fun, interactive activities including:

• Bee walk – Discover native pollinators on campus
• Meet Oso – Hang out this friendly therapy dog and learn about our Basic Needs Hub
• Platonic solids – Create and build geometric 3D shapes with our Engineering department
• Cookie Decorating – Paint and snack on delicious cookies made by Clark’s bakery
• Fidget making and mandala coloring – Fidget toys, mandala coloring, mindfulness activities and snacks for all age groups provided by our Counseling and Health Center
• Oswald the penguin – Snap a photo with Clark’s official mascot

Campus-wide Adventures:

Beyond Gaiser hall, families were invited to explore the wider campus through self-guided activities:

• Security desk: Kids got official-looking ID badges. Security made 91 badges!
• Bookstore: Played a Penguin guessing game and collected free lanyards for their new “badges”
• Welcome Center: Starting point for a scavenger hunt
• Beacock Music Hall: Tried out different musical instruments
• Cannell Library: Enjoyed story time in the reading corner
• McClaskey Culinary Institute & Bakery: Kid-friendly lunch and treats including snack boxes, mac and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, and more.
• Archer Gallery: Explore visual art exhibits
• Japanese Gardens: Wandered through peaceful paths and fountains

About Clark’s Take Your Child To Work Day

National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is an annual event held on the 4th Thursday of April where parents are encouraged to bring their children to work for one day. The event is designed to help children learn about different careers and gain exposure to the workplace.

Take Your Child to Work Day at Clark is a celebration of learning, family, and the joy of curiosity. As future penguins explored the campus, they left with full bellies, wide eyes, and maybe even a new dream or two.

Clark College welcomed dozens of employees’ children—from toddlers to teens for Take Our Child(ren) to Work Day on April 25. The annual national celebration is held on the fourth Thursday of April. This is an over 30-year tradition that aims to show children the value of education and that they can aspire to work in any field.

At Clark, it is an opportunity to educate children about college as a pathway toward a career, and the importance of higher education and jobs on campus. It also promotes Clark’s programs in support of the college community.

This fun family day gives young Penguins an opportunity to do hands-on activities and see the campus where their parents and grandparents work. Many employees volunteered to create and coordinate the busy day of activities. The rainy weather curtailed and changed some activities, but there were still many ways for kids to be engaged.

Throughout campus, Clark welcomed our young visitors with a slate of activities including:

• Security desk: Free kid ID badges
• Welcome Center: Scavenger hunt and campus tour
• Bookstore: Penguin guessing game and free lanyards; youth clothing sizes for purchase
• McClaskey Culinary Institute: Eat, paint cookies, and plant seeds
• Teaching and Learning Center: LEGO, crafts, and games
• GHL: Create a vision board
• Diversity Center: Draw a self-portrait and more
• PUB (Penguin Union Building) 161: Artist talk and drawing with Epiphany Couch
• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics): Hands-on activities: 3D printing, electrical circuits, Newton’s laws of motion
• Cannell Library: Ribbon cutting for the Family Study Room
• Tutoring Center: Open house

And more!

Kids Explore Sakura Festival

After the children explored and did many hands-on activities and projects, the families headed for Gaiser Student Center to check out the Sakura Festival.

The event offered children much to experience, including:

• A Koto performance by Mitsuki Dazai
• Singing by Clark College Treble Ensemble directed by Dr. Jacob Funk
• Admiring beautiful kimonos worn by participants
• Taking home their names written in Japanese calligraphy on rice paper
• Watching a martial art demonstration by Oregon Koto-Kai
• Getting their photo taken with Clark’s mascot, Oswald
• Enjoying ice cream sandwiches hosted by Umqua Bank on behalf of Clark College Foundation’s PenguinsGive annual giving event
• Eating hand-painted cherry blossom cookies created by Clark’s baking students

As families left the Sakura Festival, our young penguins wearing their special Clark name badges clutched rice paper with their names written in calligraphy, art projects, and the remnants of cherry blossom cookies. Laughter and the excited voices of children resounded throughout Gaiser Student Center.

Surely, they will remember their fun day at Clark College!

More photos from the Sakura event can be found on our Flickr page.

A fun day of learning

Clark College welcomed dozens of employees’ children—from toddlers to teens for Take Your Child to Work Day on April 27. It was the first time this fun family event returned to campus since 2019 before the pandemic.

Cath Busha, Dean of Student Engagement, who led the event organization, said employees were excited to bring the event back to campus and to give young Penguins an opportunity to do hands-on activities and see the campus where their parents work. Many employees volunteered to create and coordinate the busy day of activities.

Busha’s son, Oliver, 10, listed a slate of activities he’d already enjoyed: scavenger hunt, guessing the number of penguins, getting a cookie from the bakery, and then, it was time to get to the STEM Building for more fun—building an apparatus to sustain a 40-foot drop and going on a walk to learn about bees.

Anina Peethala, 11 and her sister Avina, 7, were in the Bookstore with their father, Sudha Frederick, Vice President of IT. The girls were trying to guess how many penguins were in the clear plastic bin far over their heads. They had already enjoyed their treats from the bakery and visited the gym.

Genevieve Layfield, 7, was hanging out with her dad, Chris Layfield, after she made a photo badge that she wore proudly around her neck on a Clark College lanyard, just like her dad’s.

In the gym of O’Connell Sports Center, Katie Massey, an ASL interpreter who works in Disability Support Services, recorded a video on her phone while her sons, Brody Massey, 11, and Cooper, 9, shot hoops with their new Clark-branded basketballs. Later they blew bubbles in the courtyard outside of the bakery.

Later children lined up to get their photos taken with Oswald, Clark’s mascot.

A great time was had by all. 

The slate of activities included:

• Free photo badges at Security. Thanks to Guided Pathways!
• Penguin Guessing Game in the Bookstore: Two winners took home a stuffed penguin. Free lanyards for kids’ photo badge. Thanks to the Bookstore!
• Pick up free Clark-branded basketballs and shot hoops in the O’Connell Sports Center gymnasium. Thanks to Athletics!
• Free treats from “apprentice bakers” in the food court. Thanks to HR!
• Practice conversation with Spanish, Japanese, or ASL tutors in the Tutoring Center or learn to write their name in a new language
• Guided campus tour led by a student ambassador
• Self-guided campus scavenger hunt
• Built LEGO creations, played games or made a zine at the Teaching and Learning Center
• Gravity Falls – An engineering project in the STEM Building led by professors Tina Barsotti and Carol Hsu. Children designed, built and tested an apparatus to safely deliver candy dropped 40 feet onto a target below.  
• Bee Walk with Professor Steven Clark, Bee Campus Project Manager and Biology Instructor, on the ground outside the STEM Building
• Selfies with Oswald, Clark College mascot in Gaiser Hall
• Story time and zine-making in Clark College Libraries 

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish