Take Your Child to Work Day, a Virtual Hit

Kennedy smiles as she holds up a science project she made--slime, a mixture between a solid and a liquid.

Kennedy Graves. “Thank you for this much-needed escape from virtual learning! I am Carmen Graves, NIAID/Vaccine Research Center, Clinical Trials Program. My 10-year-old daughter Kennedy thoroughly enjoyed ‘Slime Time’ and is presently in a virtual scavenger hunt! You guys did an awesome job, especially during these trying times. We truly appreciate everything!”

Four masked students gives a thumb up hand gesture. Behind them is a model skeleton.

NIGMS Ambassadors. From Twitter: “The @ArkanSono team is very proud of our STEM Ambassadors who presented two virtual outreach sessions as part of the NIH/NIGMS ‘Take Your Child To Work Day!’ Congrats high school students Julio, Fardeen and Insherah and incoming med student James!”

High school student Fardeen gives a presentation over Zoom.

A shot of the “Are You Moving Fast Enough?” session underway

Dia sits at a computer desk while making arts and crafts

Dia Gautam, grade 3, attends “Create Your Own Neuron.” “She loved all the six sessions she attended today. Great arrangements even during this unprecedented time.”—parent Dr. Rajeev Gautam, Program Officer, Virology Branch, DMID/NIAID/NIH

Soper pulls strawberry DNA up out of a clear, plastic cup using a coffee stirrer

Adelaide Soper, grade 3, a week before her 9th birthday, enjoys extracting DNA from strawberries in her kitchen, during one of OD’s activities.—parent Sabrina Springer, NLM technical information specialist

Three girls sit at a kitchen table and smash strawberries in a plastic bag, one step to extract DNA from strawberries

Grand Time. “My three granddaughters Celeste (6th grade), Bitsy (3rd grade) and Esme (K—She wanted to tag along) are shown extracting DNA from strawberries. They also participated intently in a Zoom event, ‘How Concepts of Evolution and Math Can Tame the Next Pandemic.’”—Dr. David Cassatt, NIAID program officer.

Matthew Brown, 2nd grade, made slime at the FAES Science Fair and created his own neuron model. “We had a great time!”—parent Dr. Larissa Brown of NCBI

Collins, Milgram, Drubay and an ASL interpreter take part in virtual laughter yoga

Yoga Giggles. NIH director Dr. Francis Collins and OITE director Dr. Sharon Milgram enjoy some “Laughter Yoga,” led by instructor Alexa Drubay, during an OD event.

Isaac and Gabriella hold up a beaker with strawberry DNA

Isaac (6) and Gabriella (3) Taliaferro extract DNA from strawberries—parent Dr. Lanyn Perez Taliaferro, program officer, NIAID/Radiation & Nuclear Medical Countermeasures Program

NIH’s “Take Your Child To Work Day” (TYCTWD) was held virtually on Thursday, Apr. 22. The day offers children in grades 1 through 12 an opportunity to explore career paths in science and public service at NIH.