News.bytes Extra, issue 282

Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day

Above: Jason Williams and Lilly meet the visiting students.

BLM's California State Office observed "Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day" on May 15, 2007.  Thirty students, including daughters, sons and grandchildren of BLM employees, along with students from Edward Harris, Jr. Middle School, took part in a tour of the state office.  The students began their visit with a welcome from State Director Mike Pool and a photo opportunity with Smokey Bear.  The students then traveled to eight different locations where "tour guides" gave presentations about their sections. Representatives from minerals, external affairs, cadastral, law enforcement, information resource management, the public room, fire and aviation, and resources management gave presentations about their respective functional areas. 

The tour guides shared information in a variety of creative, interactive and fun ways.  Representatives gave informative, hands-on presentations with rocks and minerals; conducted cool experiments; entertained and enlightened with cartoons (News.bytes' own FunnyBytes); impressed with computer wizardry; laid down the law through humor, badges and night vision goggles; pumped things up with a fire pumper truck and gathered around the hitching post with two beautiful and patient horses (thanks to Stinger and Lilly).

"Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day" was created to help students reach their full potential by showing them the value of education and the variety of career options available to them.  The benefit for the adults who participated in the program was the opportunity to view BLM through the enthusiastic and inquisitive eyes of the next generation.

Horses were a popular part of the tour - here, Stinger takes the stage, with BLM California wild horse and burro program lead, Tom Pogacnik:

BLM California News.bytes, issue 282