Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 29, 1994 TAG: 9404290140
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By MAG POFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Nearly 300 girls and boys went to the office with their parents Thursday as First Union National Bank of Virginia observed kids' day at work.
At Hollins College, 11 girls attended classes or helped their parents as part of "Take Your Daughter to Work Day."
"It was a really good day at Hollins," said spokeswoman Christine LeFever. The college sponsored team-building exercises on its low-ropes course, campus tour, lunch with students and faculty, work experience activities and evaluations.
LeFever said two girls worked in career counseling, one attended music class, another took part in a theater arts class and several went to language classes. One helped her grandmother clean a dorm, while the daughter of a maintenance worker helped him clean a spring house.
Girls came with mothers, fathers, grandparents and, in several instances, with neighbors.
"It was a lot of fun," said Linda Gilbert, Roanoke coordinator for the project at First Union. The bank expanded the program to include boys, as well as girls, between ages 9 and 15 years.
More than 200 children went to work with their parents at the bank's operations center on Plantation Road. Another 72 came to offices in downtown Roanoke. All of them got T-shirts to celebrate the event.
Gilbert said the students could attend half-hour sessions throughout the day. These centered on career opportunities, checking and savings accounts and the like. The children toured the 21st floor of First Union Tower, took a peek inside the vault and visited executive offices on the 15th floor of the First Union Building.
Ms. Foundation sponsored the day to recognize the influence that strong, caring adults have on the development of girls as competent and confident young women.
First Union this year expanded the program to include boys as well.
"First Union is banking on the future of these kids, and we're trying to encourage them to get a good education and stay in school," according to Joan Hope, First Union's work/life manager.
"We want to help children see the connections between hard work in school and future success at work, and to expose them to various career options," Hope said. "This is also a great way to give kids a better understanding of what their parents do at work every day."
by CNB