"Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Day enriches the education of America's girls and boys and creates a dynamic interaction between the workplace and the classroom"
Marie C. Wilson, Ms. Foundation President

Today millions of 8-to-12-year-old girls and boys will participate in the second annual Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Day: Today's Vision, Tomorrow's Reality, a national public education program created and administered by the Ms. Foundation for Women -- the preeminent national philanthropic institution championing an equitable society for women and girls in the United States.

"Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Day enriches the education of America's girls and boys and creates a dynamic interaction between the workplace and the classroom," said Ms. Foundation President Marie C. Wilson. "This program amplifies the voices and illuminates the visions of our nation's children who are telling us that they want more from the workplace of the future."

"Our daughters and sons want a family-friendly work world that allows them to be involved in all areas of their lives -- family, work, and community -- without penalty," said Sara K. Gould, Ms. Foundation Executive Director. "In a Families and Work Institute study, 90 percent of the students who said they plan to have a job, also plan to have children. Eighty-one percent of the girls and almost 60 percent of the boys said they will reduce their work hours when they become parents."

Three new activities have been designed by the Families and Work Institute for the day, which engage our nation's daughters and sons in thought-provoking exploration of their potential in the workplace. One of the activities, Framing Your Wish, is the basis of a national contest by the same name, which kicks off today and runs through April 30, 2004. Framing Your Wish is an opportunity for girls and boys to write a poem or create a piece of artwork depicting their wishes and hopes for their future work life or family life. The contest sharpens each child's focus on the true purpose of the Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work program. Ten $100 cash prizes will be awarded to contest winners -- five for poetry and five for artwork. In addition, all entries will be considered for future publication.

Last year four in 10 U.S. companies participated in Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Day, and 14.4 million adults took either a girl or a boy to work with them. This year, the Foundation expects participation to meet or exceed last year's support for the program.

The Ms. Foundation for Women, Inc., with headquarters in New York City, is the preeminent national philanthropic institution championing an equitable society for women and girls in the U.S. Since 1972, the Foundation has given voice to women's truths, changed public consciousness, and transformed public policy. The Foundation provides technical assistance, training and grants to women's organizations each year in the areas of health and safety; economic security; and girls, young women and leadership. The Foundation created the award-winning Take Our Daughters To Work Day, which began in 1993 and became Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Day in 2003. The Foundation currently administers the new national public education program each year on the fourth Thursday in April.