Taking our kids to work

As student tour guides, George Woodhouse and John MaGill are used to showing off campus to prospective students and their parents.

They’re also accustomed to adapting their tours for different audiences, which they had to do while leading a tour of Grade 9 students on campus for Take Our Kids to Work day this past Wednesday.

“Since their parents all work here, they know a bit about Dalhousie, and a lot about Halifax,” explained Mr. MaGill. “We’re switching up our attitudes and charisma a bit, having a bit more fun while also trying to share different information.”

So while visiting a residence room, grabbing lunch at Shirreff Hall and checking out the Student Union Building, the eight kids who took part in the tour also got quizzed on Dal trivia—would you know which two NBA teams once used the hardwood floor that’s now at Dalplex?—heard a lot of jokes, and learned which water fountain the tour guides think is the best on campus by a wide margin. (It’s the one on the main floor of the Hicks Building.)

The students didn’t ask as many questions as an older student considering university might, but there were certainly some good laughs along the way. And one parent—Gwendolyn MacNairn, computer science librarian—even took the time out of her day to join her daughter, Brianna, for the tour. “It’s actually my first time doing the tour too,” she said.

This was the first year that Dalhousie has offered the campus tour as part of Take Our Kids to Work day, an initiative of the Learning Partnership that involves more than 200,000 Grade 9 students and 75,000 businesses across Canada. The goal of the program is to help students understand the importance of staying in school while also getting a glimpse of what it’s like for their parent to make a living and support a family.

“It’s a chance for them to get the character of campus and to learn a bit more about Dalhousie,” says Rebecca Koeller, assistant registrar, prospective student communications, who also tagged along for the tour. “They may be students here in four years, but even if they study elsewhere, we’ve hopefully shown them more about the work their parents contribute to here at the university.”

She adds that Dalhousie hopes to grow the initiative in future years and give more kids the chance to learn about their future education and employment possibilities.