Miami-based law firm Salazar Jackson hosted a dozen Miami-Dade County students in observance of Take Your Child to Work Day on May 2, 2013. The employees’ children, ages three to 10, participated in a fun and philanthropy-based program, including a session on how to organize a project, an afternoon charity assignment and three unique guest speakers.
Recognizing that this isn’t just a day for kids to skip school, but a day to learn about the realities of the workplace, Salazar Jackson aimed to teach the children how to become “Everyday Heroes.”
“I wanted to teach the children that an important aspect of any career is giving back to the community and those less fortunate,” said Linda Worton Jackson, firm founding partner. “Even as children they can make a difference.”
In the morning, the children were taught about sales, marketing and negotiation. At noon, they headed to the lobby to lead their own charity fundraiser. Homemade cookies and gourmet cupcakes were sold with the proceeds going to Camillus House. The children chose the nonprofit out of three charities. It was almost a unanimous vote.
“I chose Camillus House because at the other charities we considered people pay for services, so they have money coming in,” said Danny Jackson, a 9-yr-old North Beach Elementary School fourth-grader. “At Camillus House nobody can pay, so they need the money more.”
The children not only learned basic skills, but also heard three different speakers: an ex-spy, an ex-military soldier and a business owner.
“We wanted to teach the children not only practical life skills, such as how to market and sell, but more importantly, how to operate as a team, said Founding Partner Luis Salazar. “They worked hard together and were able to see the fruits of their labor first-hand – something every child needs to experience.”
Miami-Dade County Public Schools chose to observe Take Your Child to Work Day on Thursday, May 2, 2013 instead of April 25 (the national observance) due to scheduling conflicts with the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).
By Salazar Jackson
