Every year the Upper Grand District School Board, the Wellington Catholic District School Board along with other Ontario school boards co-ordinate a Take Our Kids to Work program whereby Grade 9 students accompany their parent to work and observe them in their daily role as an employee.

The University supports this initiative and wishes to ensure that the experience for these students, who may shadow parents at University workplaces on Wednesday, November 5, 2025 is both a safe and a productive one. Please share this information with all personnel within your unit.

All school boards require that parents sign a waiver and the University will also require a Release and Indemnification Form from the parent or guardian of any student who is participating in this initiative. A copy of the Form is attached and you may make photocopies.

Application:
The signed Release and Indemnification Form is to be forwarded to Environmental Health and Safety, ASAP for tours [1] and on or before Friday October 31, 2025. Permission to bring a student into the workplace must be obtained and authorized by the Dean/Designate or Director/Designate of your workplace.

Program Outline:

• It is important that the Take Our Kids to Work program commence with a mandatory safety orientation in the parent/guardian’s host department, to review pertinent health and safety awareness, workplace-specific risks and local safe work procedures.
• Ensure any required personal safety equipment (e.g. safety glasses) and written safety instructions (e.g.workplace safety rules) are provided to the student. Students must remain under supervision throughout the day.
• Under no circumstances shall students be permitted to operate motorized vehicles or farm equipment.

This year, several tours have been arranged in order to provide insights into unique facets of the Guelph campus, and to enable participation for those whose workplace is off limits for shadowing.

• These tours are available for limited group sizes and must be registered for in advance.
• Please indicate your interest in having your student join a tour, by tour name or number on the Release and Indemnification Form. No tours? Please indicate activities they will observe.
• Parents/ guardians: ensure your department dean/ designate or director/ designate approves your child’s attendance for the day.
• Parents/ guardians will receive confirmation of tour enrollment, if submitted to EHS by the deadline: Friday October 31, 2025.
• Parents/ guardians: make arrangements to get your student to and from the tours.