Elite Research, LLC Inspires Future Researchers through the Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day Program

With 2013 marking not only the International Year of Statistics, but also the 20-year anniversary of the Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day program, Elite Research decided it was the perfect opportunity to spread the word about statistics and inspire the next generation of researchers.

Senior Editor Jordan Jackson teaches   students what it's like to be an editor.

On Thursday, April 25, 2013, children of Elite’s employees participated in activities designed to teach them about statistics, editing, marketing, and human resources. President René Paulson noted the significance of the day in exposing children to the concept of the workplace from a young age. “I felt that Elite’s participation in the program was important in showing students the value of education, especially because the majority of our employees have advanced degrees,” Paulson pointed out.

Human Resources Manager Eileen Flaig also reflected on the importance of the Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day Program. “It gives the children an opportunity to see where it is that their mom or dad goes to every day, who they interact with, and what they do,” stated Flaig. “The kids saw that there are many different skill sets needed for a company to work; we are not all good at math [like the statisticians], we are not all grammar experts [like the editors], but everyone has their role to play.”

The elementary-aged students first learned about the interview process before participating in mock interviews and becoming “hired.” They toured the office, went on a scavenger hunt, and shadowed and interviewed their parents about each of their unique positions.

Because statistics are the heart of Elite Research, students also listened to a brief presentation about research and statistics. Next, they conducted their own research to determine employees’ favorite color, which one 7-year-old explained would be helpful to know for “decorating the office or designing a company logo.” Data collection consisted of a face-to-face survey in which participants had three answer options: red, yellow, or blue. The students compiled their data into a table, which revealed that blue was the most popular choice. However, 9-year-old Ben noted that some participants had requested additional color options such as green and black. This led to a discussion of what the students would do differently if they were to conduct the study again; they ultimately decided that this was a pilot study that warrants further research.

Students learn about marketing and create their own    advertisements.

Elite Research also has a professional editing department where students brushed up on their grammar skills. Senior Editor Jordan Jackson reviewed the parts of speech with the children and discussed how editing was like completing a word puzzle. “I was really impressed that the kids knew so much about the different parts of speech,” Jackson confessed. “They could accurately identify an adverb from an adjective, which is more than some graduate students can do!”

Finally, the students learned about marketing and advertising. They reviewed several different advertisements and discussed what they liked about them before creating their own ads. Each student presented his or her ad to the Elite team in the conference room. The following is a standout quote from Ben’s ad: “Editing? Statistics? Marketing? Well come to Elite Research. Have you ever had too much stuff on one screen? Well you’ve come to the right place!” (Note: The majority of work stations at Elite’s office have two computer monitors instead of one, which fascinated the students.) Visit facebook.com/eliteresearch to view the students’ ads for yourself.

Flaig concluded, “Ben liked the variety of activities, but designing the ad for Elite was his favorite. He said he’ll come and work for us when he turns 14—and then that’s when I went over the Child Labor Laws with him.” Elite Research is a global provider of editing services, statistical consulting, and more.

Elite Research supports academic, corporate, medical/health, and nonprofit researchers in designing, collecting, analyzing, and reporting efficient and accurate results.

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