By Tyler Barth
PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - Three hundred children had the chance to discover their parents’ workplaces at the arsenal’s 20th Bring Your Child to Work Day, combined with Introduce a Teen to Engineering Day, on Thursday, April 23.
Participants were grouped by age, separating those 12 and younger from the teenagers, and received their own age-appropriate activities. Both toured the arsenal with opportunities for hands-on learning, learning how math, science and more are used in supporting the warfighter.
According to Armaments Center Records Manager Jane Krueger, the event, which started in 2006, has grown popular to the point of needing a waitlist, with more than 500 signups this year. Due to security reasons, only 300 children may take part, 200 children and 100 teens.
Participants toured the Rapid Prototype Facility’s machine shop, took photos with the M1A1 Abrams and the M109, and learned how 3D printing is being used on the battlefield, among other activities. Additionally, teens learned about job opportunities at Picatinny, including fire and emergency services, resource management, safety and planning, and Army Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR), and could even pass on their resumes if they had them on hand.
New to this year’s teen tour was the Experimental Verification and Validation Assessment Lab. Here, the teens saw how the body reacts to stress in real time, including its acute stress response, commonly known as fight or flight. They experienced motion capture technology to show how computers track body movements and checked out eye monitoring and heart rate data capture hardware as well.
Krueger noted that several employees of Picatinny were once children who showed up to Bring Your Child to Work Day.
“It’s [about] the kids, and it’s [about] the smiles on their faces. Just seeing the impact of this event, and how it’s changed kids’ lives, it has helped them think that this is what they want to do, to have several who are now employed at Picatinny is a testament to hosting events like this,” Krueger said.
Additionally, said Director of Family and MWR Andy Ciccolella, this event allows children to understand in an age-appropriate way both what their parents do for work and why their parents’ jobs are so important.
Feedback this year was very positive, and next year’s event, scheduled for Thursday, April 22, looks to be just as good if not even better.
Among the employees who brought their children in for the day was Aerospace Engineer Piotr Czerechowski, who brought son Noah and daughter Sabina.
“My son is always talking about labs, science and engineering work. It’s exciting, seeing this interest develop in science and technology, with that little spark I had when I was a kid and got me invested,” he said.
| Date Taken: |
05.12.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
05.12.2026 19:18 |
| Story ID: |
565086 |
| Location: |
PICATINNY ARSENAL, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: |
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