Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southeast hosted a “Bring Your Kids to Work Day” event at its headquarters, June 3, onboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville.

The event encourages kids to get involved in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

“It’s important for us to engage and inspire the future generations of young scientists, engineers, and problem solvers” said NAVFAC Southeast Commanding Officer Capt. Miguel Dieguez. “We can do this by sharing how fun STEM fields can be.”

The 85 children, with ages ranging from preschool through college, were divided into age appropriate small teams then participated in 9 different educational sessions. Areas included financial management, environmental science, information technologies, land surveying, energy efficiency, fire protection, and more. 

The event gave kids the opportunity to not only learn about what their family member(s) do but also how to work together as a team to finish a project - one of the key benchmarks that makes the NAVFAC Southeast team so successful.

“Bring Your Kids to Work Day brings families together and employees from different communities and also builds new relationships that strengthens the Command,” said Industrial Engineer and coordinator of the event Joey Burnett. “Our team members worked hard to put together some very educational and exciting activities this year.  Witnessing kids’ faces light up and having fun was the best reward I could have hoped for.”  

Kids, parents and staff alike shared in the fun that is the diverse fields that span NAVFAC Southeast.

“One of my fondest memories as a kid that steered me towards a career in natural resources was meeting a large Burmese python and seeing the passion of the person who was leading an education show at a local zoo,” shared Tony Daly-Crews, biologist. “I grew up terribly afraid of snakes and that interaction helped me get over my initial fear which blossomed into a passion, and later a career in conservation and natural resources.”

To share his passion for animal advocacy and conservation, Daly-Crews brought in his 33-year old red-tail boa, named Muggy. The ambassador boa was a very popular attraction who inspired a lot of engaging questions about snakes and their role in our ecosystems.

“I am thankful for all the people that overcame their fears, shared stories, and maybe changed a few minds about how they feel about snakes and wildlife in their backyards,” said Daly-Crews.

After the presentations, the children and their family members enjoyed lunch and static displays of U.S. Navy equipment, including a helicopter, firetruck, and vehicles used by the Seabees. The Seabees are the Navy’s Construction Battalion that build essential infrastructure at U.S. military locations around the world.

“My favorite part was the snake and the surveying because that’s something I take interest in,” said high school senior Ashlyn Barr. “After graduation, I’d like to go to trade school or join the military – like the Seabees to learn construction. When I get older I’d like to start my own construction business who does the operations and everything.

Many of the kids and parents expressed their appreciation for the hard work that the NAVFAC Southeast staff put into making this a wonderful day and are hoping to do the event again next year.