KAPOW SENDS AREA STUDENTS INTO 
THE WORKING WORLD
KAPOW Partnerships on the Increase -- 
Leading Nation In
introducing young children to the world of work

Children cannot wait to grow up. They play doctor, 
businessperson, police man. They mimic adults. But 
one day they will be grown-ups -- entering the workplace 
and deciding on a career. The foundations built now will 
help them down the road. Children lack proper exposure 
to the opportunities that lay ahead. They need to understand 
the value of an education that will lead them to these options. 
Local businesses are giving students a special 
heads-up -- creating the foundation for developing children’s 
perception of the workplace through the KIDS AND THE 
POWER OF WORK (KAPOW) program.

KAPOW -- a national network of business-elementary school 
partnerships designed to introduce young children to the 
workplace – brings trained volunteers from partner companies 
into elementary classrooms once a month on the premise that 
the basis for a successful future should be established when 
children are most impressionable. Companies such as Lucent 
Technologies Publix Supermarkets, Pillsbury, Burger King, 
Smith Barney, and American Airlines as well as small businesses, 
medical centers and government offices bring students behind 
the scenes – demonstrating the diversity that exists within their 
dynamic organizations and in the work force as a whole. In 
addition to see the variety of career choices within the workplace, 
students also learn about the importance of interdependence 
between those jobs. And, as the success of KAPOW spreads 
through word of mouth, more and more area businesses are 
jumping in on the action.

A program of the National Child Labor Committee, KAPOW 
follows a specially-designed model wherein teachers and 
business volunteers focus on making connections between 
learning in the classroom and entering the workplace, exposure 
to career options, and critical topics such as teamwork, 
and communication. Through the hands-on activities in a 
professionally designed curriculum and accompanying worksite 
visit, elementary school children learn and practice workplace 
skills – forging strong connections between school and career 
that can be continually reinforced throughout their formative 
years.

A recent completed two-year study funded by Grand Metropolitan 
Inc. and conducted by Brandeis University’s Center for Human 
Resources, confirms the wide impact of KAPOW in the 
communities in which it operates. The conclusions indicate a 
substantial effect on the outlook of children – KAPOW 
is helping elementary school students learn about 
various kinds of work influencing their 
values on education and leading them to 
recognize the application of classroom skills to life on the job.

Moreover, a significant number of workers in KAPOW  
companies note a newfound appreciation for their jobs and 
their employers, and a subsequent change in their motivation 
and work habits as a result of their volunteer activities in 
KAPOW.

Students want to know why they have to learn. KAPOW  
addresses this by demonstrating that a good education now 
is the key to success down the road -- a notion often overlooked 
until the latter part of high school. And while the "real world" is 
a long way off for these elementary school children, KAPOW  
undoubtedly teaches a variety of employability skills, inspires 
many to start thinking about the future, and makes students aware 
that focusing on education now will lead to their success in the 
long term.