From the Publisher

By Elizabeth Valk Long.

Anyone who went to work last Wednesday had to notice that something unusual was going on. Everywhere you looked, mixed in with the regular crowds on trains, subways, sidewalks and elevators were new faces: young, eager, inquisitive, female. The occasion was the first annual Take Our Daughters to Work Day, a nationwide event sponsored by the Ms. Foundation. The idea was to boost the confidence and self-esteem of girls from 9 to 15 -- the age range, according to social scientists, when many girls somehow forget how competent they can be -- and to show them how wide the career opportunities for women really are.

TIME had the privilege of playing host to 43 young women, and the day was packed with activities. They sat in on an editorial meeting, watched art directors design a page of the magazine and found out how the publishing and marketing staff make sure our reporting and writing reach the widest possible audience. We wanted to include girls who weren't technically the daughters of staff members, and to give those on our staff without daughters the chance to act as sponsors. So goddaughters came too, as did family friends. And thanks to the efforts of editorial assistant Breena Clarke and marketing manager Lisa Quiroz, we also welcomed 13 girls from the High School of Graphic Communication Arts and from Public Schools 155 and 183, all in New York City.

By all accounts, the day was a tremendous success. Girls who started out a bit intimidated ended the day bubbling with enthusiasm over what they had seen. "I've decided to become a graphic designer," declared Lily Seaman, 12. "It gave us a chance to see how it really is in the workplace," said Joann Ayala, 15.

What the girls may not realize even now is how important the day was to the grownups who were their hosts. Sharing our work with these bright young people reminded us of how much we enjoy what we do.