Kent State University’s Child Development Center and University Facilities Management teamed up to host the fourth annual Meet the Trucks event. Children at the center interacted with a variety of construction and grounds vehicles used by University Facilities Management.
Heather White, grounds managers for University Facilities Management, approached Terri Cardy, outdoor educator for the Child Development Center, in 2013 about bringing the vehicles to the center for the kids to enjoy. Since then, Meet the Trucks has been a staple event each fall.
“University Facilities Management is the closest neighbor to the kids,” Ms. White says. “They [the children] see us all the time, and they wave. So, I talked to Terri Cardy, and she said, ‘Oh, they would love it,’ so every year now, we like to come.”
This year, the kids were more excited than ever to explore the equipment. Many ran straight to the dump truck, a favorite among the children for its loud horn, Ms. White says. Along with the dump truck, the kids expressed awe at the bucket truck that hoisted an operator dozens of feet over their heads. While many children were excited to watch the operator, others jumped up on a leaf blower truck, backhoe truck, compact truck loader and a compact excavator.
“Giving the kids a chance to see the equipment we use around here; they really enjoy it,” says Wayne Corbett, an equipment operator. “Every time we come back to our shop, we see them and honk the horn and wave. That’s the highlight of our days.”
Most of the equipment operators have been at Meet the Trucks all four years.
“They say they love it just as much as the children,” Ms. Cardy says. “They look forward to it. It’s a lot of the same people each year, and they love telling the children how each machine works. The children are very attentive to it; they’re curious about them.”
“Meet the Trucks is a great event for the kids and the operators,” Ms. White says. “University Facilities Management can’t wait for next year already.”
For more information about Kent State’s Childhood Development Center, visit www.kent.edu/ehhs/centers/cdc/mission-statement.
For more information about University Facilities Management, visit www.kent.edu/ufm.