The day began with CBP children reciting the Oath of Citizenship along with Larry Lewis, Assistant Port Director New York/Newark. Mr. Lewis quizzed the children on their knowledge of CBP practices and citizenship brain busters.

	click for hi-res Photo: Susan Sheridan, Textile Team, Customs Laboratory, Newark, New Jersey and Frank Qiu, Textile Team, Customs Laboratory, Newark, New Jersey

Next, CBP Officers from the Explorer’s Program set up a fingerprinting station where each child added information for a pre-made passport. While some children waited for pictures and fingerprints to be taken, other children were allowed to browse stations around the main conference room which demonstrated the many occupations of CBP such as Agriculture Specialist, Import Specialist and CBP Officer.

A tour of the CBP Lab located at Raymond Blvd. was next. Laura Goldstein, Director, Custom Laboratory, Newark Field Office, organized a hands-on look at how the Lab is used. The children were all given their own pair of safety goggles and were on their way. Children were able to look through microscopes, identify different fibers, use state of the art radiation detectors and learned about how fingerprinting is used to solve crimes.

The K-9 presentation followed and did not disappoint! Children were introduced to Lily, a currency sniffing dog, who was able to show off her skills to a cheering audience. Led by her handler, CBP Officer Steven Ajami, Lily obediently walked up and down a line of children and sat next to the child who held a hidden item. After Lily was done working, each child was able to pet the dog.

click for hi-res Photo: William Ermolowich, CBP Officer, Firearms, Newark Port of Entry

After lunch with their parents, the children were surprised with another K-9 from the Beagle Brigade. Agriculture Specialist Nidhi Singla brought in Noah from the Beagle Brigade. The children watched as Noah sniffed through bags to identify agriculture products that could potentially be hazardous if permitted entry to the United States.

Our last event of the day was a tour of the CBP Range also located at Raymond Blvd. by Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer Lorraine Ernest. During this tour children were able to try on helmets, bullet proof vests, gloves and were taught defensive tactics by CBP Officer’s from the Training Team. The children were also able to get hands-on again and participated in simulated learning along with training CBP Officer’s. Each child had an opportunity to assess a simulated interaction with a criminal to determine if it was a life threatening situation where CBP Officer would need to use their firearm.

The program concluded with an Import Specialist giving the young audience an inside look of the dangers of counterfeit toys. The Import Specialist quickly got the children’s attention by dressing up in a counterfeit Darth Vader costume to begin the presentation. At the end of the day, the children were sent home with a greater understanding of CBP and how their parents play a part in keeping our country safe.