Students get taste of hands-on manufacturing
by Bethany Kemming
Staff Intern
For students at Camp Build My Future, summer is all about discovering and learning the tasks they may use in a future career.
Devika Toolsee (left) and Sabrina Gonzalez examine a motherboard in the classroom.
“I want to be a hardware engineer and design the actual computer parts,” student Viktar Pisarchyk said. “Desk jobs may pay more, but I want to do something I like.”
From July 11 to 20 at Anoka Technical College, around 15 to 20 campers had hands-on experience in mechanical drafting, automotives, electrical engineering and welding. Campers made their own toolboxes, designed products with computer-aided drafting tools and made a mouse robot, “Herbie the Mousebot.” For the automotive portion, students learned how to change tires, brake rotors and oil. Students also toured the local manufacturer Pentair.
“We give kids a hands-on opportunities in a lot of manufacturing trades… parents in that type of trade are usually interested,” Camp Director May Szenay said.
On the last day of camp students took a strengths test to find out which activities they are best at, followed by a graduation ceremony for their families to attend.
Students were usually divided into two different groups to rotate the activities they tried, but were all in one group when they made the robot.
“They get really competitive… the girls were actually faster at the automotive things than the boys,” Szenay said.
Anoka Technical College instructors teach the classes and often receive help from present and past Anoka Technical College students.
Anoka Technical College student and volunteer Sheryl Satalino said she was surprised by how many students had heard about these trades and specific skills through their parents.
“I’ve been very impressed… it seems like they have a decent grasp on what those areas cover,” Satalino said. “I get to watch how their minds work, it makes me wonder what they’re like in the classroom.”
Students’ interests lay in a variety of areas. Devika Toolsee said she enjoyed the automotive part the most, while Sabrina Gonzalez said she enjoyed the mechanical drafting.
“I enjoyed the automotive, because you got to blow out the air bag,” Kenneth Alo said.
Camp Build My Future has been held at Anoka Technical College for the past five years.
The camp is a partnership of ZAP Camp and Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, and is open to 13- to 16-year-old students from Minnesota.
Teachers and counselors at Coon Rapids and Jackson middle schools recommended students who received high scores to attend a meeting where they watched a video about the camp and were given the opportunity to sign up.
Students attend for free, and funding is provided through grants from the Minnesota Center for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence and Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs.
John Ratzenberger, known for playing Cliff Clavin on the TV series “Cheers,” cofounded the Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs Foundation.
There are 10 Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs camps taking place across the country this year.
According to a press release, the camp is designed not only to provide hands-on experience, but fight against the skilled labor shortage in the United States.
Bethany Kemming is at bethany.kemming@ecm-inc.com
