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CONTACT: Wendi Patterson (805) 269-2677 OR wendi.patterson@unitedwestaff.com
Local Construction Camp a Success
Camp introduced young women to a traditionally male dominated industry
By Wendi Patterson
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Recent Righetti High School graduate, Shannon Reese, had never pictured herself working with sheet metal or cement, at least not until she attended MAGIC Camp (Mentoring a Girl in Construction). Since attending, Reese is proud of herself and can now say that she accomplished things that no one ever expected her to.
Reese was one of 22 high school girls to attend the Central California Coast Chapter National Association of Women’s (NAWIC) first annual MAGIC Camp during the week of June 21, 2010. The camp took place on the Cal Poly Construction Management Department campus of San Luis Obispo, California. Denise Riegel, the Chapter's M.A.G.I.C. Camp Chairperson explains, "Our girls had a unique opportunity to attend camp at a first-class university and were introduced to the lucrative opportunities available to them in the construction industry. Students learned about rough carpentry, concrete, they wired electrical switches and outlets, learned about solar energy, built sheet metal tool trays, and participated in a surveying exercise."
Cal Poly Instructors led the girls through carpentry and concrete projects. The IBEW/NECA and Tri-Counties Sheet Metal Apprenticeship program instructors taught several classes and shared the benefits of working with their unions. Representatives from Granite Construction presented a team-building project and students built strength-test bridges. Other speakers throughout the week presented information about women working in numerous fields of construction and discussed scholarship opportunities available within the industry.
When asked what camp activity she liked the most, Reece said that she enjoyed Granite Construction’s presentation and bridge activity. “I loved the bridge activity because it was related to engineering and problem solving and I enjoyed creating the tool tote. Afterwards I felt really accomplished,” she said. In her “thank you” note to the NAWIC committee, Reese conveyed her gracious and heartfelt gratitude for the opportunity to attend. “Thank you for putting on MAGIC Camp,” Reece said. “Thank you for enabling such a wonderful program for young women.”
NAWIC is a not-for-profit organization providing educational and networking opportunities to local women affiliated with the construction industry. The Central California Coast Chapter of NAWIC, sincerely thanks Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's Construction Management Department and the California Center for Construction Education for their awesome support, facilities and instructors. Especially thankful to the sponsors who’s donations enabled them to make camp one hundred percent free to all of its attendees. Local industry champions include JR Barto HV/AC, United Rentals, Contractors & Developers Bonding, Granite Construction, Clark Construction, Devcon Construction, Halsell Builders, Smith Electric, Turner Construction, XL Construction, E&J Electric, Inc., United Staffing Associates, Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction, Russco Office Interiors, SC Builders, Allamakee West Construction, Inc., TCB Builders, Vernon Edwards Construction and Girlgear Industries.