CWA Foundation Brings Welding to Summer Camp

Summer camp students at St. Joseph High School, Edmonton, may have been apprehensive at first, but in short order excitement took over, while their imaginations ran wild with all of the possibilities of turning metal into something cool.

The inaugural CWA Foundation Mind over Metal welding camp was held Aug. 4-8 and Aug. 11-15, 2014, for at-risk students in grades 7 to 9. The camps were designed by Ken McKen, CWA manager for Western Canada, and St. Joseph High School welding and fabrication instructor Dayton Block.

“It was very encouraging seeing how their interest towards the welding profession increased as they were more comfortable and started to work on their projects,” said Deborah Mates, executive director of the CWA Foundation. “There were moments when I noticed such great teamwork and how enthusiastic they were when they completed their projects that were completely moving.”

“It was a great and rewarding experience teaching the kids all about the welding profession in a safe environment where they could explore and have fun with their creativity,” said Block.

McKen was also impressed by the students’ passion for welding and their creative abilities.

“For beginners who never donned a welding helmet before, they sure were engaged. And the creativity they showcased with the types of projects they welded was impressive. The kids had a blast, and we had a great time teaching them, so it was a win-win for sure,” said McKen.

The two welding camps that were part of a pilot project funded by the CWA Foundation are just the beginning as more camps will start up across the country over the next several years to further bring awareness to the vast opportunities in the welding profession.

Valerie Larocque, mother of Cheyanne, a camp attendee, said her daughter had a great time at the camp because of the hands-on component.

“She received a lot of knowledge from the camp,” Larocque said. “Cheyanne really liked it and enjoyed herself. It was a great learning experience for her.”

Cheyanne, 12, a grade 7 student, said her favorite part of the camp was meeting new friends and learning how to weld the different projects.

“It was a lot of fun,” she said. “I really enjoyed building the chandelier.”

All of the positive feedback from parents and campers was very encouraging, and it provides a solid foundation to host more welding camps in the near future, said Mates.

“Hearing all the great anecdotes from the kids during their time at the camp and wonderful words from parents really makes this all worthwhile and gives us a positive reason to continue and expand the camps. At the end of the day, seeing firsthand how the camp provided them with a platform to express their creativity while meeting new friends and understanding the great opportunities in the welding profession was the goal,” said Mates.

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