Camp builds A bridge between classroom and real world

Can you build a chair from newspaper?

That assignment, among others, was completed recently by participants in the first-ever engineering camp held at Isothermal Community College. Presented through a partnership between N.C. State University and Isothermal, the camp was offered to students in ninth and tenth grades. The camp was sponsored by the Facebook Forest City Data Center and the Region C Workforce Development Board.

"Applications for camp were taken earlier this year, and we have 30 students enrolled," said Dale Gaddis, director of the camp. Campers included those who already know they'd like to choose a career in engineering and also for those who might not have considered it as an option.

"It's really an exciting opportunity to reach kids who are making decisions of which way to go academically," said Mike Gavin, director of marketing and community relations at Isothermal.

Engineering was the joint of all that was done during the STEM-infused camp. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Coming into camp students may have only thought engineering was for those who choose careers in information technology or architecture. Throughout the course of the week they saw how engineering applies to other fields, like healthcare, as well.

"It's almost limitless where they can go with engineering," Gavin added.

During the newspaper chair assignment, campers were instructed to design a chair using newspaper. The seat of the chair had to stand at least one foot off the floor while holding weight and had to fit into a 10-inch-by-10-inch square on the floor.

Once students completed their blueprints they learned that they would not be building their design, but rather one from another group in the room.

"I once worked for Duracell batteries, and my first day on the job my boss wanted me to finish a project someone else had started," Gaddis explained. "You don't always get to do what you think you're going to get to do."

Students had to follow the blueprints as written, and once completed the design team could say whether or not the finished project was what they had in mind.

Camp instructors included Isothermal instructors like Gaddis as well as teachers from Rutherford County Schools. Some, like Matt DeCaprio, don't teach STEM classes.

"Dale asked if I would like to teach during camp, and I said 'I'm an English teacher.' He said 'Do you know anything about working with kids and groups?' and I told him yes," DeCaprio said.

Each summer the College of Engineering at NC State University offers high school students the opportunity to experience engineering, science and technology camps. Isothermal was a partner site.