Students Form Lasting Bonds in Explore Welding Camp at Southeastern Career Center

Thirty-five students from across SEI received hands-on experience through the basic principles of MIG welding.

Photo provided.

(Versailles, Ind.) - Genesis: Pathways to Success held its third camp of the week, as a part of A Summer of STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, & Mathematics) at the Southeastern Career Center in Versailles. A total of 35 students from across Southeastern Indiana attended Explore Welding Camp, where they received hands-on experience through the basic principles of MIG welding.

Students were given the opportunity to work with welding instructors at the Southeastern Career Center where they cultivated necessary skills for the trade - beginning with a discussion about safety and equipment and subsequently applying those principles to the hands-on craft. Over the course of the day, students took turns cutting metal into segments, cleaning their cuts, welding them together with different joints, and grinding their final products. The camp served as an introduction to the basics of welding, and provided attendees with a view into the work of the high-demand, high-wage trade. The camp intended to provide attendees with enough information to help them discern a potential future career path, or illuminate an area of personal interest.

James Bruce, an instructor of Welding 1 at the Southeastern Career Center, reflected on the purpose of the camp, saying, “To pique the interest of the kids to give welding a try and to see if it is a field they're interested in going into. There’s a lot of fields where robotics can’t weld, and it's very hands-on, so it provides a wide range of places they can find employment in.”

The hands-on approach was of great value to the campers, many of whom indicated that learning through ‘doing’, and applying classroom skills to simulated situations, gave them a glimpse of what these careers are really like. In a world where classroom knowledge is, for good reason, valued, the consensus among the participants was that engagement with welding was a refreshing change of pace from traditional disciplines of study.

For Cameron Kissel, a rising 8th grader from East Central, Middle School Explore Welding Camp affirmed his perceptions of the profession, where he shared, “In this camp, I learned how to bubble weld, which is a good skill for welding. Learning like this is valuable because welding is a good skill that you can use to earn a lot of money and turn it into a career.”

Genesis: Pathways to Success would like to thank the Southeastern Career Center and all of its volunteers for their time, wisdom, and passionate teaching. These up-close experiences were invaluable for every camper, and allowed each to learn more about welding.

If you would like to learn additional information about this summer camp, please visit www.genesisp2s.org. If you have questions regarding A Summer of STREAM, please contact the Director of Genesis: Pathways to Success, Clarice Patterson, by emailing cpatterson@genesisp2s.org, calling 812-933-1098, or visiting 13 E. George Street, Suite B, Batesville, IN 47006.