June 15 to 17, 2011, three Facilities Maintenance students from ESJCC; Vision Dunmore, Ashley Leabo, and Lakeisha Lee, attended M.A.G.I.C. (Mentoring A Girl In Construction), a hands-on learning camp to educate young women about opportunities in the construction industry. The camp was run by N.A.W.I.C. (National Association of Women In Construction) and sponsored by several businesses and organizations including the Department of Labor Women’s Bureau and J.E. Dunn Construction. Activities included woodworking, welding, concrete finishing, and safety awareness. The girls worked in the union apprentice shops at the Kansas City Builders’ Association and were instructed by journeymen carpenters and welders. The camp was lead by a journeyman concrete finisher, Alise Martiny. Students made tool boxes in the carpentry shops and primed and painted them later in the concrete shop area. They also made designs in metal in the millwrights shop and were introduced to stick/arc welding and torch cutting. The girls had fun with all of the activities and they also made concrete stepping stones so they had a lot to carry home with them. They received t-shirts and tools including a pink hammer, a pink hardhat, safety glasses, gloves, a tape measure, and a carpenter’s pencil.

On the final day of camp the group was able to tour a J.E. Dunn construction site and ask questions of the project manager, a foreman, and the superintendent. Then they got to eat lunch at J.E. Dunn’s world headquarters which is a LEED Certified Gold building. After dignitaries from each of the sponsors spoke with the girls and some of their parents and camp instructors, the young ladies were given a tour of the J.E. Dunn offices where they saw cutting edge tools and designs and beautiful artwork.

Overall it was a fantastic experience for all involved.

Pictured left to right are; Ashley Leabo, Vision Dunmore, Career Transition Specialist Dee Franzen, and Lakisha Lee with their tool boxes.