For the past two years, the career center held summer classes to help students with COVID-related learning loss. Interest in that program has waned as the losses were addressed. But, the summer program was a beneficial one, so organizers didn’t want to give it up. This year, the program is open to students who have some interest in the offerings available.

“Let’s open this up for fun camps for kids,” Principal Jim Evers said.

There were two, week-long classes available for students going into grades eight and nine. “We had eight shops that could do it,” Evers said.

“Initially, we had 51 students sign up for week one,” he said. Of those, 44 attended.

Pictured in the photo is Brayden Frank honing his skills in mig, tig, stick, and flux core welding during his week in the program.

Those students learned from the instructors of the career center programs, and from fellow students with more experience.

“We have 23 students that have signed up to be helpers,” Evers said. “It’s been amazing, they’re really taken on a lot of responsibility.”

“This really helps my current students,” Welding Instructor Nate McNett said. “They help instruct. They troubleshoot. Students run into problems along the way and it forces them to problem solve.”

The career center has been working with community partners, from the advisory committee to Betts Industries, United Refining Company, Superior Tire, IWF, and others.

“We’ve had a lot of help making sure we have what we need up here,” McNett said.

Pictured are WCCC summer culinary program students (from left) Ethan Kent, Angelina Clemente, WCCC student helper Nathaniel Burroughs, Mason Moore, student helper Xander Lyle, and Jacob Zaffino as they gather around before preparing lobsters. Absent from photo were Brandon Wood and Destiny Babcock.

The Warren-Forest Higher Education Council has partnered to provide food and other support throughout the program.

Unlike a tour of the building, the summer program allows students to dive deeper into the offerings. “We give them a chance to see what we have and really try everything,” McNett said.

“We present it in a fun way,” Evers said. “We’re hoping to spark interest in the program. Maybe some of these students will enroll when they are eligible.”

Students in the various programs made tool boxes and checker boards, explored a fire engine, practiced some higher-level welding techniques, and prepared lobsters.

“This has been the best summer we’ve had,” he said.

Pictured are WCCC summer machine tech program students (from left) Carson Sobkowski, Sebastian Lawson, Keaton Destro, Case Owens, and Nakita Nelson showing off the checker boards and pieces they made as a project during their week in the program.

The students agree.

Braden Frank, an eighth grader at Eisenhower Middle High School, had seen welding. “Someone showed me,” he said. “I loved it and knew I wanted to do it.”

In the week-long course, he has practiced several types of welding, with pulsed mig being his favorite.

Allison Taylor’s father took welding with McNett. The Eisenhower eighth grader got to give her father’s trade a try during the summer program.

“I wanted to experience what my dad does for work,” Taylor said. She had done some stick welding before, but this week was her first experience with mig, tig, and flux core.

She was talked into the program by Miranda Gates.

“I was scared to come alone,” Gates, also an eighth grader at Eisenhower, said. While having Taylor with her was important at first, she is comfortable on her own, now. “They’re all willing to help give a hand,” she said. “I’ve learned not to be afraid to speak up.”

“Everybody wants more people to come here,” Taylor said. “They’re welcoming everyone that comes in.”

“They’ve made it simple to learn,” Peyton Arthurs, a freshman at Warren Area High School, said.

All three said Friday that they were sad that the program was coming to an end.

Like Taylor, Carson Sobkowski was looking to follow in his father’s footsteps. He was in the machining program for the week. “It’s what my dad does,” the Eisenhower ninth-grader said.

During the week, he and his classmates use a CNC lathe to make aluminum and brass checker pieces and a CNC mill to make an aluminum checker board. Some worked with the plasma cutter and sand-blaster, as well.

One student told Evers, “You guys should not call this summer school. It’s way more fun.”