From blueprints to reality: Camp builds new future for young women

CANFIELD, Ohio (WKBN) — The construction industry is big business and one that doesn’t include a whole lot of women. A local group is set on bulldozing that barrier with a summer camp that’s turning those plans from blueprints to reality.

This isn’t your typical summer camp, located in Canfield.

“I’ve really enjoyed working on the shingles and roofing,” said Elle Barnes, 11.

And these campers are constructing a new narrative driven by Girl Power.

“I think I like doing the studs more. Hammering them together , ” said Elyse Ritchie, 16. “I think that’s really fun.”

“One of the things it [does for the girls] is it builds their confidence and they realize, ‘Wow, I can do that!'” said Shelly Higgins, managing trustee with Let’s Build Construction Careers.

For the next five days, 20 young ladies from as far away as Pittsburgh are hard at work learning the tricks of the trade in the construction industry during the third annual Let’s Build Construction Camp at Mahoning County Career & Technical Center.

“Ifeel like it’s really valuable for young ladies to learn construction,” Barnes said. “It’s like we’re breaking down barriers. Saying, ‘Oh, girls can do anything they need to.’ You just have to set your mind to it.”

From shingles to siding— there’s plenty to hammer home. Campers learn from seasoned pros about manufacturing, building science and more.

“They start out kind of hesitant and by the end of the week, they’re soaring. You see this huge transformation. They’re just willing to tackle the world,” Higgins said.

It provides a chance for them to see — and then do — in a hands-on classroom that’s full of cutting edge lessons.

“I’m not a very good visual learner, sitting-at-a-desk learner. I need diagrams and to work with my hands to really learn something. I can’t just read about doing this stuff — I need to actually do it,” Ritchie said.

The camp helps open their eyes to future career plans, but also lays a foundation for a skill set that will pay off later in life.

“When you need work done on your house, it’s crazy expensive. To be able to do something on my own would save a ton of money and I’d feel really proud of it,” Ritchie said.

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