Extending the ladder: Virginia middle school girls learn to build houses

RICHMOND, Va. --More than two dozen middle school girls in Richmond are attending a summer day camp to introduce them to various construction trades.

James River Air on Westmoreland Street is the site of the second annual National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) - Chapter 141 camp.

The campers include 14-year-old rising freshman Alyvia Petry. This is her second year at the five-day camp and construction is in her blood.

“My mom's a project manager so she was always built on construction,” Petry recalled. “My dad is always building stuff in the garage and was telling me to come help him.”

CBS 6 caught up with the campers on day one as they donned hard hats and reflective vests to learn the basics of construction.

They will learn everything to build a basic structure including skills in design, estimating, carpentry and framing, electrical, foundation prep, plumbing, HVAC, drywall, tiling, exterior cladding, painting, and flooring.

The campers learn life-long skills even if they do not go into construction.

Camp organizer Jessica Behmke described her duty as extending the ladder down to the next generation of women in construction.

“Typically, construction trades are not presented to young women, and we want to make sure they know that there is an option,” she explained.

Behmke has seen firsthand the increase of women on job sites versus when she first started working the construction industry more than 20 years ago.

Those individuals including women from the community, companies, and organizations are assisting the campers each day.

“We can't keep all the knowledge to ourselves. We have to share,” Behmke said.

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