From plumbing pipes to repairing brakes, 40 youngsters from across the Lower Mainland sampled trades skills as KPU’s Faculty of Trades and Technology hosted a summer camp for the first time.
The 10- to 14-year-olds participated in a week-long camp at the Kwantlen Polytechnic University campus in Cloverdale, where they learned four different trades throughout the week: plumbing, electrical, millwright and automotive.
“We had a lot of feedback from community members saying they wanted to have a summer camp that was specifically focused on practical learning. So, this was a way for us to expose students to different trades,” says Laura McDonald, Dean of the Faculty of Trades and Technology.
The students were split up into four groups of ten and each day the group would learn a different trade.
“They were engaged in the learning activities and for many of the activities they did they actually had something to take home,” says McDonald. “For example, in the plumbing department they built a sprinkler from scratch and were able to hook it up and sprinkle the back lawn.”
A $20,000 grant from KPU’s Indigenous Leadership department supported the camp, enabling the integration of Indigenous teaching and learning practices alongside the hands-on trades training.
“A lot of the students that attended were homeschooled, so they don’t necessarily have the opportunity to have that practical hands-on learning,” says McDonald. “We’re also seeing a lot of schools don’t have the shop support right now and the availability to attend shop classes for the younger students.”
With positive feedback from the students, parents and instructors, KPU plans to host the camp again next year.