Summer Manufacturing Institute Camp to Take Place July 19-23
Launch the media gallery 1 playerThe North End Community Improvement Collaborative (NECIC) along with the Regional Manufacturing Coalition (RMC), Mansfield City Schools and EPIK are excited to host students in 5th through 8th grade participating in the 4th Annual Summer Manufacturing Institute Camp, a part of Senator Sherrod Brown’s call to engage Ohio’s youth with local manufacturing activities and opportunities in their home county. This year the camp will take place in person at NECIC’s facility with health and safety protocols in place.
This camp is open to Richland County resident students and is free to participants thanks to generous host and manufacturer contributions. Tyler Shinaberry of EPIK explained, “Last year’s virtual camp was such a great success that we saw this year’s camp fill up quickly! We are at capacity and so excited to introduce students to the opportunities manufacturing brings.”
Students will also be learning STEAM principles through projects, including a community project in which they will go through the process of designing the NCOIM’s (North Central Ohio Industrial Museum) entryway sign. During this exercise students will take an artist’s rendering and deconstruct it into a bill of materials, CAD file, and go through the process of procurement. At their final manufacturing visit, MAPCO (Lexington) will unveil the sign to the students and they will learn the manufacturing processes used to manufacture and assemble.
Students will start the week with a thorough discussion of safety and PPE from Laura Smith of the Ohio BWC. Following this, students will visit Mechanics Bank to learn about the significance of the bank and its manufacturing roots as well as its role with manufacturing as a business and banking in respect to employees.
Students will then visit partner companies Skybox; Nanogate; Mansfield Engineered Components; Stoneridge; and Nanogate with half day visits. Transportation for the students is being provided through a partnership with Mansfield City Schools and their ongoing efforts through local and the 21st Century grants.
On the final day, students will participate in the unveiling of the NCOIM sign and be the first tour in the museum’s official opening. Families will be invited to the North Central State College Kehoe Center for lunch and a tour of the programs, including College Now. Programs discussed and promoted through SuccessBound Ohio will be shared and we will discuss educational opportunities and pathways at home. The week will end with an awards ceremony by Senator Sherrod Brown’s office recognizing the merits of their participation.
Shinaberry said there are five main takeaways the camp hopes will instill:
- Manufacturing is very much alive and well in the community – it is the largest employer, including that of payroll.
- Manufacturing is critical to the prosperity of this community and security of our nation. Nothing is made without manufacturing.
- Manufacturing as an industry is much more than production. Manufacturers employ photographers; marketers; IT; human resources; maintenance/grounds keepers; purchasers; salespeople, drivers; and countless other roles – and these roles are critical to the success of the business.
- Manufacturing is not being replaced by automation and the people who work these jobs are people – not robots. They have families, live locally and the rewards of their work enable them to live great lives here in our community and achieve personal and financial goals.
- Last but not least, STEAM principles will be incorporated into the camp and connections made between what is learned in school and its application to manufacturing in all departments and in all ways possible.
“When students leave the camp,” said Shinaberry, “we want them to recognize that an education path can open up amazing opportunities and that there are many on and off ramps and our region has exceptional, free career and technical opportunities for students who are equipped and engaged. Following this education, manufacturing has countless job opportunities and will for years to come right in their home county.” To help do this, students will be going home with a career path concept and tools to navigate these opportunities moving forward.
Shinaberry said the resounding success of this camp has brought with it other regions asking for similar programs. He said he is happy to discuss how to get a program like this started in other communities. Anyone interested may contact Shinaberry at tyler@epikltd.com.