Delanee Stuve spent the last week in June learning to weld, lay bricks and install drywall. Most impressively, she successfully wired a three-way light switch.
“For some reason, they trusted a bunch of teenagers to do that,” Stuve, a student at Des Moines’ East High School, laughed.
The 16-year-old was among 30 girls who were part of a free construction camp created by the Iowa Department of Education for girls ages 14 through 18. They spent the week exploring multiple career opportunities in the construction industry through hands-on activities hosted by various organizations.
The camp, which is in its third year, is designed to help girls explore a career field that is nontraditional for their gender, not only through hands-on activities, but also through hearing from other women in the field.
“Part of it is being able to network and hear about the experiences of women that are already in the field, and then the hands-on (part) is really one of our biggest selling points,” said Jeanette Thomas, an education consultant with the Iowa Department of Education.
“We’re also trying to address that need for the skills shortage that we have in the trades,” she said.
Many of the girls, who come from rural, urban and homeschool settings, have family members who already work in construction. The camp helps some find their niche, giving them the opportunity to explore multiple facets of the industry.
Over the program’s three years, Thomas said she’s seen an increased dedication…
