 |
| OCTOBER 2004 Vol. 5 • No. 29 |
| The Bi-Monthly Newsletter of The Society of American Military Engineers · www.same.org |
|
SAME Engineering & Construction Camps SAME/U.S. Air Force Academy Camp The Air Force Academy's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering hosted the 5th Annual SAME Engineering and Construction Camp held at the Academy's Field Engineering and Readiness Laboratory (FERL) in Colorado Springs, Colo. The camp exposed sophomore, junior and senior high school students to the engineering profession and the military lifestyle. Sixty students from 26 states, Germany and Korea arrived at the week-long camp on July 4. Camp participants- nine girls and 51 boys 0 were grouped into six "flights" that competed intensely with each other in construction-related activities. The camp's "Build, then Design" approach emphasized hands-on learning with students combining their resources to build the best team shed, sprinkler or concrete beam. Sure, there were uneven frames, leaky sprinklers and beams that were a "bust," but the "Build, then Design" approach enabled students to learn from each other because they could see the physical, mechanical or structural strengths or limitations immediately. Events were graded based on completion time, quality of work and efficiency. Flights were also awarded spirit points based on their teamwork and motivation. The trial by fire approach and points system for product, quality and team spirit, enhanced the competition and provided ample learning experiences from technical and teamwork perspectives. At the completion of the camp, the flight with the highest point total was recognized at a graduation ceremony. The success of the camp was due in part to the volunteers. Four Air Force Academy cadets and two Coast Guard Academy cadets led the six flights. In addition, two mentors were assigned to each flight to impart their broad engineering knowledge to the students. The 12-member mentor staff consisted of three Air Force officers, two Army officers, and seven civilian engineers with government contract experience. SAME/Seabees Engineering & Construction Camp On July 24-30, 2004, the SAME/Seabees Engineering and Construction Camp was held at Port Hueneme, Ventura County in California. Thirty-nine students from all over the United States and the world, including students from Korea, Japan and Germany attended the week-long camp. Students were divided into four squads of approximately 10 students to participate in engineering activities such as cardboard canoe construction/racing, concrete testing, shed construction and engineering related tours, as well as team activities such as hikes, volleyball tournaments and a special Seabee Olympics. During the activities, students interacted with professionals who work in various engineering fields including construction, concrete design, environmental, energy, hydrodynamics, electrical, mechanical and R&D. The students learned how to work as a team as well as by themselves. Sheds constructed during the camp were donated to the local Habitat for Humanity for use as backyard storage units for local housing projects. The Seabee Camp was made possible through the hard work of forty-three volunteers who served as staff and mentors. These volunteers represented the U.S. Navy, the Indian Health Services, the Air Force, the Coast Guard Academy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the New York/New Jersey Port Authority, Wallace Engineering, Sundt Construction and Albreck Gerken Inc. Sustaining Member corporations from Ventura County, Orange County, and Los Angeles County provided event support. Special Acknowledgement for Camp Sponsors Special thanks to the following SAME Sustaining Member Companies and Public Agencies for their support to the SAME Engineering and Construction Camps. Air Combat Command, USAF |
