College hosts Young Manufacturers Academy
National Park College’s Innovative Technologies Center wrapped up the school’s third Young Manufacturers Academy Friday after a week of tours, sessions, projects and presentations about manufacturing.
The Young Manufacturers Academy at the college was held in 2015 in conjunction with nine other camps in the state. The camps were offered as the signature program of the “Dream It. Do It. Arkansas” program developed in partnership with The Manufacturing Institute, the National Association of Manufacturers, employers, the educational system, workforce development agencies and economic development organizations to address the critical shortage of qualified workers.
A school in Connecticut developed the program and its curriculum. The school partnered with the National Association of Manufacturers to spread the curriculum to other programs around the country.
The 2016 camp was made possible by grant funds provided by the Gene Haas Foundation, which awarded grants to 22 programs in Arkansas for academies in August. Grant recipients are selected during an annual application process.
This year’s camp is the first to be held in the college’s Innovative Technologies Center on Albert Pike Road. Enrollment included 25 students entering grades 6-8.
School districts represented included Bryant, Cutter Morning Star, Fountain Lake, Hot Springs, Lake Hamilton, Lakeside and Mount Ida. The class included students who attend Hot Springs Community School and several who are home-schooled.
The ITC recently welcomed Robin Pelton as its new director. She most recently as the business manager for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission’s Existing Business Resource Division.
Pelton previously was Aerospace Sector Manager for eight years. She said she is excited for a new challenge to link the center’s K-12 and community programs to those offered by the college and the National Park Technology Center’s high school courses.
“Each student has a different area of interest,” Pelton said. “On one day, they may be a little disengaged and then, the next
day, there is a different topic. You can see them come to life. That’s exciting.”
The week included an introduction into manufacturing, lean manufacturing activities facilitated by Arkansas Manufacturing Solutions, industry tours of Baxley-LogPro and Triumph Airborne Structures, hands-on learning about machining, physics and time in the Makerspace at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts.
Students were able to participate in activities inside the Be Pro Be Proud truck, which visited the ITC on Tuesday. The Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce launched the “Be Pro Be Proud” campaign in 2016 to address the skills gap in the state’s workforce.
Friday’s activities included presentations from Karen Kitchens, commercial banking relationship manager for Regions Bank, and Charlene and Justin Simon, founders and owners of multiple local businesses, including the Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium downtown.
“These kids have gone out to large manufacturers — what you have in your mind when you think of manufacturing — and today they get to hear from entrepreneurs about manufacturing they can start before they become adults,” Pelton said.
“There’s no reason you have to wait until you are 21 to start a business. If you can take this creative energy and funnel it into something you can make a business in, how awesome is that?”
Pelton oversaw activities throughout the week with Julian Post, ITC educational program coordinator, and Pam Castleberry, who manages all of the college’s summer camps for the Community and Corporate Training division.
The week concluded with a competition. Students built and raced their own miniature cars for their parents and other guests.