New skills keep campers focused

Welding, information technology and CPR classes are popular interests of discussion for Tri-City area young people attending Camp Exploration 2016 at South Central Louisiana Technical College, Young Memorial Campus, in Morgan City.

The program started Monday and runs through Friday. Camp participants are exploring careers in nursing; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; information technology; welding; and commercial diving.

Activities include hands-on exercises, arts and crafts, and science experiments. Attendees created metal dragonflies and received certification to perform CPR and first-aid on adults in emergency situations. The certification expires in two years.

“It’s been great,” Young Memorial Campus Director of Student Affairs Tammie Moore said.

“They were able to make the dragonflies out of copper wire or copper piping,” Moore said. “They learned how to braise and use the torch. They were really excited about that.”

“It’s been fun, interesting,” Berwick Junior High seventh-grader Jude Vasquez said. “It’s just something to do.”

His most interesting activity is welding and making dragonflies. It’s the most fun activity he’s participated in so far.

“We got to do hands-on stuff, soldering,” Vasquez said. “We heated it up. Then when it got red we put the top on it and melted the two pieces together.”

This is the second year Berwick Elementary fifth-grader Noah Castaneda has participated in the program. He’s enjoying the summer program.

“I think I’m going to enjoy the most … CPR training,” Castaneda said. “And we’re getting our credentials. Truly, I want to be a nurse in the Marines. So, I’d really be able to work my way up learning basics and everything else.

“We got to solder Tuesday. That was probably one of the most fun things. And we got to do IT.”

The IT session “taught us how, pretty much all technology since 2000 to now has actually advanced,” Castaneda said. “And everything that they have now they didn’t have back then.”

Morgan City Junior High seventh-grader Emily Carter is learning something new every day. She wants to be a veterinarian and says the nursing session comes close to helping her reach that goal.

But like the others, IT and making a dragonfly were a hit.

In the IT session, “the instructor made a computer play a game,” Carter said.

Creating a dragonfly posed a challenge for Carter. With some assistance from her instructor, she was able to finish on her own.

“The instructor helped us,” Carter said. “But we put together the pieces by ourselves.”

Watching Marine Division Instructor Melissa Ganaway demonstrate CPR techniques on the mannequin made the process look easy. As soon as it was the campers’ turn, the task was not as easy to perform.

With focus and determination, many quickly got the hang of it.

“It’s good to learn how to save a person’s life,” Morgan City Junior High seventh-grader Jaleel Broussard said. “For some, I’m prepared to do what I can until emergency (services) comes.

“If I don’t have an AED (automated external defibrillator), I’ll just do the chest bumping (compressions). And it depends on who it is that I’ll do mouth to mouth, if I have plastic tape or something.”

The youth’s certification status is the same as an adult.

“A lot of people think that children can’t handle emergencies,” Ganaway said. “But you would be amazed at what these children retain.

“If someone has an accident in the water or someone is drowning with all the kids swimming for the summer time, it’s going to better prepare them for that as well.”

There are 14 students in the program ages 12-15, with a few exceptions.

The commercial diving course is set for today. The instructor will show students the effects and use of decompression chambers in the industry. Also, what it does to the lungs, Moore said.

Afterward, students will go to the nursing session. One of the activities includes recreating a system in the body.

“If they use the circulatory system, they will use yarn,” Moore said. “Noodles are used to duplicate the brain. And balloons represent the kidney and liver.”

The students will also learn about intravenous therapy.

The Friday session will wrap up in the business department. Students are making PowerPoint presentations about careers they want to pursue in life.

The program’s goal for participants is “any information they learn over the week will help them make a decision or give them guidance or direction into what they want to be in the future,” Moore said.

“I did this last year,” Castaneda said. “… I really wanted to do it this year as well not knowing what we would do. We pretty much did the same stuff. This year I guess we kind of get a little bit more advanced in certain things and learn different things.”