Clad in hard hats, orange vests, safety glasses and gloves, thirty-nine high school girls are building a new garden area for the students of Katella High School and learning the ins and outs of the construction industry this week at Camp NAWIC, a week long day camp sponsored by the Orange County Chapter of the National Association of Women In Construction. The camp garden area project will feature a shady pergola patio area and a sizable garden shed. Raised planters and compost bins will allow organic gardening opportunities for students attending Katella High School for years to come.
Free of charge to the campers, the camp is designed to expose the young women to the many trades involved in construction and motivate them to explore career opportunities. The camp, in its sixth year under the direction of Lynne MacVean, CEO of Mammoth Electric, Inc., operates with the support of the construction industry for donations of material, instructors and funding. Major donors this year include Mammoth Electric Inc., Meyer and Reeder Inc., B & B Plumbing Inc., Clark Construction Group, United Rentals, GMU Geotechnical, American Concrete Institute, Valley Crest Landscape Companies, ECM, The Griffith Company, and many more.
Construction operates with a small percentage of women in the workplace – a mere 9%. The National Association of Women In Construction provides its members with opportunities for professional development, education, networking, leadership training, public service and more. Its core purpose is to enhance the success of women in the construction industry.
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Authored by Janice Ramsay-Gonzales, Healthcare Design & Construction