CALGARY — True story.
My partner teaches English to adult academic learners.
A couple of years ago, one of her younger students arrived late to class. She’d had a flat tire. When asked if she’d changed it herself, she got a puzzled look on her face, and replied, “What’s a spare tire?”
That wouldn’t have happened if she’d attended Auto Masters For Girls, a new summer camp offered by SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary.
The camp is just one of several tailored specifically by SAIT for girls who, during a week in the summer, might want to explore a new interest – or one that previously seemed out of reach.
“(Auto Masters) is a week-long camp that introduces students to the fundamentals of car maintenance,” said Rozlynn Wick, strategic youth initiatives co-ordinator at SAIT Polytechnic. “For example, they learn about the different engine fluids, what they’re for and where they go, and how to change a tire.”
The idea behind the For Girls camps occurred when Wick said she saw female campers enrolling in a ‘non-traditional’ style of camp – such as welding.
SAIT Polytechnic, Driving
Auto Masters is also offered as a mixed gender camp in SAIT’s Planes, Cranes and Automobiles section – together with Extreme Diggers, Gear Heads and Go Cart Racers. Most of these camps, with the exception of Extreme Diggers and Gear Heads Jr., are available for kids in grades seven to nine. Extreme Diggers and Gear Heads Jr. are offered to those in grades four to six (www.saitsummercamps.ca).
“Our mandate is to provide an authentic learning experience for students, and to allow campers the opportunity to explore areas of interest and gain skills in a fun environment,” Wick said.
The idea behind the For Girls camps occurred when Wick said she saw female campers enrolling in a ‘non-traditional’ style of camp – such as welding.
“They’d get to the mixed camp, find out they were the only female in a group of boys, and drop out of the camp,” Wick said. “Learning a new skill and being the only female can be a bit overwhelming, so we developed the For Girls camps to foster a comfortable environment where they can pursue whatever their interests might be.”
Auto Masters in particular is limited to a group of 12 campers, and the instruction takes place in the Clayton Carroll Automotive Centre at SAIT’s main campus.
The camp is interactive and hands-on. Students work on an actual vehicle, going under the hood and getting under the chassis to learn more about mechanics and in turn, the automotive and heavy equipment industries.
The camp is led either by students from within SAIT’s automotive program or past graduates.
Campers arrive at 9 a.m., and stay until 4 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break. There are also breaks for recreation. Wick said students are gaining about six hours of instruction each day during the week.
One of the school’s mixed camp programs is Go Cart Racers.
SAIT Polytechnic, Driving
Another camp that might be of interest to those wanting to learn more about automobiles would be Go Cart Racers. This is a mixed camp opportunity.
“Working in pairs, campers build their own push go carts,” Wick said of the program. “The carts come as a kit, and the campers have to assemble them. They have to follow instructions, and there is a lot of problem solving involved as they build the cart and install the wheels, steering column and brake.
“When they’re done, there’s a quick go cart race here on the campus.”
Visit www.saitsummercamps.ca, call 403-284-7248 or email summer.camps@sait.ca for more information.
Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have a column tip? Contact him at 403-287-1067, gregwilliams@shaw.ca, or visit gregwilliams.ca
