I am glad there's a positive story. Not feminising's fault that the stories here are mostly angering/sad.

I am glad there's some good news. If I had a daughter I would totally do this!

Rock on. I wish I would have gone to a camp like that when I was a kid!

I am just discovering the trades after spending the last 10 years of the traditional college/desk job route. Women can do it and, ultimately, many of the trades can be far more rewarding in the long run - monetarily, physically, mentally, etc. There needs to be more focus on putting the word out there that the trades are viable careers. One of the groups I love with all my heart is Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. Check them out here: http://www.tradeswomen.net/

Follow the link to see their amazing video: http://www.tradeswomen.net/pathways_video.php

Dude, awesome. Programs like this and Childrens Pressline make me go all mushy inside. Kids somewhere are getting a good education! Now if only that somewhere were Texas...

Heh. I misread the headline at first and wondered how the hell a wedding camp could possibly boost girls' self-esteem. Read correctly, it makes a LOT more sense. Fun with torches!

i wish i'd had a chance to go to a camp like this.
As a rather shy young woman, it never occured to me that i could weld. my sister was lucky enough to take a steel industry sponsored shop course while she was in architecture school...and only then did it occur to me that i too could weld. I took an 'art' shop class while in architecture school and learned that welding is THE BEST,followed by rivetting, and using a metal brake...and that i hated power wood tools. Since i was an apartment dweller, after i finished school, my welding skills went unused until i took a class in lampworking. It's not the same as working with a welding torch, but it's still FIRE and i master it. After a couple of hours on a torch i feel more relaxed than if i'd had a massage or a facial. I am so happy and a bit envious of those lucky girls. Go Vermont!!!!

I used to work in the scene shop at my college theatre, and when we did Hair we needed to weld frames for this huge false proscenium. The day before I came into work our tech director tried to teach two of the guys in the shop how to weld. They failed. The next day I came in and he handed me the torch and some scrap metal and showed me the basics, and, long story short, I got the job and did almost the entire frame. About this time my sister was taking metal shop in HS and kicking our dad's butt at welding (he's been doing it for 30 years).

During the week that I was building the proscenium, people would walk through the shop and comment that all the best welders they'd known had been women. Rock!

Great stuff- more programs like this will do great things
for gender equality.

Oh, sweet!

I took several industrial-arts classes in high school despite persistent harassment from the boys who took them with me. Welding was my favorite part of it and I miss it immensely.

The removal of sexism from the equation would make it even better, and I'm so glad for all these girls---and also jealous as hell.

Hey, don't apologize for puntastic headlines. I like puns.

Yes, more puns, please! Bring on the puns! Hot cross puns!

Oh, and the story described kicks ass too.

Awesome. : )

That is so cool!!

And it's opening a whole new world for those girls - as well as teaching them that tools aren't just for the guys!

By the way, speaking as a New York State licensed burner, I am really impressed at the artwork that those kids were able to make.

It's HARD to control a cutting torch - and even harder to control the welding machine.

You really can't see anything execept the flash of your torch once your helmet's down, so I'm truly impressed that they were able to have that much control, and make those intricate designs (I know I couldn't do that!).

Too bad they don't have more programs like that for girls...

That is so cool!!

And it's opening a whole new world for those girls - as well as teaching them that tools aren't just for the guys!

By the way, speaking as a New York State licensed burner, I am really impressed at the artwork that those kids were able to make.

It's HARD to control a cutting torch - and even harder to control the welding machine.

You really can't see anything execept the flash of your torch once your helmet's down, so I'm truly impressed that they were able to have that much control, and make those intricate designs (I know I couldn't do that!).

Too bad they don't have more programs like that for girls...

Thank you for giving this program some publicity. My fiance's daughter (7 years old) has a welding manual, and she wants to take lessons one day. I emailed the camp's link to him as soon as i saw this.

I want to go! I hope this program spreads. Anybody know of other programs? I took a blacksmithing class a few years ago and loved it.

And on an interesting cross-cultural note, the women in my Moroccan village and in Syria loved my Rosie tshirt because she was strong and wore a headscarf. She was always a great conversation starter. So far in my experience, Rosie's been the best U.S. ambassador in the Muslim world.

I've always wanted to take welding, but I've always been too intimidated to. Maybe I'll give it a try b/c Moxie+Fire=Teh Awesome!!!!

Yay Vermont! What a great program. Although I'm a little jealous that this program didn't exist when I was younger. Any program that tells girls that their activities are limited because of their gender is a good thing.

Someone had asked about other similar programs. I know a few people who went through the Step Up Program for Women. The program teaches (typically low income) women a trade such as carpentry, plumbing, or electrical work, and then helps them find a job in their field. Women are also placed with mentors (other women in their field) to offer advice and given some classes on basic life skills like financial management and interviewing skills. It's a superb program for helping women find a job with a livable wage.

Sweet. My mom's been wanting to learn to weld for a long time. I'm too afraid of burning myself.

Oh, thank god!! At first I read the title of this post and saw "Wedding Camp" and I was about to lose my shit.

But no. Sweet relief. It is WeLding Camp!! Yay!

I can only imagine how much fun that would be. I always wanted to try welding when I was a kid. The closest I got was wood-burning, alas.

I remiember how intimidated I felt around the equipment in my shop class in junior high. The teacher actually discouraged the girls from using it.
I think that camps like this are so important. Like the girls said, not only have they learned new skills, but they have gained confidence. I'm sure this experience will help them a lot when they get a little older and are trying to decide on careers.

I learned how to weld in college. I'm a total pyro, and I love to build things, so it was awesome. Look at it this way- it's as easy (or easier than) as sewing, but the finished product is ALOT stronger. I would have been all over my dad to send me to this camp, had it been around when I was younger. Dang! Lucky girls.

Oh yeah! Right after I left high-pressure high-tech years ago I took an intro to welding class at a local voc/tech school. The instructor there, an old-school guy by the say, was very clear that it was a shame that a) girls hadn't been encouraged more to take welding back before b) most high schools started dropping shop classes altogether.

Especially if you stick with oxy/acetylene cutting and welding there's just not anything really more dangerous about welding and working with steel than there is in, say, wood shop. And as the instructor said, why settle for a minimum-wage job flipping burgers on a grill in college when almost anyone can earn better money making or repairing those grills.

Since then I've encouraged every kid I know, and not just girls, to think about at least taking an intro course. I don't think many have taken me up on it but it's *still* gott a be a huge boost to know you can learn to do that kind of work on those kinds of materials even if you never wind up working in that field.

figleaf