Staff photos / J.T. Whitehouse ... Matt Putzier, Mahoning County Career & Technical Center culinary arts instructor and chef, observes as Austintown sixth-grade student Elizabeth Walls works with a whole chicken during the school’s Career Exploration Camp.

CANFIELD

About 100 area middle school students attended the Career Exploration Camp this week at the Mahoning County Career & Technical Center.

The students received an opportunity to work in high-demand fields such as robotics, engineering, medical professions, culinary arts, diesel power tech, public safety, early childhood education, software development, computer networking, 3D print and design and auto technology.

“These exciting and affordable camps provide a unique opportunity for middle schoolers to explore future careers, build practical skills, and have fun while learning,” said Jessica Cene, the center’s marketing coordinator.

The students selected fields they were interested in and received hands-on training. In one of the engineering classes, students assembled a vintage all-terrain vehicle.

“I found an ATV from the 1970s,” instructor Scott Davis said. “I totally dismantled it and brought all the pieces in. The students in the camp got to assemble it, and once done, got to ride in the finished machine.”

He said it was all about making it fun while being educational.

“The students got used to using a variety of tools and equipment,” he said.

Several students took the culinary class during the camp. They learned how to make dishes such as prosciutto and worked with whole chickens and uncooked, unsmoked, dry-cured ham.

Students said they enjoyed robotics classes where they assembled a robot and learned about its inner workings.

“I really liked the wheels we used for our robot,” said Columbiana sixth-grader Rivers Purcell. “We assembled the base for a robot. It was fun.”

Another tech class created an object on a laptop and printed it out as a 3D project.

The summer career exploration will continue with a Valley STEM Camp from Monday to June 18. This all-new, STEM-focused camp also will offer a variety of hands-on projects.

“(It is) perfect for curious minds who love to invent, build and explore,” Cene said.

To learn more bout the fields the center offers, visit www.mahoningctc.com.