Title
Commending Mentoring Young Women in Construction (MYWIC), a free, six-day camp that is available to girls in 7th through 12th grade and is put on by the NAWIC Philadelphia Foundation in conjunction with NAWIC Philadelphia Chapter and Girls, Inc.
Body
WHEREAS, Since 2009, women in the building trades have come together to show middle and high school-aged girls the possibilities of working in construction, carpentry, finishing, insulation installation, and more; and
WHEREAS, NAWIC Philadelphia Foundation, in conjunction with National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Philadelphia Chapter and Girls, Inc., started the Mentoring Young Women in Construction (MYWIC) day camp with just a handful of girls. Ten years later, there were 26 enrolled this summer, and enrollment continues to grow; and
WHEREAS, The free camp outfits each girl with a backpack filled with boots and socks, tools, and a journal. Each day, the girls travel to a different training center to get hands-on instruction from women in each industry trade. For example, over the course of a week, the girls will learn about woodworking, painting, hanging drywall and wallpaper, sprinkler fitting, and installing insulation. MYWIC has partnered with several of the local trade unions in the Philadelphia area to ensure the instruction is educating and rewarding; and
WHEREAS, The campers don't just passively learn about each industry either. For example, at their on-site visits at partner unions' training centers, the girls actively learn how to bend huge wire conduit pipes and also how to wire receptacles connected to a light bulb; and
WHEREAS, MYWIC also emphasizes pragmatic details like pay and benefits in the building trades. They tell campers about the prospect of getting done with work early in the day, about apprenticeships that pay for on-the-job training, and union membership. They especially emphasize union membership, in part because of its guarantee of equal pay for men and women; and...
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