High school girls learn construction tricks of the trade at Cuyahoga Community College

EUCLID, Ohio - While most high school students hung out at the mall or beach during their summer break, a group of high school girls learned how to use a drill and jigsaw Monday at construction summer camp at Cuyahoga Community College in Euclid.

The goal of "Mentoring a Girl in Construction" (MAGIC) Summer Camp is to empower more women to pursue careers in the construction industry. According to the National Association of Women in Construction, only 9 percent of construction workers are women.

"We want girls to find out all the jobs that are actually available to them in what is stereotypically considered to be a male dominant industry," said camp director Amy Hewis.

Trade professionals from National Association of Women in Construction Cleveland Chapter #156 were on hand to lead the girls on a tool box making project. During the one-week camp students will learn about tools, safety, carpentry, masonry and electricity.

Eleventh grader Charnell Storrs of New Tech at East Tech College Preparatory School in Cleveland liked the hands-on approach of the camp.

"It could teach you a lot," said Storrs. "It could show you how to fix things around your house if something is broken. Instead of paying somebody, you can do it yourself."

Eleventh grader Tara Myers of Perry High School in Lake County was interested in becoming an architect. She wanted more women to get in the construction industry.

"Men do think that it is a guy job," said Myers. "It would be great if girls could do it to and then they would prove them wrong and that would be nice."

At the end of camp, each student received a starter set of tools and certificate of completion.