BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Give a girl a hammer, and she can drive in a nail.
Send her to Lehigh Valley Let’s Build Construction Camp at Lackawanna College Bethlehem Campus, and she will learn to build a future.
“We teach them about the trades, about not just carpentry, masonry, plumbing, we teach them architecture and some engineering, and we expose them to manufacturing,” said Janet Grazul.
15 year old Karline Cornelio is one of 20 girls who have learned how to build walls, wire electrical, and install plumbing and windows.
“I really like working with my hands,” Cornelio said. “Construction has always been something that I felt was cool and interesting.”
This is the 10th summer the camp has given girls ages 12 through 18 a glimpse into a world dominated by men, showing them that there’s a place for them as well.
“One of our original campers is now a plumber,” Grazul said.
Grazul is the director of the camp. She’s also an architect, so she knows what these girls are going through and what it can do for them.
“I was 10 years old when I wanted to be an architect,” she said. “Their confidence level goes up, their self-assurance, they’re just, you know, the teamwork leadership comes out in some of them that they, you know, just really blossom.”
And that’s exactly what it’s done for Karline, who is already making plans.
“I would like to be an engineer, a civil engineer,” Cornelio said.