The Alaska Contractor - Summer 2008

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BY HEATHER A. RESZ n May, the National Association of Women in Construction’s Alaska Chapter received the Region 9 “Construction Industry Benefit” award for its partnership with the Girl Scouts Susitna Council. For the second year in a row, the Alaska Chapter partnered with the Girl Scouts to provide a day of construction activities, called “Breaking New Ground to Build the Future,” for about 200 first- to 12th-grade students. Program coordinator Chris Jett said the chapter previously sponsored the Block Kids competition in the Anchorage School District as a way introduce students to careers in the construction industry. This year NAWIC members decided to expand the day’s events to include more in-depth learning about opportunities in the construction industry, she said. The March 22 Breaking New Ground event was divided into morning and afternoon sessions that moved Girl Scouts through various stations where they learned skills like using a hand saw, swinging a hammer, reading plans, using a power drill and screw gun, crimping conduit, read- Makenna Tresnak, with Brownie Girl Scout Troop 590, practices using a hand saw March 22 at a day of construction activities called “Breaking New Ground to Build the Future” sponsored by the National Association of Women in Construction’s Alaska Chapter and Girl Scouts Susitna Council. Girl Scouts completed a lesson on construction safety before moving onto the hands-on portion. About 200 first- to 12th-grade students participated. Next year’s event will move to larger quarters March 28, 2009, at the BP Energy Center.
Girl Scouts earned this patch for participating in the “Breaking New Ground to Build the Future” event. Girl Scouts in first through third grade built birdhouses from kits. ing a tape measure, mixing concrete and stripping wire. Jett said both sessions began with a general overview that introduced Girl Scouts to basic information about safety information and what contractors do. The day also included four separate Block Kids Competitions, with between 30 to 45 scouts in each. Jett said it was an interesting challenge designing learning opportunities that would be age-appropriate for students in grades first to 12th. Girl Scouts in first to third grades used a kit to build a birdhouse. While other Girl Scouts built note holders and miniature saw horses, she said. “Many people who love construction are more tactile by nature,” she said. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Associated Builders and Contractors of Alaska provided apprentices at the event who showed Girl Scout skills such as how to crimp conduit and how to strip wire and make connections. Jett said it was invaluable to have the young women apprentices working with high school students at the event. “They really saw them as role models,” she said. “It’s different when it’s a girl who is very close to their own age talking about the opportunities in construction.” After this year’s event, Jett said organizers met to talk about what they’d like to do different next year. At the top of that list is finding a bigger facility to host the 2009 event, she said. “We’d like to be able to accommodate as many as 500 scouts.” Jett said Girl Scouts also received a program patch to signify their participation and completion of the day’s projects. Senior editor Heather A. Resz is an Alaska writer who lives in the Wasilla area.
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Page 19 and 20: SAFETY Kevin P. Welker, KIEWIT BUIL
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Page 38 and 39: ilities during the few hours he was
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Page 49 and 50: A tourist walks along Fifth Avenue
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Page 54: Steel bridge team wins regional com
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Page 59 and 60: Past projects Other major past proj
Page 61 and 62: for the project. Coeur asked regula
Page 63 and 64: Kensington were estimated by Coeur
Page 65 and 66: “The Sutton job was a big overlay
Page 67 and 68: whether the second measure should b
Page 69 and 70: to the Fort Knox mine. Kinross Gold
Page 71 and 72: water ballot initiative. Parnell la
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Page 75 and 76: Aerial shot that shows the scope an
Page 77 and 78: As production drops, there will com
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Page 83 and 84: “My partner and I are fans of art
Page 86: The Politics of Construction Vote
Page 89 and 90: Graduates of CH2M Hill’s pilot pr
Page 91 and 92: continued Anchorage Museum Expansio
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The Alaska Contractor - Summer 2008

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