WVUP Kids’ College wraps up

holding their certificates

West Virginia University at Parkersburg partnered with Hino Motors Manufacturing, out of Mineral Wells, to provide cobot and welding training to students during Kidsá College.

Kidsá College is an annual program, mainly taught by WVUP faculty, that introduces youth to various college courses and career paths. WVU Parkersburg hosted three weeks of classes in June, where students could pick four subjects per week. There were approximately 40 students in attendance each week. Topics included: Arts and Crafts; Media Studies; General Programming; Welding; Beginner Drawing; Chemistry; Farm Technology; CoBot; Bookmaking; Archeology; Music Technology; Photography; Tree-riffic Trees and Plants; Intro to Making; Geology; Space and Rocketry; Journaling; Bird-O-Rama; and Music Technology.

Roger Thulasi, senior production engineer at Hino and cobot instructor, taught students what cobots are and how to program them. A cobot is a collaborative robot intended for direct interaction with humans in a shared space. Thulasi said this partnership is important because it helps students engage with newer technologies.

âWe believe these kids are the future,ã said Thulasi. âHino wants to reach the kids in the community and support them.ã

Ed Shaw, maintenance manager and welding instructor, said in his class, students learned about metal inert gas (MIG) welding and proper personal protective equipment (PPE) usage. For their final project, students welded their initials onto metal plates. Shaw said it is important to introduce youth to welding as it is the backbone of our world and is responsible for creating many of the commercial products we use daily. WVUP also worked with Jennifer Wallace, program assistant at the WVU Extension office in Wood County, who taught Bird-O-Rama and Tree-riffic Trees and Plants.

âI feel these subjects are important to teach the children because they should understand their roles as stewards to the earth and how we can protect our natural resources ä and that nature can help us too,ã said Wallace.

Throughout the program, students brought designs to life in the WVUP Makerspace, launched rockets made out of 2-liter soda bottles, went on an archeological dig, learned how to milk a cow, and created their own movies, among other things.

âWe are pleased with the Kidsá College 2023 reboot. The kids enjoyed experiencing new opportunities and engaged in their classes, and numbers exceeded expectations,ã said Abby Campbell, Workforce and Economic Development division program coordinator. âSeveral kids commented that they donát normally like school; however, they loved Kidsá College. We look forward to bringing back this experience for eight to 12-year-olds each summer and only look for this program to grow.ã

About WVU Parkersburg: West Virginia University at Parkersburg, established in 1961, is a life-changing institution for the students and communities it serves. The college offers over 50 degree programs, workforce development, short-term career training programs and community education classes. WVU Parkersburg is also the only community and technical college in West Virginia to offer bachelorás degrees, and it is home to WPKM 96.3 FM, the first community college radio station in the state.

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