Antonio Cangialosi arrived at camp having already worked for a contractor. The Westlake High School sophomore has learned he enjoys working with his hands, and he already envisions a future at Southern Westchester BOCES’ Center for Career Services.
“I am probably going to pick BOCES next year when it’s my time,” Antonio said. “I love being able to work with my hands and build things.”
Antonio is one of the students who enrolled during the second week of Career Exploration Summer Camp, a three-week camp held on the Career Services campus in Valhalla. Several of the programs in session allow students like Antonio to experience learning a trade—some for the first time.
For example, the Construction program kept campers busy with several woodworking projects. The students built birdhouses, jewelry boxes, and planters, and they also helped instructor Kurt Boysen remove sheetrock and worked on pipe fittings.
“We have really just been making things the whole time,” Antonio said. “Each day, Mr. Boysen tells us what we are going to do, teaches us the steps, and then we do it. I’m the type of student who understands something when I see it on the board, but I learn better by actually doing it.”
“A lot of these kids haven’t done anything like this before,” Mr. Boysen added. “For them, it’s the first time learning a trade, but they have done very well.”
In the HVAC program, instructor Moises Robles taught campers how to operate, test, and repair HVAC systems, including how to troubleshoot problems. Meanwhile, Electrical Construction instructor Jorge Lucero provided instruction on electrical work, including wiring a variety of switches.
Similarly, campers in the Automotive program were introduced to important tools and taught major elements of routine car repair, including oil and filter changes, tire repair and rotation, and how an engine works.
For many students, this introduction to highly skilled trades was eye-opening, and their teachers see strong potential.
“We want them to have fun and make it a good, positive experience,” said Peter Schwartzott, one of the Automotive instructors. “But they can now put this in their brain bank and might say, ‘I like working on cars. I want to continue doing this.’”
