The “Let’s Build Construction Camp for Girls” enjoyed a field trip and hands-on, interactive learning experience during a tour of Barry Isett & Associates new headquarters on Wednesday, June 22, 2022.
Let’s Build Construction Camp for Girls (the Camp) is a free, week-long camp designed for middle- and high-school aged girls to explore construction trades, architecture, engineering, and construction manufacturing through hands on experiences and field trips. The Camp, now in its sixth year, takes place annually each summer and draws campers from throughout the greater Lehigh Valley region.
The group of 20 students heard a brief overview from company leadership on the decision to build vs. lease, the timeline involved in such a project, and various challenges along the way such as shutting down during the pandemic, supply chain issues, and labor shortages causing delays. They toured various stations throughout the active construction site to learn about each step of the building process, led by Isett associates representing twelve different departments in addition to architecture (MKSD architects) and construction management (Boyle Construction). Team members explained the path they took to get into the profession, what their department does day-to-day, and how their discipline fits into the building process. Students had the chance to fly one of Isett’s drones during an interactive presentation and had ample opportunity to ask questions related to the fields of work and career paths that would lead them to similar work.
Each of Isett’s 14 departments has had an active role in the building project, working alongside MKSD architects and Boyle Construction from the onset of the project, including land development and approvals, environmental due diligence, and multi-discipline engineering, and has remained active throughout the final stages of construction. The new, 21,000 square foot facility, located at 5420 Crackersport Road in Upper Macungie Township, is set to be occupied in Q3 of 2022 and will replace the company’s current headquarters on Route 100 in Upper Macungie.
About Let’s Build Construction Camp for Girls
Let’s Build Construction Camp for Girls is a program designed for middle and high school aged girls to attend a free week-long camp to explore the construction trades, architecture, engineering, and construction manufacturing through hands on experiences and field trips. The Camp’s goal is to ignite the spark within the girls to explore additional skill training in local career technical schools, and post-secondary training with a local craft training program, two-year or four-year college path in engineering, architecture, construction management, or any other construction related major.
About Barry Isett & Associates, Inc.
Barry Isett & Associates provides service to clients across eastern and central Pennsylvania in 14 engineering and consulting disciplines in Design, Field and Public divisions. The company was founded in the Lehigh Valley by Barry Isett in 1977. Now in its 45th year of operation, it has expanded to include eight offices in Allentown, Hazleton, Mechanicsburg, Phoenixville, Stroudsburg, Wilkes-Barre, Wyomissing, and Furlong. An employee-owned company, ownership of the firm is shared between Mr. Isett and company-shareholders. Isett has been named among the Top Workplaces in the Lehigh Valley for ten consecutive years. In 2019, 2020, and 2021, the firm earned a spot on the prestigious Best Places to Work in PA list.