Over the course of 2 years, we have upped our ante on volunteering in high schools. Leaders of our company gathered and asked, “What can we do as a company in making sure we are thriving within our community and giving back to our youth?” Our answer; is to give back to high school students trying to prepare for their career options. We have always volunteered for organizations near and dear to our hearts, but lately, we have a pull towards helping our youth figure out what they want to do when they grow up or at least provide solid information in helping them go through the process of figuring it out. What are we doing you ask? In the last 4 months, we found ourselves helping with Junior Achievement projects throughout York and Adams Counties. We’ve also helped Juniors with mock interviews for their graduation requirements. Our sheet metal department on request has provided demos and tours at our shop to students interested in figuring out if working with their hands is something they are interested in. For us, Walton & Company, it’s a win-win, the kids get a sense of the real world with the various programs the schools partake in, and we get the sense of accomplishment in helping young minds.
One of our activities at Dover High School was to proctor the NOCTI exam.
The students had to:
- Layout a rafter
- Troubleshoot a small engine issue
- Set up and read a farm level
- Wire a light switch and socket
- Layout a pattern and cut it out using an oxygen/acetylene torch
- Buttweld (2) ¼” plates utilizing Stick weld (SMAW)
Ten students participated, each test was 30 minutes, and it was timed.
Another volunteer activity for us was at Eastern York High School with Junior Achievement. High Schoolers engaged in fun activities to gain knowledge and skills necessary for successful independent living.
We don’t do it for the accolades, but it sure is nice to feel helpful to these students:
Question from Junior Achievement: “What was the most meaningful part of your REAL-Life experience? Why?”
Answers from Eastern York Students: “The game, we had Mr. Rob Cook. He was wonderful.” “When we played the Life game with Robert Cook, we had the chance to learn about the chances in life while having fun.”
Question from JA: “If you had the chance to personally thank the volunteers, what would you say?”
Answers from Eastern York Students: “I would say thank you to Robert Cook he has many stories to relate to all my group members.” “I would thank Robert Cook because he was very fun and made connections with us while talking about our futures.”
If you know of a school that isn’t on our list, or you think we would be a great fit with a local school, we would love to be a part of your community for cooperative education initiatives. Helping students reach their potential and gaining insight into how our mechanical contracting company works is our goal. Please reach out to Bob Cook at bcook@waltonco.com for any interest.
