Vicksburg resident Tim Clapp, 15, left, tries on a helicopter pilot’s helmet while Sgt. Timothy Lovato of the 412th Engineer Command, center, and fellow campers, from left, Stephanie Keller, 17, and Michael Gaston, 16, look on Tuesday at the 412th Engineer Command Headquarters. A UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from the Mississippi Air National Guard 185th Aviation Group in Jackson landed at the headquarters where the campers are staying this week. (C. Todd Sherman The Vicksburg Post)

[6/11/03]Twenty-seven high school students stood in awe as a Blackhawk helicopter from the Mississippi Air National Guard 185th Aviation Group from Jackson touched down as part of a new summer camp program.

The students are in Vicksburg for a week to connect the dots between their lives and possible careers as designers and builders.

“The purpose of this program is to encourage the field of engineering to these students so that they may pursue it in college,” said Steve Pranger, a chemical engineer and a member of the Vicksburg post of the Society of American Military Engineers. A chapter in Louisiana is co-sponsoring the Engineer and Construction Summer Camp.

Throughout the week, professional engineers and mentors are working to interest the students in engineering technologies, applications and practices.

The students are touring the Vicksburg National Military Park, learning about concrete design, discussing leadership and team building, studying the Mississippi River for stabilization and navigation, and discussing wetlands and how to protect them.

“This program was designed to show the relationship between the field of engineering and the military,” said Michael Winkler, curriculum coordinator and civil engineer based at the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory at the Engineer Research and Development Center. “I hope the campers see the different aspects in construction and military eyes.”

Most of the activities are centered at the Engineer Research and Development Center at Waterways Experiment Station. The federal reserve is one of the Army Corps of Engineers’ largest scientific institutions.

Campers are housed at the Army’s 412th Engineer Command, not far from Waterways.

“My mother and father work in engineering fields, and I would also like to work it,” said Ellen Wakeley, a Vicksburg native who will be a senior at St. Aloysius High School.

“I am a good student in math and science, so engineering is interesting to me,” said Henry Lawrence, a junior from Brandon. “This camp will also look good on a college application.”

“This has been a lot of fun. We have so many smart kids here,” said Josh Hardy, a counselor from New Orleans.

“I have learned that there is a lot more to engineering besides math and science. It’s also a lot to do with leadership,” said Bryndan Blasingame, a junior from Jackson. “I would do this program again if it is offered next summer.”

“Not only did I make friends, but I learned a lot about Vicksburg,” said Michael Gaston, a junior from Madison.

“This program is ideal for Vicksburg because this city is the core of engineering excellence,” Pranger said.