Vicksburg Warren School District hosts Manufacturing Camp

Published 10:17 am Thursday, July 8, 2021

Typical summer camps offer activities, which include arts and crafts, outdoor sports and swimming. 

But for some kids, camps provide the opportunity to visit local businesses and engage in hands-on skills not found around a campfire.  

During the first full week in June, students in the 7th through 11th grades from the Vicksburg Warren School District participated in a Summer Manufacturing Camp. 

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Funded through the Nuts, Bolts and Thingamajigs Foundation, an organization that aims to increase the number of people who enter manufacturing careers, the camp introduced students to concepts in manufacturing and entrepreneurship, Career and Technical Administrator at Hinds Community College Dr. Terence James said. 

“Mrs. Caitlin O’Brien taught students manufacturing skills, while Mrs. Kanisha Patterson taught students entrepreneurship skills,” James said. 

Students also had the opportunity to hear from Carl Hearn with Batesville Company and Dacondra Smith with LaClede Chain.  

As guest speakers, the pair’s aim was to help the students understand manufacturing concepts.  

Students were given a tour of both Hearn and Smith’s companies, where they got a birds-eye view of how each of the companies operate and the services they provide. 

In addition to learning about manufacturing and entrepreneurship skills, James said the students learned how to use 3D printers, TinkerCAD and Vectr in order to create objects such as key chains, logos and plaques.  

“The students also learned how to market products they created by developing business cards and shirt designs,” he said. 

At the close of the camp, the students presented a showcase that displayed what they had learned and the activities they had engaged in during the week.  

 “The Manufacturing Camp was offered as a summer career exploration activity for students who wanted to continue their educational learning and explore concepts in manufacturing,” James said. And with some features of the VWSD curriculum, he said the camp exposed students to manufacturing, entrepreneurship and 21st-century skills.   

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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