April 26, 2007

Special to the Wallace State Web site. Reprinted with permission from
The Cullman Times.

CARCAM workshop held Tuesday

By Karen Williamson
The Cullman Times

About 30 teachers from high schools around north Alabama visited Wallace
State Community College Tuesday for the college's first Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math Camp orientation.

The workshop, held in the Bailey Building Auditorium, was held in
cooperation with the Consortium for the Alabama Regional Center for
Automotive Manufacturing, which is comprised of faculty and
administrators from five two-year colleges in Alabama's Automotive
Corridor. Joe Hendrix, a Wallace State electronics instructor, said the
purpose of the sessions is to help recruit students into an automotive
technology degree program. The workshops provide teachers with
information on STEM Camps for high school students and on automotive
manufacturing career opportunities, he said. In addition, participants
learn how to build robots and were eligible to win a robot for their
classroom.

Hendrix said Tuesday afternoon the workshop seemed to be a success.

"From the response I got, I think it went very well..." he said. "We're
using [the workshops] as a recruiting tool to interest high school
students in technology and technology-related fields."

At STEM Camp, set for June 11-15 and 18-22 at Wallace State, students
who qualify to attend will have the opportunity to learn about career
opportunities at nearby suppliers and manufacturers including Honda,
Mercedes, Toyota, Hyundai, and International Diesel, and can tour Topre
and Rehau. Applicants must be entering their sophomore, junior or senior
year in the fall of 2007, must have a "C" or better in Algebra or a "C"
or better in math class during the 2006-2007 school year and must be
recommended by a counselor or math/science teacher, according to
Hendrix.

Hendrix said the STEM Camps are paid for by a grant from the National
Science Foundation.

Participants who complete the camp will receive $100 and daily mileage
reimbursement, according to Hendrix.

Colleges in addition to Wallace State that make up CARCAM are Central
Alabama Community College, Gadsden State Community College, Jefferson
State Community College, Trenholm State Technical College.

  Kristen Holmes
  Director, Communications and Marketing
  Wallace State Community College
  P.O. Box 2000
  Hanceville, AL 35077
  256/352-8118
  E-mail: Kristen.Holmes@WallaceState.edu