TekStarz is Jonesboro Unlimited’s summer technology camp. Students visit local manufacturing companies and learn about career opportunities in the manufacturing industry.

 

“This camp is a great opportunity for rising 8th and 9th graders to experience firsthand what happens in a modern manufacturing facility. The technology and high-end processes provide a true glimpse of what advanced manufacturing is. Each partner also provides explanations about careers in manufacturing and technology so students get a better understanding of opportunities right here in Jonesboro,” said Director of Workforce Development & Existing Industry Shelle Randall.

 

Activities included building butterfly houses, tours through production facilities, and learning about workplace safety. At Hytrol, the participants built a conveyor and assembled signs using teamwork and problem-solving skills. They also earned about the many career opportunities Hytrol offers.

 

“The TekStarz campers were surprised to learn about the wide range of opportunities available to them at Hytrol and excited to hear that, regardless of their interests, they can find a career here. To start thinking about and preparing for that career while they are still so young gives them a huge advantage,” said Hytrol’s Manager of Academic Partnerships Christy Valentine.

 

On the final day of the camp, the program has a family night. At this event, campers show their families what they created throughout the week and discussed what they learned.

 

“It’s a way to expose the parents to the great careers for their children, too, so they can support and guide career decisions that their students are making. The camp is a fantastic, fun way to interest students in technology and manufacturing career pathways and to retain this young talent and keep these bright kiddos right here in Jonesboro,”

said Randall.

 

Jonesboro Unlimited, the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce, and ASU-Newport sponsor TekStarz, along with grants and assistance from the Workforce Training Consortium, industry partners, and the Foundation of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, International.

 

To learn more about Jonesboro Unlimited, visit their website.