The Roofing Alliance Shares Auburn University’s Construction Management Summer Academy for Young Women

By Heidi J. Ellsworth, RCS Partner.

Rising high school junior and senior young women can apply today for this construction management camp.

The Roofing Alliance continues to work with construction management schools around the country.  There is an ongoing commitment from the Roofing Alliance to bring the opportunities within roofing to the next generation.  One of the universities that has been active from the beginning in the Roofing Alliance’s Construction Management Student Competition is Auburn University.

In fact, Auburn was the 2018 winning school with the Best Individual Presenter Award to Hannah Redifer, who has since graduated from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama.  She is now employed in the construction industry and is an example of the growing participation of women in the construction management field.

Continuing the tradition of strong Auburn women, the university is inviting young women to apply for the Construction Management Summer Academy for Young Women.  It is a program geared toward rising 11th - 12th grade female students interested in learning about the exciting and diverse career opportunities available in construction management.

This 5-day / 4-night camp is designed to:

• Provide hands-on and experiential learning activities incorporating construction drawings, materials/methods, and technologies
• Educate the participants on safety management principles, field operations, project management, preconstruction services and other key topics in the industry
• Encourage and educate the participants on professional career options available in construction
• Offer the participants opportunity to interact with McWhorter School of Building Science faculty, industry professionals and current students
• Provide positive experiences on a university campus

The great thing about this camp is that it is a scholarship camp, with students selected for the program receiving a waiver of the $800 camp fee.  This is an opportunity for young women to gain hands-on construction experiences while also visiting active construction sites and working in collaborative team exercises specific to the construction industry that will evoke critical thinking and develop deeper problem-solving skills.

According to Katherine Buck, an alumni of Auburn and now the Administrator of Student Recruitment for the College of Architecture, Design and Construction, “This camp will be a great experience for any young women considering university to continue their learning and exploration of the world of architecture, construction, engineering, interior design, and/or environmental design. The CM Summer Academy will give them the opportunity to complete hands-on and experiential learning activities incorporating construction drawings, materials/methods, and technologies. We will teach the students about safety management principles, field operations, project management, preconstruction services and other key topics in the AEC industry.”

The camp faculty advisor will be Lauren Redden, an Auburn Assistant Professor and a faculty advisor for the Auburn team who competed in this year’s Roofing Alliance Construction Management Student Competition at the 2019 International Roofing Expo®.  Lauren Redden received her Bachelor of Science in Building Construction from Auburn University in 2008 and her Master of Building Construction from Auburn University in 2009.  She has spent 6 years in industry working in both commercial and multi-family residential markets before returning to Auburn University in 2015 as a tenure-track faculty member. She most recently has taught estimating, project management, disaster recovery, and construction documents courses.  With her experience in the construction industry, as well as the partnerships she has formed with industry experts, she brings a high level of excitement to students to explore how construction managers contribute to the complex process of building and shaping the built environment.

For information and details on all Auburn Youth Programs summer camp opportunities, please visit  www.auburn.edu/outreach/opce/auburnyouthprograms/constructionmgmt.htm.  For any questions about the program or the application, please do not hesitate to email kmb0023@auburn.edu, call 334-844-4569, or visit our website at www.aub.ie/construct4women.