Honolulu CC’s Construction Academy to name new Gundam Champion

Summer exploration program celebrates 84 high school students

Honolulu Community College
Contact:
Billie K T Lueder, (808) 845-9187
Communications & External Affairs, Chancellor's Office
Posted: Jul 8, 2014

Gundam metal robots created by the high school students.
Gundam metal robots created by the high school students.
Students building model homes using their CAD skills.
Students building model homes using their CAD skills.

(Honolulu) - A new Gundam Champion will be named for their exceptional craftsmanship and creativity at a special recognition ceremony on Wednesday, July 9th.  84 high school students entering grades 10 – 12 and recent 2014 graduates from 16 O‘ahu high schools will successfully complete the Honolulu Community College Construction Academy Summer Program.

Construction Academy Recognition Ceremony

Wednesday, July 9, 2014
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Norman W.H. Loui Conference Center
874 Dillingham Blvd., Building 2, Room 201

Media Inquires: Billie Lueder at (808) 295-2467

The student teams were tasked with designing and fabricating a one-of-a-kind metal robot figure named after the anime metaseries, Gundam.  Their mini gundam prototypes along with other handcrafted projects will be on display for family and friends at the recognition ceremony.

“The goal of our summer program is to ultimately give our students the chance to experience a little bit of the college campus scene," explains Julian Tyrell, Construction Academy Summer Program Coordinator,  "Students get the opportunity to get hands on training in various trades, giving them the opportunity to make informed choices, so that they can steer their own futures."

The students were admitted to Honolulu CC for the four-week summer program. First-time students were exposed to five different trades (carpentry, welding, sheet metal, small vessel fabrication & repair, as well as architectural, engineering, and CAD technologies).  Twelve students are returning for their second, and in some cases, third summer with the program.  These students participated in an advanced curriculum featuring carpentry and welding. 

The Construction Academy Summer Program started with 12 students in 2008 and has grown over its six-year existence. The summer experience is an extension of the Construction Academy that is in approximately 30 high schools across the state during the academic year filling the gap of industrial education in the public schools. The program was established through a grant funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and continues to operate solely on legislative funding. 

“With the future workforce projection in the construction industry, we are able to provide career exploration that will eventually lead students to Honolulu CC to obtain a certificate or degree in a specific career or technical program eventually providing an entry point into the workforce,” Tyrell shares. 

View photo gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/honolulucc/sets/72157645174041398/

ABOUT HONOLULU COMMUNITY COLLEGE

For more than 90 years, Honolulu Community College has been serving the community as a comprehensive community college in the heart of Honolulu meeting the post-secondary educational needs of individuals, businesses, and the community.  The College offers 24 programs, 27 degrees, and 39 certificates.  A member of the American Association of Community Colleges and the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers, Honolulu Community College has been continuously and fully accredited since 1970 by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and College

                                                                     ###