2023 Summer Welding Workshops
The Department of Agricultural Sciences will be hosting several welding workshops this summer for teachers and students from across the country. The workshops include:
June 19th-23rd: Ag Equipment Maintenance & Technology CASE Institute
School-Based Agricultural Education teachers from across the country will participate in an intensive training that prepares students to enter the agricultural technician field through hands-on identification and cause and correction of equipment failures in electrical, fluid, diesel, precision, and mechanical systems. At the competition of the training, the teachers will receive a certification and access to the AEMT curriculum developed by CASE. In AEMT, students will learn how electrical, fluid, diesel, precision, and mechanical systems function. Then they will use their mechanical skills to identify and communicate the cause and correction of equipment failures. The course exposes students to the newest agricultural technologies that support equipment industries while connecting them with future employers. Development of the CASE Agricultural Equipment Maintenance & Technology course was made possible by a 3-year National Science Foundation grant, and TXST is the first institution to host this training outside of the grant recipients.
July 17th-21st: Women of Welding (WoW) Camp
The WoW project promotes STEM-based careers for women in the welding industry. The major component of the WoW project is the WoW Camp, where secondary women (n = 28) interested in welding related careers are invited to participate in an annual five-day welding camp held at TXST. Two women welding educators have been identified to serve as welding instructors and mentors during breakout sessions at dinner each night. Additionally, key professionals from various fields in the welding industry will share career opportunities, advice, and industry insights as nightly guest speakers. WoW Camp is intensive: participants will engage in activities ranging from welding career exploration to virtual reality psychomotor skill development to hands-on experiences in our welding laboratory. Camp participants will have unique access to the TXST Agricultural Mechanics Virtual Reality lab and will utilize the Lincoln Electric VRTEX 360 virtual reality welder and Lincoln Electric REALWELD virtual assisted welder to improve welding capabilities throughout the weeklong camp.
July 31st-August 10th: Agricultural Mechanics Academy
The Agricultural Mechanics Academy is a ten-day intensive professional development training designed to provide 20 teachers from across the country with the knowledge and skills necessary to teach secondary students. Participants will receive three days of small gas engine instruction focusing on twelve modules. Each module is designed for teachers to replicate each discussion and activity in their own classrooms. The electricity portion of the Academy will lead participants through several modules including Safety, Electrical Tools, Electrical Connections, and Switches & Receptacle Identification. The welding portion of the Academy will guide participants through three welding processes. The participants will learn how to use on Oxyacetylene torch that includes cutting, heating, and welding options. The participants will learn how to weld using the Shielded Metal Arc Welding process where they will complete a butt, tee, and lap welds in the flat position using different techniques and different welding rods. On the third day of welding, the participants will learn how to weld using the Gas Metal Arc welding process using different techniques and different metal transfer processes.