My Tomorrow previews a not-so-distant future

Published 07.19.2022

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A second week of Penn College’s My Tomorrow day camp (July 12-15) led middle-school students down more time-tested roads to career success and personal fulfillment. The program – again sponsored by the Soars Family – followed the template of the first: offering sixth through eighth graders an enviable palette of hands-on options, from emergency preparedness and health sciences to concrete, aviation and electrical.


– Photos by Jennifer A. Cline, writer/magazine editor;
and Cindy Davis Meixel, writer/photo editor




 

 

 Emergency essentials (like batteries and glow sticks as shown on this paper) are considered during an activity in the emergency management & homeland security lab.

Emergency essentials (like batteries and glow sticks as shown on this paper) are considered during an activity in the emergency management & homeland security lab.

A yellow-vested participant demonstrates his enthusiasm in a group led by David E. Bjorkman (left), emergency management/social science instructor, and William A. Schlosser, project worker (and an incoming instructor in the major).

A yellow-vested participant demonstrates his enthusiasm in a group led by David E. Bjorkman (left), emergency management/social science instructor, and William A. Schlosser, project worker (and an incoming instructor in the major).

A young “disaster responder” organizes an array of emergency issues and their correlating supply solutions.

A young “disaster responder” organizes an array of emergency issues and their correlating supply solutions.

Leading with light: A youngster stands ready to move into a dark hallway as part of a mock drill akin to a scavenger hunt for emergency supplies.

Leading with light: A youngster stands ready to move into a dark hallway as part of a mock drill akin to a scavenger hunt for emergency supplies.

A young inventor inspects his inventory of items to craft what electrical technology instructor Eric L. Anstadt dubbed, “The Parent Annoyer.”

A young inventor inspects his inventory of items to craft what electrical technology instructor Eric L. Anstadt dubbed, “The Parent Annoyer.”

LEAP adviser Kaysey L. Beury assists a student with her supplies, including electrical wires, a 9-volt battery and a simple switch.

LEAP adviser Kaysey L. Beury assists a student with her supplies, including electrical wires, a 9-volt battery and a simple switch.

Where there’s smoke, there’s soldering! Tomorrow-makers get hands-on with the tools of the electrical trade.

Where there’s smoke, there’s soldering! Tomorrow-makers get hands-on with the tools of the electrical trade.

Nothing says “I love my family” more than “The Parent Annoyer.

Nothing says “I love my family” more than “The Parent Annoyer." (Think: sounds like a smoke alarm!)

While learning about aviation maintenance, a participant adds a rivet to a metal model airplane.

While learning about aviation maintenance, a participant adds a rivet to a metal model airplane.

A successful airplane build, using the tools of the aviation maintenance trade (a brake and rivet tool, among them)

A successful airplane build, using the tools of the aviation maintenance trade (a brake and rivet tool, among them)

An obstacle course is set up in the Carl Building Technologies Center to experiment with paper airplanes.

An obstacle course is set up in the Carl Building Technologies Center to experiment with paper airplanes.

Matthew D. Krepps, instructor of aviation maintenance, demonstrates how to use a metal brake to bend pieces of a metal airplane model into shape.

Matthew D. Krepps, instructor of aviation maintenance, demonstrates how to use a metal brake to bend pieces of a metal airplane model into shape.

Attaching the wing to the body

Attaching the wing to the body

Folding a paper airplane to experiment with balance, weight, lift and drag on a pool noodle obstacle course.

Folding a paper airplane to experiment with balance, weight, lift and drag on a pool noodle obstacle course.

Harrison Wohlfarth, who completed a degree in building construction technology and is pursuing two more – in concrete science technology and applied technology studies – talks with participants about the wide uses of concrete.

Harrison Wohlfarth, who completed a degree in building construction technology and is pursuing two more – in concrete science technology and applied technology studies – talks with participants about the wide uses of concrete.

Boys add quick-drying concrete to small molds for a take-home souvenir.

Boys add quick-drying concrete to small molds for a take-home souvenir.

Flowers and hearts are among the shapes available for the young makers’ concrete creations.

Flowers and hearts are among the shapes available for the young makers’ concrete creations.

Girls carefully fill their mold.

Girls carefully fill their mold.

While their mini molded designs dry, some move on to larger-scale concrete mixing under the experienced guidance of Wohlfarth.

While their mini molded designs dry, some move on to larger-scale concrete mixing under the experienced guidance of Wohlfarth.

Wohlfarth adds the finishing touch to a large concrete stepping stone.

Wohlfarth adds the finishing touch to a large concrete stepping stone.

Wheeling through the Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center hallway produces smiles.

Wheeling through the Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center hallway produces smiles.

A camper deftly maneuvers obstacles in the Physical Therapist Assistant Lab.

A camper deftly maneuvers obstacles in the Physical Therapist Assistant Lab.

After practicing the same on SimMan, a high-fidelity manikin used in nursing coursework, a participant asks Betty Anne Leiby, simulation laboratory coordinator in nursing, to measure the dilation of her pupils.

After practicing the same on SimMan, a high-fidelity manikin used in nursing coursework, a participant asks Betty Anne Leiby, simulation laboratory coordinator in nursing, to measure the dilation of her pupils.

With guidance from dental hygiene student Jaclyn A. Wertz, of Loganton, a participant prepares to take a bitewing X-ray of Dexter (a DXTTR dental X-ray training manikin, that is).

With guidance from dental hygiene student Jaclyn A. Wertz, of Loganton, a participant prepares to take a bitewing X-ray of Dexter (a DXTTR dental X-ray training manikin, that is).

My Tomorrow adventurers work together in the dental X-ray room to produce a real digital X-ray that they’ll soon view on screen to diagnose Dexter’s dental health.

My Tomorrow adventurers work together in the dental X-ray room to produce a real digital X-ray that they’ll soon view on screen to diagnose Dexter’s dental health.

Girls get hands-on experience cleaning teeth.

Girls get hands-on experience cleaning teeth.

Samantha S. Theriault, a dental hygiene student from Taylor, checks the progress of a pair of proficient dental pros as they remove pencil markings from a dental model.

Samantha S. Theriault, a dental hygiene student from Taylor, checks the progress of a pair of proficient dental pros as they remove pencil markings from a dental model.

Samantha R. Wheeland, part-time instructor of nursing, gently guides a participant in checking SimMan’s pedal (foot) pulse. SimMan’s other technology includes heart and lung sounds; eyes that blink, dilate and cry; and more.

Samantha R. Wheeland, part-time instructor of nursing, gently guides a participant in checking SimMan’s pedal (foot) pulse. SimMan’s other technology includes heart and lung sounds; eyes that blink, dilate and cry; and more.

Gaining a full array of experiences, an explorer injects medicine into a manikin.

Gaining a full array of experiences, an explorer injects medicine into a manikin.