The University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Construction will conduct its inaugural USM-MCEF (Mississippi Construction Education Foundation) Building Futures Summer Camp June 25-29 for students in grades 8-10.

The camp provides students an opportunity to explore the architectural and construction industry, as well as life as a USM student. Over the course of a week, students will build a small structure from start to finish with the help of construction professionals. Campers will be divided into groups of four to build the structure. Each group will be assigned one current USM student and one construction industry professional.

The inaugural camp is the brainchild of MCEF Executive Director Mike Barkett. MCEF’s mission is to promote careers, recruit capable individuals, and train a quality workforce for the construction industry in Mississippi.

“We hope students take away an appreciation for the sophistication of the construction industry,” said Jessica Hardy, an instructor in the USM School of Construction. “We also hope they will one day consider a career in the architectural or construction industries, and, of course, we hope that they will begin their journey at USM.”

Registration is open until Monday, June 19. To learn more, contact Barkett at 601.605.2989, mike@mcef.net; or Hardy at 601.266.5155, jl.hardy@usm.edu