SkillsUSA Champions the Future for Campers at YMCA Camp Kon-o-Kwee
Seventeen members of SkillsUSA from LCCTC recently spent the day at YMCA Camp Kon-O-Kwee in Fombell, PA, putting their skills, teamwork, and determination to work in service to others. Their mission was both simple and meaningful: build projects that would increase the number of beds available for summer campers, helping to relieve long waiting lists and ensure more children can enjoy the camp experience. In doing so, they were able to “Champion [the] Future” for children to enjoy a fantastic experience at the camp.
Their goal—to make eight beds from scratch—was ambitious, but this motivated group was up for the challenge.
On a crisp fall morning, students from a variety of programs—Carpentry, Cosmetology, Veterinary Assistant, Auto Technology, Health Assistance, Machine Tool Technology, Oil and Gas, Welding, and Electrical Occupations—came together for a hands-on service project that put the SkillsUSA Framework into action. The Framework emphasizes personal skills, workplace skills, and technical skills grounded in academics, and this project brought all three areas to life.
Students demonstrated personal skills such as work ethic, responsibility, and self-motivation, as they stayed focused and determined until the last board was secured. Workplace skills like teamwork, communication, and leadership were evident as students collaborated across programs—some stepping far outside their comfort zones to measure, cut, and assemble bed frames. And through the technical skills component, they practiced precision, problem-solving, and safety awareness, ensuring the finished bunk beds were strong, durable, and ready for campers to enjoy.
By the end of the day, the LCCTC SkillsUSA team had made 8 complete beds or 4 bunks with legs and ladders. We also prepared materials for the staff, allowing them a jump-start when they continue work once more supplies arrive; the kids sanded an extra 20 sets of legs, cut 35 steps for ladders, and drilled pilot holes in 75 blocks so they’re ready for the next round of bunk making. At the end of the day, the kids cleaned the shop and stacked all the materials for the workers for the next time bunk building can be scheduled. Built entirely from standard 2x4s and 2x6s, these beds were more than a woodworking project—they represented what happens when skill, service, and heart come together.
After a yummy lunch of typical kid food — pizza and chips (Thank you, Kon-o-Kwee staff!), the SkillsUSA team headed over to the camp’s pond for a few last moments in the great outdoors, enjoying the walking trails, posing for a traditional photo on the bridge, and hunting for bobbers, a favorite pastime of the advisors.
Great job, LCCTC Chapter of SkillsUSA! You’ve shown what it means to live out the SkillsUSA mission—to empower members to become world-class workers, leaders, and responsible American citizens.
