Thousands of students may consider a future career in manufacturing thanks to Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs® (NBT) Summer Manufacturing Camps. Hosted at community colleges, technical schools, and high schools across the country, NBT manufacturing camps engage, inspire, and spark an interest in students ages 12 to 16 to pursue manufacturing careers.  

NBT camps are made possible with the support of national sponsor Nestlé USA and other generous donors. Students tour local manufacturing facilities, hear guest speakers talk about career options in their community, and take part in hands-on activities that range from welding to 3D printing to programming a robot. Students get to make and take home a project that serves to remind them of their camp experience and encourages them to take STEM classes in high school that will aid in their pursuit of a manufacturing career. 

The 2022 summer camp season ended with a record number of 165 camps held in 26 U.S. states plus one in Canada. View the gallery of 2022 camp photos to see how camp experiences are changing lives and moving manufacturing forward. 

2022 Camp Directors Share Success Stories   

“During Jackets Maker Camp 3, I had a young lady who was unsure about her ability to use tools and actually build something. I demonstrated all the equipment that we would be using, and she quickly realized that she was totally capable of doing everything on her own. I was happy about that. Her mother told me how proud her daughter was of the work that she had done.”  — Richard Humphreys, St. Martin High School, Ocean Springs, Miss. 

“We had a second-year student return to our NBT Camp this year as a participant, but they were also able to take on a leadership role in the camp as an assistant to the instructor. Seeing the student’s self-confidence in his leadership/mentor role grow as the week progressed was amazing. This student will continue with the CTE welding program this school year as an incoming 10th grader. The NBT camp has provided him with welding skill building, a career path, and most importantly, self-confidence and assurance.”  

— Paulette Niemi, Gogebic Ontonagon ISD, Bergland, Mich. 

“A student that had never been exposed to any type of metal fabrication has since purchased his own welding equipment and hopes to pursue a career in the welding/fabrication field.” 

— Robert Long, Johnston Community College, Smithfield, N.C. 

“One of our campers was a recent high school graduate who was having trouble deciding on a future career.  This camp helped the student find a path/passion through working with the instructor. Rather than focus on getting a four-year college degree, the student focused on what he enjoyed about the camp (math, programming, building) and found a path to his career goal through the hands-on projects and experiences.” 

— Deborah Blades, Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, Ind. 

Bring a Camp to your Region Next Season

NBT is currently accepting applications for 2023 summer manufacturing camp grants. Host schools receive a variety of support from NBT including:

• Up to $2,500 in grant funding 
• Customized t-shirts featuring school and sponsor logos 
• Entrepreneurship curriculum guides for campers and instructors 
• 365-day licenses for the student version of SolidWorks CAD software 
• Marketing materials and additional support as needed throughout the process 
• The opportunity to connect with and forge relationships with manufacturers in the community 

Now is a great time to start planning to host a camp at your school or share this information with your local community college or technical high school. Following is a checklist for schools to get started: 

1. Visit nbtfoundation.org/camps for details on hosting a manufacturing camp and guidelines for grant awards and requirements. 
2. Review the application preview and reference the camp host resources for ideas and advice. 
3. Propose a plan for your camp and outline the details. 
4. Apply for a 2023 summer manufacturing camp grant by Dec. 1, 2022. 
5. Start recruiting manufacturing partners, sponsors, instructors, and volunteers. 
6. Work with your school to promote the camp in your community. 
7. Take pride in building a skilled workforce in your area. 

Schools can apply for multiple camp grants by submitting a separate application for each distinct camp format, audience, and / or location. Contact Dana Brown at (815) 227-8205 with questions.