GEAR UP students take part in Northern program

Young people from around Montana are attending Montana State University-Northern for the week, learning the essentials of diesel technology and welding.

The educational summer camp, under the GEAR UP program, is designed to let students know what opportunities exist in these fields, said Andrew Johnson, who teaches welding at Northern.

The students will take classes and live in dorms through the week, he said.

The program is aimed at letting young people try out diesel technology and see what makes a locomotive run.

As a major part of the program students will see how building, welding and drafting all come together in manufacturing technology, he said.

They will also learn how bio-energy is generated and how energy technology puts it to use, GEAR UP said in a press release.

GEAR UP, a federal grant program, is designed to open educational opportunities to about 3,600 Montana students, most of them living in or near Indian reservations.

The educational camp at Northern is designed to encourage students to look at these opportunities, he said.

Board of Regents member Paul Tuss will be stopping by to visit GEAR UP students as they take part in three afternoon workshops highlighting each of the study areas.