The 4-H Tech Wizards engineered some magic this summer when they built a wheelchair ramp for a disabled Broome County resident. The Tech Wizards club at the George F. Johnson Dream Center in Johnson City, NY hosted the project, where six youth volunteered over three days to build a 37 foot-long ramp for a homebound senior. Each young person was paired with an adult mentor from either Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County, Sarah Jane Johnson United Methodist Memorial Church, or the Broome County Council of Churches.
Youth and mentors were led by Ron Wenzinger of the Broome County Council of Churches “Ramp It Up” program. Wenzinger, an experienced carpenter, made sure that the youth not only learned carpentry skills, but understood the engineering principles that go into construction. While the youth and their adult mentors spent the mornings and afternoons measuring, drilling, and building, lunchtimes and breaks were used to ask and answer questions about slope, weight bearing, turning radiuses, and more.
Check out the full article in the 4H Newsletter.