“This is the first time the ESCs have done the camps,” Sehi said. “As time goes on, we will have hundreds of kids. The goal is to entice them to go to college.”
This week, a group of 15 students from schools in Lebanon, Mason and the King Academy in Cincinnati met for three hours each day for lessons on the physics and chemistry behind assembling their own Fender guitars, said Thomas Singer, professor of mechanical engineering technology.
Singer said the students also got about 45 minutes of guitar lessons each day.
“The kids are phenomenal,” Singer said.
The students were taught aspects of math, science, chemistry and physics through elements of the guitar building such as electronic sautering, painting and structure of the chords.
Lisa Bonasso, of Lebanon, was at the Friday ceremony to watch her son Evan McMillin play his freshly built and customized electric guitar. Over the years, Bonasso said her son — a sophomore at Lebanon High School — has taught himself how to play the guitar.
“The big draw for him (at camp) is he got the experience to build it,” Bonasso said. “That’s a great perk,” of getting to keep the guitar.
McMillin said before this camp he had never thought about the science behind a guitar.
“Learning about how it worked was fun,” McMillin said. “It’s neat how the measurements have to be exact or the sound will be different.”
A second guitar-building camp is being held the week of July 8 at Butler County Educational Service Center. Other camps include digital photography, waterbotics STEM and comedy camp.
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