这是谢里登第三年在Ak-O-Mak营地举办了一年一度的“技术行业女性”体验活动，来自几所学院的参与者聚集在一起，进行为期两天的现场实践工作和社区建设。

The initiative united Sheridan instructors, students and administrators along with peers and fellow tradeswomen from Durham College, St. Clair College, Lambton College, Fanshawe College, and Six Nations Polytechnic at Ak-O-Mak – Canada's largest competitive sports camp for girls. 在即将离任的校长Janet Morrison博士的领导下，Camp Ak-O-Mak项目证明了谢里登学院继续为安大略省教育部门提供领导力，以促进应用行业的包容性。

Dr. Morrison, along with Mary Vaughan, Sheridan’s Provost and Vice President Academic and Dr. Elizabeth Fabbroni, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science and Technology, were among those in attendance. 他们一起提供支持，并与女商人一起卷起袖子，展示女性在行业中可以产生的变革性影响。

Funded in part 通过 the Government of Canada’s Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy and a generous gift from the Canerector Foundation, this initiative is part of a larger effort led 通过 Sheridan to close the gender gap in skilled trades, where women still make up just 5% of the workforce. The annual event provides an opportunity for this group of ambitious and talented women to build a community of support and hone their skills 通过 working on projects — including repairs and new construction — that help ensure the camp can operate.

“By bringing students together with experienced tradeswomen and senior leaders, we’re helping to build a lasting support network — one that reinforces their skills, boosts their confidence, and strengthens their path into the workforce."

It’s also a chance for young women in the trades to receive mentorship and guidance from experienced professionals, gaining hands-on experience in a supportive environment. Many employees from Unifor, one of Sheridan’s partners, generously donate their time to the projects and serve as mentors to participating students. 他们代表了建筑行业的各行各业，包括木工、焊接、工业机械、管道等。

“This initiative is a powerful example of how we can uplift and empower women in the skilled trades through mentorship and connection,” says Vaughan. “By bringing students together with experienced tradeswomen and senior leaders, we’re helping to build a lasting support network — one that reinforces their skills, boosts their confidence, and strengthens their path into the workforce. It reflects Sheridan’s unwavering commitment to advancing equity and inclusion across the skilled trades ecosystem.”

“The trades offer incredible pathways to strong careers, and more and more women are starting to take advantage of these opportunities,” adds Kelsey Annan, Manager of Women in Red Seal Skilled Trades at Sheridan’s Magna School for the Skilled Trades. “Trades women who have attended the retreat in previous years as students returned this year as project leaders and newly registered apprentices. This retreat gives them the space to build confidence, gain experience, and connect with mentors and peers.”

前几年，与会者承担了安装道路标志、修理屋顶和建造码头等任务。 This year, students from Sheridan’s Architectural Technology program helped shape the projects that attendees worked on.

Sheridan教授Shannon Pirie博士开发了两门迷你课程，作为建筑技术高级文凭课程最后一学期课程的一部分，为项目建设的预先规划做出贡献。

In the first course, Small Projects Working Drawings, students saw which Camp Ak-O-Mak projects needed input, and developed designs for structures such as a new pergola, a refurbishment of the camp’s well-known Olympic rings, soccer nets and baseball backdrops. 在第二门课程“小项目预制”中，学生们采用了经批准的藤架和奥运五环设计，并开发了一份建筑顺序文件，以展示一步一步的施工。

“We thought this would be a great opportunity to create curriculum for our students that is practical, applied in nature and allows them to bring together all of the know-how that they’ve acquired in our program along the way,” says Dr. Pirie. “The success of these student-driven designs contributed directly to the hands-on experiences of retreat participants this June, many of whom brought the designs to life on site.”

The Camp Ak-O-Mak partnership has also fostered a powerful and lasting community of tradeswomen — one so impactful that even retired faculty have returned to participate. 形成的联系远远超出了它的海岸线，每个队列都保持联系，并在他们的MG游戏中继续相互支持。

随着计划在2026年再次运行迷你课程，并在未来的另一个静修，Ak-O-Mak营的合作伙伴关系继续为谢里登学生创造有意义的，应用的学习机会，并为行业女性提供鼓舞人心的专业网络。