Each year, Harmony Enterprises teams up with the teachers and students at Harmony Kids Learning Center to provide young people with curriculum for STEAM week. STEAM is the abbreviation for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math. It’s an unified approach to learning that encourages students to think more in-depth about real-world challenges and solutions. For STEAM week 2023, our focus is on welding and welders.
Learning About Welding
During the week of August 7th, students from HKLC were treated to a short video about welding. The video described in detail, but in young people’s terms, how welding is the bonding of two metals together using extreme heat to join them into one.
The kids were specifically shown how MIG welding uses a wand, heated thin metal wire, and gas that acts as a shield to protect the wire. When the wire from the wand comes in contact with material needing to be joined, an electric spark melts the wire and acts as a molten glue to hold the materials together. This is the same process used by Harmony welders to make our long lasting recycling balers and trash compactors.
Not only did the students learn what welding is, they learned how important and beneficial welding is as a career. They learned that anyone can be a welder with the proper training and experience and that it is a satisfying and rewarding choice for a job.
Full STEAM Ahead!
Harmony welder, Dave Tostenson shows HKLC kids this welding helmet.
After learning about welding, the students took a tour of Harmony Enterprises’ production facility and saw first-hand how our master welders manufacture balers and compactors from start to finish. They learned about how raw steel comes in, is cut, bent, and all about the making quality slow weld beads, using hoists, and all of the safety protocols and protective equipment needing to be followed and used by welders.
They got to meet and talk with veteran Harmony welder, Dave Tostenson, who showed him all of the tools of the trade and answered the many questions the kids had.
Some of the students even got to see their parent hard at work, as many of our talented employees take advantage of the amazing child care benefits provided by Harmony!
HKLC got to learn first hand about welding and safety protocols welders use.
According to New Business Development Manager, Lane Powell, “Integrating STEAM curriculum into the teaching at HKLC is a fantastic way to excite young people about manufacturing, while showing them all of the positive benefits of the products, careers and business that have a positive impact in our own community!”
“Integrating STEAM curriculum into the teaching at HKLC is a fantastic way to excite young people about manufacturing, while showing them all of the positive benefits of the products, careers and business that have a positive impact in our own community!”
-Lane Powell, NBDM at Harmony Enterprises
Following the tour, each student was give an STEAM packet to compete back in their HKLC classrooms. The packets included coloring of a welder silhouette and a Harmony M60STD baler after it is welded together. Who knows, maybe this 2023 STEAM Week at Harmony will inspire one of these students to choose welding as their own career!
Part Of Who We Are
President, Ramon Hernandez & CEO, Steve Cremer
Harmony Enterprises core values are all centered around our core focus of career, community, culture, and company. We welcome the opportunity partner with Harmony Kids Learning Center in several activities throughout the year, benefitting our area children and employees.
Harmony Enterprises is currently hiring experienced welders! If you would like to learn more about welding and other employment opportunities with Harmony, more about our wide range of waste and recycling equipment, or what’s going on in our Harmony community, call us at (507) 886-6666, fill out this short form, or sign up for free monthly email updates today!
