Kids Trade Cell Phones for Power Tools at 4th Annual TRF Camp Build
AUSTIN, Texas (Aug. 10, 2026) — The Rosendin Foundation, a dedicated 501(c)(3) nonprofit, wrapped its fourth annual TRF Camp Build after introducing 102 middle school students in five cities to careers in the skilled trades. The free camps ran for a total of 21 days between May and July in McKinney, Texas; Austin, Texas; Huntersville, North Carolina; Sterling, Virginia; and Commerce, California, giving kids hands-on learning alongside professional electricians and builders.
Real Tools, Real Skills, Real Projects
After extensive safety lessons, children in sixth through ninth grade spent their days using professional-grade tools to cut and drill wood, bend conduit, run electrical wire, pour concrete, and paint. They built lamps, birdhouses, storage bins, sculptures and other take-home projects, and got their first look at building information modeling (BIM) technology used on real jobsites. Every camper left with a free bag of tools so they could keep practicing what they learned at home.
“Watching the campers make the connection between their current skill set, what they’ve learned at camp and their big ideas once they gain confidence in their skills is exactly why we do this,” said Rhea Keator, operations and communications manager at The Rosendin Foundation. “These kids arrive nervous and unsure, and they leave with real skills, real tools and real confidence in what they can build. That kind of transformation in a single week is something they carry with them long after camp ends.”
Answering a National Workforce Shortage
TRF Camp Build directly addresses a growing workforce challenge across the country. According to the 2026 Construction Hiring and Business Outlook from Associated General Contractors, 82% of firms report difficulty filling hourly craft positions and 80% report difficulty filling salaried openings, the highest levels in three years. Because kids start forming career ideas in middle school, The Rosendin Foundation designed Camp Build to reach them at the right moment with the right people.
“Kids can’t picture themselves in a trade career if they’ve never held the tools or met the people who do the work,” said Rachael Guerrero, manager at The Swinerton Foundation. “Camp Build puts young people right in the middle of it, and that early exposure is often what turns a curious kid into a future electrician, welder or carpenter.”
Industry Volunteers Power Camp Build
Volunteers from Rosendin Electric and Modular Power Solutions ran the daily programming alongside local partners including the Austin Electrical Training Alliance, the Los Angeles Electrical Training Institute and IBEW locals in each region. Camper Hudson Sridhara summed up the experience at Camp Build Austin when he said, “This is so cool, I’m a pro at this now. Can I be a volunteer next year?”
“Seeing kids pick up a tool for the first time and use it with real purpose is exactly the kind of learning that shapes a future workforce,” said Evan Berns, national accounts manager at Milwaukee Tool. “Hands-on experience is how young people build the skills, the muscle memory and the confidence that carry them into the trades. Milwaukee Tool sponsors TRF Camp Build because every student deserves that first chance to discover what they can do with a tool in their hand.”
TRF Camp Build is supported by Rosendin Electric Inc. and Modular Power Solutions, alongside partners at Milwaukee Tool, DeWalt and The Swinerton Foundation, as well as sponsors including Border States, Graybar, United Rentals, Sherwin-Williams and IBEW Locals 26 and 520.
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