Teen girls in Livingston County will have the chance to learn welding and metalworking through a pair of free workshops this spring in Springwater.
Ironwood Studios owner Stacey Mrva will lead the sessions with support from the Livingston County Youth Bureau.
The “Empowering Teen Girls” workshops are scheduled for April 10 and May 2 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Ironwood Studios. Each session is limited to 10 participants.
The program will introduce girls ages 12 to 18 to basic MIG welding and metal fabrication skills. Participants will also learn to safely operate tools used to cut and shape steel.
Each student will create a metal dragonfly sculpture to take home.
“I wanted to give young women the opportunity to try something they might never otherwise be exposed to,” Mrva said.
The workshops are funded through an Arts Ignite grant from the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts.
Last year, two similar workshops drew 20 teenage participants from communities across Livingston County.
“The Youth Bureau has a long history of connecting young people to programs that inspire and educate them on what’s possible,” said Youth Bureau Deputy Director Mary Guldenschuh.
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