Community Outreach

At Iron Range Engineering, part of the curriculum is professional development. One of the ways we, as students, improve in that regard is to practice professional responsibility by performing community outreach in a variety of different ways. Over the course of the semester there are many different opportunities for community outreach, some more impactful than others. This semester, there were two experiences that impacted me the most.

The first experience was in participating with the United Way of Northeastern Minnesota for their “Buddy Backpack” program on the dates of the 17^th and 24^th of September. The program goal is to feed children who are at risk for going hungry over weekends and breaks from school on the Iron Range along with Koochaching County. This is a great project and the students at Iron Range were more than willing to lend a helping hand with packing these bags with food.

The second experience was when my dad’s house burned down late September. No one was injured in the fire, but the house was a complete loss. When I mentioned this to my fellow students, many of them wanted to know if and how they could help. After the fire inspectors cleared us for cleanup, a group of Iron Range students came out and helped to remove the ash and debris. Thanks to their help, we were able to successfully clear out the old foundation of debris and begin construction on an outer “shell” before winter fully hit.

 

The students from Iron Range have proven that they are dedicated to their professional responsibility and their communities, both regional and personal. My experiences from these events have shown me what this group of young engineers are capable of doing for their community.

Written by: Kody Kamunen

Reviewed by: Justin Magnusen