You may think that college students spend all of their time attending class, working on class-related projects, and working a part-time job. But FEF students find time to participate in many additional activities—honing their casting skills as well as helping other students and community residents understand the importance and vastness of metalcasting.

Over the past several months, the students at FEF certified school, Cal Poly Pomona (California), have attended industry events, participated in casting competitions, hosted metalcasting activities on campus, and taken metalcasting on the road.

One of the community events that the students were able to attend was a STEAM Fair where they demonstrated the Foundry in a Box. This is an event that not only exposes the cmmunity as a whole to metalcasting, it also is an opportunity to plant a seed in a young student’s mind for a future in the industry. The sooner a young person sees casting in action, the better the chances of influencing them to pursue a future in metalcasting.

The Pomona students also hosted a lost foam and green sand casting workshop for high school and community college teachers—another avenue for helping to shape young minds for the future.

Each FEF school works hard at growing their AFS Student Chapter using a variety of means. At Cal Poly Pomona, that could be promoting the chapter during the department-wide “club fair” where showcasing some of the chapter’s castings is an easy way to strike up a conversation with curious students. It could also be holding a resume workshop, inviting alumni to speak at their chapter meetings, or providing food for the welcome barbecue for the Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Department.

Cal Poly Pomona’s FEF students are actively preparing for their future while spreading the word of the benefits of metal castings to the world.      
College Connection is a recurring feature that runs in Modern Casting highlighting the metalcasting programs and students at FEF schools.