FERNDALE — Ten Mile River Scout Camps collaborated with the Sullivan County Department of Public Works to create Engineering Camp, a week-long program that gives teenage Scouts the opportunity to visit active construction sites with professional engineers and earn merit badges in architecture, engineering, drafting, and surveying. 

Camp Director Scott Dellosso said this was the first year of Engineering Camp, and that the ten spots were quickly filled by Scouts with a keen interest in engineering. 

On Wednesday, July 30, the Scouts visited the Ferndale Transfer Station, where Sullivan County Bridge Engineer Roman Di Cio showed them a new retaining wall that is being completed to streamline the collection of recyclables.

The Scouts, some of whom already have career aspirations in engineering, asked Di Cio questions about the materials used, the machines employed, and the mechanics involved in the construction process. Di Cio explained to the Scouts why the new retaining wall was replacing the old one: “We took this wall apart, and then dug back through here to be able to place this wall at this distance away from the existing wall- that gives a lot more room for activity.” Di Cio said the collection container will be much better placed to catch recyclables as residents drop them from above.

Throughout the week, Scouts visited several active sites, as well as the Sullivan County Government Center, to catch a glimpse of where professional engineers work. “Yesterday was cool, we took them out to this massive bridge project.” Dellosso said the 6 billion-dollar bridge project near Forestburgh gave the Scouts a chance to observe a bustling construction site and ask questions of the engineers on site. 

Later in the day, the group was scheduled to visit a site in Parksville where a road is being reconfigured to phase out the use of an old bridge. Di Cio said, “In Parksville there’s a town road where the county maintains a bridge that is very deteriorated. We’re building a road on a different alignment so we can eliminate the existing town road in that location and move the town road over because [the new area] doesn’t need a bridge.” He said the project not only addresses the dilapidated bridge, but also erases the need for future bridge renovations. “So in 75 years we won’t have to replace the bridge again,” said Di Cio.

Dellosso said the Scouts, which was formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America, has included girls in the program for the past six years. “It’s a little more progressive, especially summer camp; we try to provide opportunities that the kids aren’t gonna get in the city,” said Dellosso, who was a Scout when he was a kid. He said the Ten Mile River Camp is a large and well-known Scout Reservation comprising over 12,000 acres of land and accommodating approximately 2,000 youths every summer from all over the country.

When asked about why he chose to participate in Engineering Camp, 17-year-old George Wagner from Staten Island said, “I’ve always been interested in construction, my dad’s in construction. I’m trying to start a contracting business right now with me and my friends… I’m doing a kitchen renovation right now, and I just did a driveway.” Wagner said he grew up learning from his father and uncle on job sites and now plans on starting his own career in the field. “I’ve always loved working with my hands,” said Wagner.

Another Engineering Camp Scout, 13-year-old Vikramaditya Singh from New Jersey, said, “I want to be an aerospace engineer when I grow up.” 

Di Cio said it was rewarding to have a group of teenagers interested in his area of expertise and said, “They’re asking excellent questions, they’re involved.” Di Cio said it is important for kids today to learn about tactile materials; “they need to understand that this is part of the real world- not everything is digital and computers. Stuff like this is needed.”