Students from two nearby school divisions, Border Land and Red River Valley, sent 32 students to a trades camp at the Garden Valley Collegiate Technical Education Campus (GVC Tec) Saturday.

The grade seven and eight students attended two lessons on horticulture and landscaping and heavy duty diesel mechanics, both taught by certified teachers at GVC Tec.

"Every single time we get into one of the classrooms, we're doing something hands on," said Andy Reimer, trades camp coordinator for the Red River Technical Vocational Area (RRTVA).

The RRTVA is a group of five school divisions that share technical and vocational education among themselves to better equip their students for future careers. The school divisions represented are Borderland, Garden Valley, Western, Red River, and Division Scolaire Franco-Manitobaine. The students at GVC Tec on Saturday were from

Students were split up so they could enjoy both trades at different times of the day Altona, Gretna, Morris, and Rosenort.

Reimer mentioned that students who sign up for these types of vocational camps have a good idea of their local vocational options, "We're learning about the trade so that when students get to registration time they can decide if these programs could be for them," said Reimer.

"We're just hoping that kids are open to having a well-rounded education and these schools give students a different way of doing school," Reimer said. He added he was grateful the students and teachers who gave up their Saturday to attend the camp.

Horticulture and landscaping was handled by Terena Hantelman who's in her first year teaching at GVC Tec.

"We're learning about seeds and germination," said Hantelman, who had the students plant a chia seed into a plastic cup decorated to look like a face. "As the chia seed grows out the top, it's going to be the hair."

She said the activity teaches the students about plant growth and the time it takes for a plant to become mature.

The other trade featured at the camp was heavy duty diesel mechanics, where students investigated engines and were sent on a tool scavenger hunt around the shop.

"They get out here just to get the experience," said instructor Jonathan Kreiser.

"This give them the the chance to check [diesel mechanics] out, kind of a fun day to try it out and see if it's an interest," he said.

Kreiser appreciates the excitement the camp brings to the students as they try different things.

Trades camps like this have been running for three years, but it's the first time a second school division has been invited to join at the same time. Typically only one school division participated in the camps at a time. Saturday was Red River School Division's premier appearance.

Horticulture and landscaping was the other trade introduced to students on Saturday, led by Terena Hantelman (not pictured here)