Soften your senses, ways to become a better speaker, listener and follower.
This episode brought to you by Jefferson College and their From Tutu's to Tool Belts initiative.
Learn more at jeffco.edu.
Hello everyone, thank you for joining us.
I am hanging out with Kati Donahue.
How are you doing?
Doing well, thank you.
So we have been in the educational realm for quite a few years.
We used to be on the show all the time with us.
We were at Johnstone learning how to be better educators, how to just do well with the tools
we have available with us.
And you've been taking that to a next level.
Trying to take that level to the students who don't have the opportunity to maybe experience
it in their day to day life or don't have that person in their life that they can experience
that with.
Yeah, exactly.
So I was really interested in learning about like growing up.
There were a lot of things around me that I was never introduced to.
I mean, even growing up in a home with a furnace and air conditioning, I didn't know anything
about them.
My dad was, he would work on some things, but he wasn't really, really mechanical.
And so there were a lot of things we just don't always get exposed to.
And so when you got into education, you recognize an opportunity to bring the skill sets that
you've learned and the trades that you have developed into and expose that to people who
might never encounter that on their own.
And so tell me a little bit about this initiative, because I'll tell you, it's been a pretty
big buzz here at the conference this year.
So the initiative probably really came from my own personal experience.
My father is a plumber by trade.
And so I learned a lot of hands on aspects with him.
And so as I progressed and got introduced to HVAC, whenever I was a sophomore in high
school, it was a lot of support from my parents.
It was a lot of pushback.
They didn't look at it as a, oh, that's a man's career because I had done plumbing with my
father.
Sure.
So the idea of introducing this trade to women in HVAC at a younger age, the fifth through
eighth grade range is something that I felt was very important and vital to get them interested
in the trade because if you wait till they get older, they have that career path that
they think they want to do or they have friends who want to do something and say, oh, well,
I'll do that with you because maybe they are not sure as to what they want to do.
Yes.
And I'm not a sit behind a desk kind of person.
I am a hands on, get out in the field.
I don't like having someone checking up on me, so to speak.
So I liked the going out and you never know what you're going to experience.
You never know.
Every job is the same, but it is so different.
I love that opportunity and that aspect of the job.
And then I took it back to trying to give the opportunity to girls to be exposed to
something that they're not normally exposed to.
Okay.
So tell me about the name of the program and how it works because I've actually seen some
photos on social media and I went, is that a little girl with a torch in her hand?
So the name of the program is from Tutu's to Toolbelts.
And the idea is that girls dance and they wear a tutu and as they grow up, they have
changed that tutu out for a tool belt, which I did dance whenever I was a young girl.
So it kind of fit my story as well.
I didn't really wear a tutu, like I didn't wear tutus, but I've danced.
So that's where the name came from.
And it's a visual thing.
So girls, whenever they hear the name of it, it kind of gives a visual thing of like, oh,
as opposed to just.
Yeah.
Wow.
So tutu represents something.
Yes.
It represents what you wear as a child and you grow up.
And so you change that tutu out for a tool belt.
It's not saying that you can't still wear a tutu and be early.
It's just another option that you now have a career, a vocation that you can pursue that
is going to provide some stability in your life and food on the table.
Yeah.
Oh my goodness.
Okay.
So how long have we been in this program?
How many are getting involved?
And tell me about some of the things that you do in this program.
So whenever I first did this, I think it was summer of 2022 is whenever I did it.
And the whole idea was I was just going to introduce it to the faculty and staff on campus
where I work.
Just kind of get an idea as to what the interest would be.
And it filled up very, very quickly.
Within like four hours, I was booked and I was only wanting to do 12 girls in a session
because I wanted to keep safety a huge.
Oh yeah, yeah, definitely.
Aspect of it, especially with the age.
They don't go through the traditional safety that our students go through.
So I need to make sure that they were protected.
So it filled up very quickly to the point where I was like, I'm going to open up another
section for the following weekend.
So we had about 24 girls come through in that first go around, if you will.
They brazed, they fabricate sheet metal, they learned how to do snips and they use nips
and hole cutters and they wire up a very basic electrical circuit that has some limit switches
in it and they wire up a light bulb.
So they actually go through stripping the wire and putting on spade connectors and then
the whole, this is a switch, it's open, it's closed, this is a load and that a little bit
of education to go along with it.
So that way they realize whenever my mom tells me to go turn on the light, I'm actually closing
that switch and I'm allowing that path for electrons to flow.
You gotta be kidding.
So I'm fifth to eighth grade.
Yes.
So it was a huge thing.
I actually just did two sessions, I guess four sessions on the this a week ago.
And I had 58 girls sign up for it.
You've got to be kidding.
So there's a significant interest.
There's a huge interest in it.
And it's fabulous because we have local industry that is coming in and helping me because the
first two sessions I did, it was me and my adjuncts trying to figure out what the, what
the hell are we doing?
Yeah, yeah.
So I have our sheet metal union and our local pipe fitters are in there.
Amrin, our utility, some of our utilities are sponsoring us a local, a couple of local
businesses are coming in and they are the ones who are running the sessions for me,
which takes a huge stress load off of me and it makes it easier for me to do it.
So, yeah, I mean, I hear that I go, I want to be a part of that.
I mean, just think of the initiatives that can come out of that.
You're 100% right.
Even if you're just introducing these fundamentals, because we, we don't take it.
And a lot of people are like, oh, he's going to talk about home ec.
Yeah, I want to talk about home economics.
We don't teach fundamentals.
We don't teach how to operate a checkbook.
We don't teach how to.
If we could just teach someone that there is a filter in their house that cleans their
air, that needs regular maintenance and it's part of home ownership.
If we can start teaching how electricity works in a house and what's going on, even if they
don't adopt it as a career, just think about like understanding that as an adult without
having to learn it as an adult.
That's something I tell the girls and my own students.
I'm like, guys, even if you just take this class and you never pursue it as a career,
your home has an HVAC system, your parents, your siblings, your cousins, your aunts, you'll
be the most popular relative in your family because they are looking to you for your expertise
and guidance as to, Hey, this is what is going on.
What do you recommend I do?
Is it something as simple as changing out a filter dryer is my condensate drain dry.
And that's why I've got water leaking all over the place.
So just, just basic stuff.
So just trying to give them those tools is something I don't, I don't plan on changing
the world with this, but it's one of those, if I can get one or two girls over the next
few years to say, Hey, I was at this event and it was really cool.
And that's why I'm coming into this.
That's a success for me.
Well, you know, we have at this, at this point in our industry, we were at a beautiful place
where people are finally starting to remove old stigmas and remove old barriers.
And we have a, we have new generations, new demographics of people coming into our industry
that are going, Oh my gosh, we're being accepted into an industry that at one point didn't
really encourage that.
And so now we have so many women coming into the industry.
And I'm telling you, there's some guys that are getting very intimidated because a woman
is very meticulous with things that men sometimes are not with.
They're in general.
Now I am kind of generalizing, but many, many women, ladies are very analytical.
Yes.
Right.
And I think that's a great success in opening up our industry to women and young ladies
to look at and go, you know what?
Here are some other jobs that you may have never been introduced to before that you might
be incredibly successful at that you have an unlimited amount of freedom in that you
can really make as much money as you could want to.
Yes.
And so I'm very excited about that.
I don't know that in the history of our industry, we've ever been at a point that we've been
more accepting for change than we are right now because so many aspects of our industry
is changing and I like it.
It's definitely a career that you don't get bored in because there's always something
changing and like I tell the tours that come through the school, it's like there is a job
in HVAC for every single person.
Yes.
You just have to find that niche that fits you.
It's not all about toning tool bags or working outside in the sun and the heat.
Like we have engineers, we have tool design.
There's so many different aspects that you can go into sales.
Market ownership.
There you go.
Yeah, distribution and manufacturing.
And we don't teach any of that.
We just teach the maintenance aspect in the house and the installation of the equipment
because that's what's been done.
And it's a lot of it's always been.
This way it's always been because no one's ever challenged the norm.
And now that we challenge the norm, we go, well, why were we doing that?
And no one has an answer.
Nope.
But yeah, there's a job in HVAC for everyone.
You just have to find your niche that fits you.
Oh my gosh.
But yeah.
All right.
So how often are you meeting?
So we did the two sessions in 2022, the summer, and then I did one in the fall.
I had a Girl Scout troop contact me and it was just for their troops specifically that
I did it.
But I got sick in the first part of 2023.
So I was out for like a year.
So this is these four sessions I did two weeks ago or weeks ago back into the was the first
one back.
So I actually have been reached out and contacted by a Girl Scout troop like, hey, can we do
this for you?
And I'm like, I'm looking at my contractors like, what can you guys do?
And with our cooling season coming up, they're kind of like, well, we're not quite sure.
So I had hosted them initially on the weekend because that works for the school.
Because I am using my lab space for that.
And as an instructor, I what do I do with my students?
And I've got so it just it worked out on the weekend.
And then I was like, well, hey, it's spring break.
I can use that time period where my students are off campus to introduce the facilities
exactly not have to try to shuffle and schedule things around it.
So that's kind of what I struggle with is I don't want to take time away from my program.
Yeah, from my program.
But I also don't want to take time away from my contractors who are then taking time away
from their family.
Right.
So trying to find that that balance that works for everybody is a challenge.
So I'm seeing a lot of industry support out here.
I'm hearing ears right now opening up going, I think I'm interested in that.
So what how let's talk about ways that the industry can encourage this and participate
and how they can connect if they'd like to learn more.
So there's always people who are looking to participate or it is is a contractor.
It's more of a financial or a donation of time.
Yes.
As opposed to showing up and just being a participant of it.
And that's probably one of the biggest benefit or biggest obstacles, but also one of the
biggest aspects that help me because if they don't show up to say, hey, I want to do a
sheet metal session or I want to do something with piping or black iron, that's on me to
fill that space for the girls as they go through there.
Yes.
So having that donation of time is really a huge benefit for people or benefit for me
as we do this program.
Absolutely.
So have you explored any opportunities with like explore the trades or some of the other
organizations that are starting to focus on some of our younger students and introducing
them into the trades?
I have not really.
There's a Tierra, which is a Tierra trade thing that's out there that they're introducing
younger girls to.
I don't remember.
Do you know?
Okay.
No, I don't.
So there's there's a couple that I have looked at online, but I really haven't reached out
to contact them.
Bring back the trades.
I've talked with Steve a few times, but again, he's more geared towards like college age.
Definitely the older one, but you still have to reach out to the kids.
You can't just ignore the older demographic.
So no, I absolutely love this.
So for those that are listening that have heard that bell ring and would like to be
more involved, I highly encourage you to explore that opportunity and to rethink about ways
that we can introduce our trade into different generations and different demographics.
And I think it's a wonderful, wonderful thing you're doing.
Thank you.
It's it's definitely been an enjoyable experience.
And the feedback I'm getting from the girls and the moms has been really great.
And probably one really, really common question I get is how much longer are you going to
do this?
Or when are you going to stop?
I will stop whenever my classes stop filling up.
Whenever the demand stops, then I'll stop.
But until then, I'm going to keep giving those girls the opportunity.
Absolutely.
I respect that.
All right, Katie, thank you so much for joining me today.
Thank you for having me.
Enjoy the rest of the conference.
I'm looking forward to it.
All right.
Thank you.