Summer Program Promotes Girl Power

It’s not every girl who can argue the virtues of power tools.

But after two weeks in a Santa Monica city summer camp program called Rosie’s Girls, 24 Los Angeles area girls have formed some strong opinions.

For instance, after Katie Peyton, 11, declares a preference for electric drills, fellow camper Veronique Goasdoue [cq] begs to differ.

Veronique, also 11, favors the power saw, and can expand on its merits with some authority:. “It’s kind of scary and loud,” she admitted, “but it’s easier than using a hand saw and going back and forth.”

Before the camp, most of the girls had never even used a hammer, instructor Shirl Buss said. For two weeks, though, they have been spending most of their days learning welding, bicycle repair and carpentry at the Santa Monica City Yards.

Named for Rosie the Riveter, the program started back East and aims to introduce girls to trades traditionally dominated by men.

Buss, a contractor and architect, says girls this age (about 12) are less self-conscious when there are no boys around, and take more easily “to doing things that are not traditional girl things.”

The camp runs through this week. The girls get to keep some tools and can carry them in the toolboxes such as the future box one Ali Kellogg carries, above, will make. at right. At right, Zoe Bain and Davita Paul work together to build a toolbox.