Boy Scouts Earn Architecture Merit Badges With Help From Hancock

The second year in a row Allan Hancock has been involved with the Boy Scouts merit program

Mar. 23, 2017 -- Twelve Central Coast boy scouts earned architecture merit badges thanks to the assistance of Allan Hancock College faculty. The boy scouts were part of the Los Padres Council, which serves the youth of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

“It was a great experience,” said Saad Sadig, Hancock architecture instructor. “The boy scouts were able to design classroom spaces using both Revit and SketchUp in our computer labs.  I was impressed with their quick learning abilities. Hopefully, the event made some of the boys interested in pursuing careers in architecture.”

Sadig participated in merit badge counselor training to ensure a full understanding of the merit badge requirements. Part-time instructor Jonas Sturas assisted Sadig during the workshops.

In order to receive the merit badge, the boy scouts attended two Saturday workshops on the Hancock campus. First, the boys learned about basic structural principles by building models using marshmallow and spaghetti noodles.  They also learned how the architectural scale works, along with laser measuring tools. The next step was to draw the lab both manually and on the computer. In addition to learning about basic “green building” practices, they took a tour of all the labs in the college’s state-of-the-art Industrial Technology Complex.  For the final component, the boys will visit the offices of Tom B. Martinez & Associates, a local architecture firm in Santa Maria. 

“I was very impressed by the architectural instructors at Hancock,” said Leroy Cadena, Boy Scout leader. “As a civil engineer by profession, I know how important it is to teach these skills and we are grateful for Allan Hancock College’s participation so local boy scouts can have this exposure.”

This is the second year Allan Hancock College has been involved with the Boy Scouts merit badge program.  Last year, ten Boy Scouts earned the Welding Merit Badge during the Pow Wow.                                                 

The college offers an associate degree and certificates in architecture technology. 

For more information on Allan Hancock College and the architecture technology programs, please visit:  http://www.hancockcollege.edu/academic_departments/industrial_tech/architecture/index.php