CGIF Collaborates with Belden Brick Company for an Industry Tour for Teachers
Bricks are known as much for their durability as they are for their aesthetic appeal. For centuries, people have sought the timeless appeal of brick in their construction designs. Whether viewing the warm reds and browns one typically associates with traditional brick, or when seeing sleek glaze brick designs adorning modern hospitals and universities, brick offers a remarkable range of possibilities. These variations come together from centuries of science that help inform our understanding of brickmaking. All of this would not be possible without generations of material scientists working to perfect brick manufacturing. From beehive kilns to machine automation, the brick industry has come a long way in the methods and styles used for brick manufacturing. For over 100 years, The Belden Brick Company has been at the forefront of these industry changes, adding innovation and guidance at their brick plants located in Sugarcreek, Ohio. These innovations would not be possible without a passion for brickmaking; this passion led the leadership at Belden to recently open their doors to a group of educators excited to learn more about the brick industry and share that knowledge with their students.
Exploring the Science of Bricks: CGIF’s Visit to The Belden Brick Company
CGIF’s Industry Tours for Teachers are one of the many programs offered through the Ceramic and Glass Industry Foundation (CGIF) that aim to equip teachers with the knowledge and resources necessary to attract, inspire, and support the next generation of Ceramic and Glass professionals. The tours provide educators firsthand knowledge of the varied careers in the Ceramic and Glass Industry. The most recent tour allowed teachers the chance to tour Belden Brick’s manufacturing plants and the many innovations of brickmaking firsthand. As the largest family-owned brick manufacturer in the United States, founded in 1885, Belden Brick has a rich history of quality and innovation in brickmaking.
The tour began with a warm welcome from Bob Belden, CEO and VP of Operations. Bob is a fifth generation brickmaker and his knowledge and passion for the industry is apparent from his first introduction. Bob shares the company’s long history of quality brickmaking, outlining the impact that Belden has had on the city of Canton, as well as its national impact. Bob welcomed several other tour guides, all executives within the company who had taken time out of their day to share their company with the educators. Brian Belden (Executive Chairman/VP of Sales and Marketing), Brad Belden (President/COO), John Streb (Secretary/Corporate Compliance), and Jeff Schrock (Continuous Improvement Manager) were just some of tour guides who would take small groups of teachers into the different manufacturing plants and give them an inside look into the science and art of brickmaking.
The Science of Brickmaking
In small groups of 4 or 5 teachers explored decades of brickmaking innovation from the very people that run the daily operations. From workers individually scoring and hand laying bricks in almost 100-year-old beehive kilns, to bricks being dried in kilns the size of a football field, to automated machines cutting and laying brick by the hundreds, educators gained a deep understanding of brick and its importance to our world. The colors, textures, patterns that make up the timeless appeal of brick is only possible because of people like those at the Belden Brick Company and the next generation of brick makers that are to come because of these educators.
Empowering Teachers
CGIF exists to attract, inspire, and support the next generation of ceramic and glass professionals, and one of the ways the foundation does that is by empowering teachers through events such as the Industry Tours for Teachers. Diana, one of the teachers who attended the event, praised the event saying, “I appreciated the opportunity to learn about what is happening in the industry so I can share the information with my students, and the importance of getting out of the classroom to learn from events like this.”
In addition to offering industry tours, CGIF has developed programs to offer additional support to teachers to integrate materials science into the classrooms. CGIF has created specialized kits for hands-on classroom learning, designed to make the science of ceramics and glass both engaging and accessible. These kits come with materials for experiments and projects, enhancing students’ understanding of the field. In addition, CGIF provides grants to support teachers in acquiring these kits.
Inspiring Future Generations
Educators left the tour inspired to show the next generation of professionals the wonder of brick making. By partnering with industry leaders like Belden Brick, CGIF continues to create opportunities for future generations to explore and innovate in ceramics and glass.
CGIF is grateful for the partnership with Belden Brick, which made this educational tour possible. Belden Brick’s dedication to connecting their industry with educators from across the state provided a unique opportunity for teachers to explore the complex process of brickmaking and the role of ceramics and glass in our daily lives. The continued partnership between CGIF and Belden Brick continues to be very useful in improving the educational experiences for teachers and students alike and helps the industry reach the next generation of ceramic and glass professionals. If you’d like to stay updated on our upcoming tours, follow us on LinkedIn for the latest announcements.