The West Chester School District and Berlin Steel Construction Company have joined forces to offer students a first-hand look into the process of steel design and manufacturing, according to a report in the Daily Local News.

Twelve Henderson High School students from Joel Cummings’s Engineering and Design class had the opportunity to visit the Berlin Steel Construction Company in West Chester.

During the visit, the students from grades 10-12 learned about the process of designing and creating the skeletal structures that support buildings throughout the Philadelphia area and New Jersey.

Some of the best examples are the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and East Market Residential and Retail Complex.

After the presentation, the students got a taste of what it would be like to be an ironworker. A few brave volunteers wearing safety equipment and tools that weighed almost 90 pounds walked across a steel beam that was lifted 12 inches off the floor. The students who gave it a try made it without falling.

“Now, imagine doing that 12 stories up in the air,” said Estimating Manager Ryan Parsons.

Read more about the Henderson students’ visit in the Daily Local News here.