By ADAM STEWART

Staff writer

After four days working on airbrushing projects using real airbrushes and computer programs, Marion freshman Breanna Doyle had decided she preferred using a computer.

“It’s easier to fade colors into each other,” she said Thursday after completing an outer-space scene using Adobe Photoshop.

Seventh-grader Emily Davies disagreed, preferring a real airbrush instead.

“It’s fun. I like getting paint on me,” Emily said.

The airbrushing class, taught by Jim Versch, was part of a five-week summer school program at Marion Middle School. The program is in its fourth year and is paid for with a Middle School Enhancement Grant that MMS Principal Missy Stubenhofer and interrelated teacher Charlene Metcalf applied for.

Each week has a special topic, and airbrushing was the third this summer. Radios and water quality were earlier topics, and short stories and watercolor painting will be the final topics.

Career exploration is a major theme of the program. Each week students visit local businesses and listen to speakers discuss their careers. Students write resumes for themselves and fill out practice job applications.

They also go on trips to colleges in the area. Stubenhofer said they visit a mix of colleges, including large and small, public and private, and four- and two-year colleges.

“I liked the smaller schools because there aren’t as many people,” Breanna said.

Other classes in the program include physical fitness, nutrition, cooking, and Spanish.

The classes are free to the students, who range in grade level from sixth grade through freshmen.

Stubenhofer said the grant that pays for the classes has been extended to 2012, although the amount will be halved to about $10,000.