About
Vision & Mission
Our vision is to empower through handwork.
Our mission is to utilize handwork to help nurture the well-being of the whole person. We believe that making, particularly hands on making, helps in supporting intellectual, physical, emotional, and social development.
Handwork, like playing music or creating art, enriches our lives. It provides a meaningful way to connect the mind and body, deepens our understanding of the world around us, fosters autonomy and self-reliance, and offers so much more.
We aim to achieve this by developing and teaching a curriculum that encourages a "Maker's Journey" in a low pressure, curiosity led discovery through a carefully structured series of projects, starting from the fundamentals and advancing in complexity over time.
We also strive to make handwork accessible to everyone, by lowering the various financial and knowledge barriers of entering into a new craft.
Our mission is to utilize handwork to help nurture the well-being of the whole person. We believe that making, particularly hands on making, helps in supporting intellectual, physical, emotional, and social development.
Handwork, like playing music or creating art, enriches our lives. It provides a meaningful way to connect the mind and body, deepens our understanding of the world around us, fosters autonomy and self-reliance, and offers so much more.
We aim to achieve this by developing and teaching a curriculum that encourages a "Maker's Journey" in a low pressure, curiosity led discovery through a carefully structured series of projects, starting from the fundamentals and advancing in complexity over time.
We also strive to make handwork accessible to everyone, by lowering the various financial and knowledge barriers of entering into a new craft.
Our hope
is that every student will...
Build a
Community
Community
Increase their
Self-Confidence
Self-Confidence
Develop Skills in
Perseverance
Perseverance
Become an
Independent Thinker
Independent Thinker
Experience a deeper
Mind-Body Connection
Mind-Body Connection
Gain Respect and Appreciation for Honest Labor
Principles
- Self-paced, Curiosity Lead LearningStudents pace themselves through the curriculum. There is no pressure on the student to rush their work. We emphasize giving students the time and space necessary to learn and explore. This self-paced environment allows curiosity and imagination to take root. When curiosity is present, enhanced learning is too.
- Skill StackingThe curriculum is designed to logically layer skills, enabling students to progress from basic to advanced levels. This approach fosters a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the craft. Skill stacking minimizes the friction often associated with learning new things and provides a clear trajectory for the student.
- Failing ForwardOur courses build a community which normalizes failure as part of the learning path. We celebrate taking risks, and acknowledge that mistakes are a part of learning anything new. We allow space to be retrospective and to discuss the experiences and lessons learned of each student.
The Team
Nate LambFounder & Executive Director
Woodworking
Jeff ShrinerBoard - Co-Chair
Baking- Tommy OlsonBoard - Treasurer
- Christine LuckasenBoard - Secretary
- Leah BishirPrintmaking
- Greg WilsonLeatherwork