Philadelphia High School Students Build Boats to Learn Carpentry Skills

The Carpenter Contractor Trust recently highlighted Philadelphia high school students that have spent their semester making boats through Workshop on the Water, a hands-on curriculum taught by a retired union carpenter at the Independence Seaport Museum.

Two groups of high school juniors and seniors from the Maritime Charter Academy High School in Philadelphia, and one group from the Sequoia Alternative Program, Lenape Regional School District, in New Jersey, have participated in Workshop on the Water once a week for two to three hours at a time. The small groups of five to 10 students have been coming since last October. They completed their boats on May 3 and will test them in the Delaware River basin in June, the Carpenter Contractor Trust said in a recent press release.

The classes are an opportunity for students to learn about the different tools, how they work, how they sound, and how they can be applied to various trades within the construction industry. They’re also an opportunity for union carpenters to share insight into the possibilities and potential of a career in the trades; particularly for families who may seek ways for students to rise in their career paths, secure a sustainable job with benefits, and not accumulate large amounts of debt from school.

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