February 27, 2020 — Young professionals shared their experience working in the woodworking and finishing industry and answered questions via livestream from students in their cabinetmaking I/II classes with wood manufacturing instructor Molly Turner at Ignacio High School in Ignacio, Colorado.
A similar scenario played out inRolla, Missouri; Braidwood, Illinois; and Alhambra, California, where schools also tuned into the Feb. 26 Careers in the Classroom event by Cue Career. Teachers unable to join live plan to share the recorded event* with students in upcoming weeks.
“It’s great having my students hear what’s going on in the industry from someone else they don’t see every day. It validates what I’m constantly telling them and why we’re learning what we’re learning,” says industrial technology teacher Mark Smith at Reed-Custer High School, who also participated in last year’s event.
“All the teachers I know need this kind of visual, video-focus content that piques kids’ interest,” says Adria Salvatore, assistant executive director of education for the Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS), which organized and foot the bill for the event.
Striving for diversity, Salvatore intentionally invites younger people from the industry who students can relate to, like presenters Seth Nardo, general manager of Reborn Cabinets, and Hannah Khalaf from Dixon Enterprises. Khalaf’s ability to get young people interested in woodworking through social media and fun hashtags like #MakingSandingSexy and #SurfPrepSanding helped earn her a 40 under 40 woodworking industry award from Woodworking Network….Read the full MultiBriefs article here.