A student building his toolbox during the district qualifying competition.
Nineteen students from three schools within the Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) (California) participated in a district-wide student woodworking competition on Wednesday, October 20 at Mark Keppel High School. The students came from the wood technology programs at Alhambra High School, Mark Keppel High School, and San Gabriel High School.
For the competition, students built a tool box in two hours using hand tools, hand-held power tools, and machines. SWM (Society of Wood Manufacturing) donated $500 to the event, which covered the cost of material for the project. The material was provided by Royal Plywood, a long-standing local supporter of industry-education efforts. The students who earned the highest score from each school received an award for first, second, third, and honorable mention, and all students were able to take home the tool box that they completed.
Alhambra Unified School District Wood Tech instructors: (from left) John Mason, Paul Lam, Carlos Sanchez
This is the ninth year that AUSD has hosted this qualifying event. Prior to the pandemic, the competition was accompanied by a meal, and parents and industry guests were encouraged to attend. “We are grateful to SWM and Royal Plywood for their involvement and support in our district competition,” says Mark Keppel High School woodworking instructor Paul Lam. “We hope that next year we can return to the lively event we have hosted in the past so that industry professionals can connect with and cheer the students on in person.”
The purpose of the district competition was for the Alhambra USD students to qualify spots in the SkillsUSA California regional Cabinetmaking contest and the Introductory Woodworking contest. Those with the highest scores will advance to represent their SkillsUSA school chapter in regionals, which will take place virtually in January and February 2022.
Instructor Paul Lam of Mark Keppel High School with his students and their finished tool boxes.
During the SkillsUSA CA regional competitions, students will submit a video showing their completion of an assigned project and will participate in a live virtual interview with an industry judging panel. Overall, the top-scoring contestants from each AUSD school chapter will be able to advance to the regional competitions. Students with the highest scores in the regional competitions will then be invited to compete at the State Conference, taking place April 21-24 in Ontario, California.
“The Alhambra Unified School District qualifying event is an excellent model, it prepares students for competition and gets them excited to participate in SkillsUSA CA events,” says Clay Mitchell, SkillsUSA CA State Director. “We wish all students at AUSD and throughout the state the best of luck as they prepare for the upcoming regional competitions.”
To learn more about SkillsUSA CA and SWM, contact Adam Kessler at adam@awfs.org