Sawdust News April 2022
Woodworking In Summer Schools
“It’s a great opportunity for students to grow in a new skill while also carrying over to academics. It really enriches students and provides an opportunity for them to be confident.”
Summer schools often emphasize traditional disciplines like math, science, history, and reading, but they also need additional ways to keep students engaged and enthusiastic about their work. Providing students the opportunity to work on hands-on, tactile projects is one example of how to keep students focused and interested on a daily basis. Project-based learning not only builds confidence but allows students the agency to explore their intellectual and artistic passions outside of standard academic disciplines.
More specifically, woodworking serves as a great opportunity for students to apply themselves in a physical, social, and emotional way. Through woodworking, students are able to acquire foundational, translational academic skills and life skills. At Maplewoodshop, our partnering school districts have seen an increase in student engagement as well as an increase in overall attendance due to the widespread enthusiasm towards woodworking. As Dr. Sandra L. Cullis of the Denville Township School District in New Jersey adds, “Our teachers were thrilled with how focused their students were and shared how they’ve never seen this kind of growth in the summer before.”
Students with access to project-based learning opportunities are given the chance to work on engaging assignments that produce tangible results. Working with one another when building a woodworking project promotes social-emotional learning in students, which is the core of our program at Maplewoodshop.
The instant impact woodworking has on students in summer schools is best described by Dr. Cullis. We provided our program to her students, which Sandra notes bolstered excitement and provided benefits for students and teachers alike.
“The Maplewoodshop program has provided a hands-on learning experience that draws in ALL students, which has made a significant impact on our ESY summer programs. Students attend woodworking two periods per week, and on many days was the reason they came to school. We have experienced higher student attendance than in previous summers, and have seen more focus in the academic periods. The program has truly met a need that had not been met before. Several parents informed us that their children didn’t want to go on vacation if it meant they were going to miss woodworking. The instructors reported the lesson plans, safety, and tools to be of exceptional quality, and incredibly user-friendly. They can’t wait to offer the program to more students during the school year. Mike Schloff and Lauretta Dag-Sosu were extremely helpful in getting the program up and running”
Assistant Superintendent Curricula & Instruction Denville Township Schools
Visit Maplewoodshop today to discover how we can help provide academic, career, and life opportunities for your summer school students, or chat with us to book a demo and learn more.