Case Study - Brooklyn Prospect
““Maplewoodshop really gets all the kids, even the kids who are struggling, engaged which is great! It excites them about the whole school day.””
School Vitals
School: Brooklyn Prospect Elementary creates the leaders of tomorrow by combining world-class academics with teaching excellence in an intentionally diverse community of learners. The school is committed to molding lifelong learners.
Students: 750 students
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Grades using the program: 3
Staff Trained: 1 artist with no teaching background. This artist was brought in to teach only woodworking.
Why Maplewoodshop
Brooklyn Prospect wanted to explore woodworking in art class, where the children could experiment with a new medium and learn life skills. The school’s mission to create lifelong learners is aligned with the Maplewoodshop mission to teach kids powerful life skills that they take with them even after they graduate.
They needed to make teaching woodworking as simple as possible. The Maplewoodshop program made it easy to turn the classroom into a woodshop and the teacher training was done via video and in-person.
Educating With Maplewoodshop
Project created: String Art, Jigsaw Puzzles, Scrapatecture, Keepsake Box
Concepts Learned/Reinforced: Order of Operations, Self Expression
Life Skills Learned/Reinforced: Collaboration, Cooperation, Creativity, Teamwork, Confidence in their ability
There is a clear increase in the students’ confidence during woodworking class. Learning how to use the tools and being responsible for their care and proper use increases their feeling of responsibility and self-reliance. Students feel confident creating projects on their own and are proud of their work.
Community building is another benefit of woodworking in the classroom. When students are finished with their projects, they help others. The act of helping gives kids a sense of purpose and pride that they can make things better or easier for someone else. It also builds community.
Creativity and problem solving are skills that go hand-in-hand during woodworking class. There is always something that goes wrong or does not come out as expected and they have to come up with solutions. They use creativity to make those solutions.
““When kids are finished they go around and help
others. It makes them more confident that they can help others and builds community.”
”
The Best Part?
The most rewarding part of woodworking with children, Melanie says, is trusting them with grown-up tools. “They really enjoy the responsibility and you can see that it is a big deal for 3rd graders. They are excited to prove that they handle the tools and it is a joy to see them feel and act more grown-up.”
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