Carteret Public Schools Supports School-to-Work Pipeline by Opening Woodworking Classes to High School Students

District partners with Maplewoodshop and Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters Funds to introduce students to woodworking and to offer apprenticeship opportunities

(East Orange, N.J.) September 27, 2022 – Carteret Public Schools in New Jersey understands the importance of introducing students to career opportunities. In order to provide different types of learning, the district partnered with Maplewoodshop, a leader in teaching woodworking to students, and the Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters Funds, to introduce carpentry to students at Carteret High School.

“We were looking to add a more hands-on class for students who are more tactile learners and woodworking fit perfectly. It was important for us to listen to what students wanted to learn and also provide more opportunities for career-based learning,” said Melissa Jones, Ed.D, assistant superintendent at Carteret Public Schools. “Maplewoodshop has been a great partner in supporting our needs at the middle school level and we are thrilled with the number of students who have signed up to take the classes at the high school level.”

Students started with Woodworking 1 this semester and follow the Carpenters International Training Funds (CITF) Career Connections curriculum provided by the Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters Funds. Students will complete five projects throughout the semester including a multi-compartment tool tote, birdhouse, and bookcase.

Carteret has partnered with Maplewoodshop for more than three years at the middle school and junior high levels. With this expansion into high school, students will take multiple levels of woodworking which will lead to them having an opportunity to receive carpentry certifications and apprenticeship opportunities through the Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters Funds.

“It’s been great to see how our partnership with Carteret has grown over the years,” said Mike Schloff, CEO of Maplewoodshop. “The district is doing great work making sure to provide students with career-driven, real-world hands-on experiences to help them prepare for the world of work after they graduate.”

The Maplewoodshop program, now in more than 120 locations nationwide, trains non-CTE educators to teach woodworking with hand tools via digital and live teacher training, curriculum, and ongoing support. Maplewoodshop also provides hand-powered tools, proprietary workbenches, and a purpose-built tool chest to enable any regular classroom to become a woodshop.

To learn more about Maplewoodshop, visit www.maplewoodshop.com.  

About Maplewoodshop
Maplewoodshop is a leader in teaching woodworking to elementary and middle school students. The company works to share the powerful benefits of woodworking with educators and children to build critical life skills through its collaborative and adaptive woodworking curriculum utilizing hand tools. Since launching in 2016, Maplewoodshop has partnered with more than 120 schools and camps. For more information about the company and its programs, visit www.maplewoodshop.com.

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