Breaking the chains of poverty can start young. We teach trade skills to high school students so they can better provide for themselves as adults, whether by repairing their own homes, doing side work, or entering the trades. We work one-on-one with these students to teach them skills such as measuring and cutting lumber, drilling and fastening, gluing and painting, and work site safety. On a typical one-day project, students also learn how to work with other students, read plans, and make cutting lists that minimize waste of raw materials. The students learn on projects that have real value, such as playground benches or raised garden beds, which have been requested by local organizations. This gives them a sense of real accomplishment. Those that master these basic skills on one-day projects are eligible to participate in larger repair projects on clients’ homes, under an instructor’s direct supervision. That experience makes them good candidates to join a one-week mission trip to Kentucky, where they can work side-by-side with caring adults, under professional tradesmen- mentors, and experience Appalachian coal country. The training program is led by a father-and-son team: Jim and Todd Gagnon. Jim owns a large construction company; his son, Todd, teaches in our local school district. The school district provides us with students that they feel would most benefit from this training. Any community group can propose and sponsor a project for the students.

• Have an Idea for a training project?

• Call Ron Fraser at 609-249-5392