In Urban Boatbuilders' experiential, hands-on learning environment, youth participants from partner agencies gain skills, knowledge, confidence, and responsibility while learning wood working and boat building skills in a mentored environment. 

Over the past 16 years, Urban Boatbuilders has served more than 2,800 youth from more than sixty juvenile justice programs, public schools, charter schools and neighborhood organizations. In that time, we’ve built over 200 boats. Traditionally, 80% of our youth are from communities of color; 95% are from low income families and 80% are male; 20% female.

There is a saying in workforce development agencies these days: "The best anti-poverty program is a job." Urban Boatbuilder and agency partnerships help prepare youth for future jobs by giving them skills, knowledge and accomplishments on which to build. For older, experienced youth, the Urban Boatbuilders apprenticeship is a job, giving them an opportunity to earn money while further developing advanced wood working and boat building skills, knowledge, job readiness prep and workforce orientation.

Since 2003, Urban Boatbuilders has hired over 85 apprentices. Since June 2010, more apprentices have stayed for the entire 12 months than in previous years, giving the program additional opportunity to help these youth build leadership and work skills. When working with apprentices, we emphasize the acquisition of craftsmanship, perseverance, self-confidence, cooperation, responsibility and teamwork values. The benefit of this approach was evident last September when the four apprentices who left at that time did so to accept full-time work.

Self-assessments completed by twenty-nine recent or current apprentices indicated each experienced:

•         an increase in their level of craftsmanship when doing a job

•         an increase in perseverance and willingness to keep working until a job is completed even if the work is hard or frustrating

•         an improved ability to be a good team member – cooperating with others and doing own share of the work

•         an increase in the perceived degree to which other people can depend on the apprentice to do what asked to do

•         increased ability to see what needs to be done and start doing it without waiting to be told

•         increased sense of contributing to something worthwhile

•         increased school attendance and progress toward high school graduation or acquiring a GED.

In the last twelve months, apprentices have completed the construction of a Cosine Wherry, built from scratch a 13` Wee Lassie lapstrake solo canoe, stripped and repaired a 1940’s Peterborough rowboat, built a 15` Cheemaun (wood canvas) canoe, built two Chesapeake Light Craft kayaks, started the restoration of a vintage Thompson wood canvas canoe, started athe construction of a 17` Atkinson Traveler wood canvas canoe, as well as assisted in the construction of a sailing mast and boom for a partner project pram. They have made several pairs of wooden rowing oars. In late June, they will build two skin-on-frame canoes. In late July, they’ll take these new canoes, and hopefully the Atkinson and the Thompson, on a canoe trip in the BWCAW.

Apprentices are engaged in every step of the boatbuilding process, from interpreting the plans to steam-bending, to fastening the last plank, to paddling the boat for the very first time. They construct nice boats and learn important lessons alomng the way. Here are some of their comments about being part of Urban Boatbuilders' Apprenticeship Program:

“First thing, my life changed to a better person to be in this group, because they are nice to me and helpful.”

“I am smarter when it comes to woodworking. I feel now that I can build anything. I stay out of trouble more. I can work better in groups. I feel as if I’m getting paid to learn.”

“Speaking from personal experience, I think that once you get in a boat or canoe or kayak, it's like you’re getting into a whole different world. It's like you forget about everything around you and you become one with the boat.” 

“It was so hard to believe that I was actually building something, because back home (Nairobi) if you are thinking of building something, you have to watch an experienced person do the job and it takes a long time for the teacher to trust you. Coming here was totally different because although Phil gave us guidance, we did the job. He reminded us often that we were building something that a human’s life depends on, so we need to be careful. That was a big thing for me because he trusted me. Since time has passed, I found out that I was actually good at it, and I’ve learned to trust myself.”

“I have realized that I am very capable of doing good things and building things.  Now I know that I have the skills to do these things.”
 

“I have become more social, and I am now more comfortable talking to people that I don't know well. I am now more eager to attempt difficult projects/problems, because I have more confidence.”

."Since I started the boat builder apprenticeship, I have kept out of trouble more, and been more confident in the things I do.”

"I strongly believe since I have been working at UBB I have been self-confident and also double think about the decisions I make because I do not wanna lose my job. It makes me feel positive in every aspect.”

Your Donation Counts