Support Youth Like Liam this Give to the Max!

As Give to the Max Day approaches, we’re highlighting the voices of the youth who are at the heart of our work. Throughout the week, we’ll be sharing a few of their stories: what they’re learning in the shop, how they’ve grown, and what belonging at Urban Boatbuilders means to them.

Liam is a junior apprentice who first learned about Urban Boatbuilders in his advisory class at school. He was “already interested in doing hands-on work and didn’t know where to start" until he was introduced to the apprenticeship program.

“It was pretty convenient timing.”

Since starting in the fall, Liam, who initially never expected himself to build a boat, has learned several skills, including how to use a drill and woodburning. His favorite step in boatbuilding thus far is lashing, and the step he’s most excited for is skinning.

In addition to the skills, Liam highly values the relationships and trust he’s building in his cohort.

“I like the people here. They have a really nice vibe, and they never show up with any kind of attitude…Urban Boatbuilders is a community where you’re working with people who have the same goals as you, so you're always communicating and teambuilding with each other. It’s fun connecting with people doing this.”

His favorite team-building activity? The apprentices partnered up and were given the challenge to make anything out of wood in a short amount of time. Liam and his partner came up with a panda armed with a sword. (The panda, pictured, did originally have two arms, but one comically fell off.)

“Everyone here likes being hands-on, and they're also doing their own thing. Everybody likes to work with each other. It’s very nice to have people that like the things that you do. In that way, you all have a mutual connection already.”