No summer slump for these students! We spent the morning with middle schoolers at the Pacific Northwest Carpenters Institute in Northeast Portland. Students worked with the apprenticeship trainers and a Cleveland High teacher on a woodworking project, crafting their own toolboxes.

Later in the week, students will be touring a construction site, building a birdhouse and trying out BIM modeling on the computer, among other activities.

This one-week mentorship program for middle school students follows a two-week in-depth program for high school students. “SPACE” stands for Summer Programs in Air, Carpentry & Electrical. The programs give students a chance to gain new skills, work with mentors in the trades and learn about career paths to great middle-class jobs.

This project is a grant-funded partnership of Portland Public Schools and David Douglas School District, with assistance from Oregon Tradeswomen, IBEW, P&C Construction, SMACNA (the association representing sheet metal and air conditioning contractors), the carpenters’ institute, Associated General Contractors and PWA. It’s made possible by many dedicated individuals and volunteers. THANK YOU to Jan Osborn of PPS for her leading role and to everyone who is making these mentorships a reality.

The gallery below includes photos from the middle school program and a few from the high school session.