Summer Carpentry Camps for Girls Launch In Southern Vermont
March 1, 2023
Contacts:
Lars Hasselblad Torres, Executive Director
HatchSpace
lars@hatchspace.org
Caelan Keenan, Youth Program Manager
Vermont Works for Women
ckeenan@vtworksforwomen.org
A first-time collaboration between Vermont Works for Women and HatchSpace aims to empower middle school girls in the trades
Brattleboro, March 1, 2023 – As Vermont faces a looming shortage of workers in the construction trades, two Vermont nonprofits have teamed up to help close the gap. For five weeks this summer, Vermont Works for Women and HatchSpace will host carpentry camps for girls at their downtown Brattleboro workshop.
Each Rosie’s Girls BUILD camp will take place over one week. During this STEAM, trades, and career exploration day camp girls and gender-expansive youth will gain first-hand experience with carpentry tools in a professional work environment. Through hands-on projects campers will learn to make wood toolboxes, picture frames and a step stool - all while gaining valuable skills, making new friends, and discovering new opportunities to pursue careers in the trades.
Rosie’s Girls welcomes into the program anyone entering grades six through eight who identifies as a girl regardless of assignment at birth. BUILD camps also welcome youth who are non-binary or gender expansive who are comfortable in a girl-centered space.
Each BUILD camp session will focus on basic carpentry skill-building. Tools that campers work with include hammers, screwdrivers, measuring tools, hand saws, chop saws, jig saws, and power drills. They can also learn to use orbital sanders, hand sanders, paintbrushes, wood burners and other hand tools used to finish or decorate their projects.
Through hands-on learning and a research-based social/emotional curriculum called Power Skills, Rosie’s Girls helps youth break down gender stereotypes, develop self-confidence, build connections, and dream big about their futures.
Rosie’s Girls has offered camps for girls in dozens of communities across the state since 2000. This is the first time that the BUILD program will be offered in southeastern Vermont.
“HatchSpace has offered extremely popular courses in woodworking for women since we opened in 2021,” observed HatchSpace founder Tom Bodett. “We’re incredibly excited to create access to the joy of woodworking for middle school girls. We are honored that Vermont Works for Women has placed their confidence in us.”
Day camps will be offered at HatchSpace this summer, from June 26 to August 25. Three sessions are open for registration now. For exact dates and full program details, please visit: http://hatchspace.org/rosies-girls
About HatchSpace
HatchSpace is a shared space for woodworking. We are an 8,000 SF community workshop where we spark and nurture creative expression and lifelong learning within a supportive community environment. We foster the conditions for exploration, independent work and group collaboration necessary for anyone to build beautiful things with wood. Our impacts include personal development, livelihood support, and community well-being.
Learn more at: http://hatchspace.org
About Vermont Works for Women
Vermont Works for Women (VWW) promotes economic justice by advancing gender equity and supporting women and youth at every stage of their career journeys. Its programs include: career education and exploration for middle and high school girls and gender-expansive youth; employment and career coaching and hard skills training for women, including incarcerated women; and gender equity services for schools and businesses to improve educational and workplace cultures for women
Learn more at: https://www.vtworksforwomen.org