I've been asking people to volunteer for the Outreach Program and wondering why we aren't getting more volunteers. Then someone pointed out that not everyone knows what Outreach is all about, and what they are volunteering for. Good points! So let me try to explain a little about Outreach, and what we typically do at a session. I'll give it a shot, but I'll also ask others who have participated to chime in w/ their thoughts.
What is Outreach? As I see it, it's a way for us (NCWW) to reach out to non-woodworkers and introduce them to this hobby we all love so much. After all, we love it, so why wouldn't everyone else. :dontknow: Think of it as "Introduction to Woodworking, 101".
Who is it for? ANYONE who might like to dip their toe in the woodworking pool to test the water. The program is intended to go to anyone who wants to learn, although so far we have focused on just the Wounded Warriors, as a very worthy cause for our efforts.
What happens at a typical session? (Sorry for the length of this section, but I want to give a good overview of what happens.)
Again, I apologize for the length of this post, but hopefully it gives everyone an idea of what happens at a typical session. Our job is not difficult, and doesn't require great expertise in any single aspect of woodworking. Mostly it's observing and offering suggestions or demonstrating how you do something simple. You won't have to lecture, or teach, or make anything special. Think of it as mentoring. Personally, I've found the experience to be very rewarding. I love seeing the smile on someone's face when they first discover what they can do w/ a tool.
If you have any questions about the Outreach Program, Please, Please post them here and we'll do our best to answer them.
Bill
What is Outreach? As I see it, it's a way for us (NCWW) to reach out to non-woodworkers and introduce them to this hobby we all love so much. After all, we love it, so why wouldn't everyone else. :dontknow: Think of it as "Introduction to Woodworking, 101".
Who is it for? ANYONE who might like to dip their toe in the woodworking pool to test the water. The program is intended to go to anyone who wants to learn, although so far we have focused on just the Wounded Warriors, as a very worthy cause for our efforts.
What happens at a typical session? (Sorry for the length of this section, but I want to give a good overview of what happens.)
- We always try to arrive at least an hour before the session starts at 10:00. We want to have the trailer unloaded and all the equipment set up, in place, and working before the participants arrive. We have 3 mini-lathes, 2 scroll saws, 1 drill press, 1 band saw, 1 4" belt/disk sander, 1 1x30" belt/disk sander, and numerous hand tools and supplies to be set up.
- We begin w/ introductions (everyone wears a name tag w/ just first names), then a brief discussion of general shop safety guidelines, and what we'll be doing the rest of the day.
- Next we let the participants choose their work station. To help them choose, we have various items made at the different stations for them to see. These are the same items they will be able to make. We intentionally DO NOT show them any elaborate, complicated pieces we have made, and then say, "but you can't do that today." This is about what THEY can do, not about what WE can do.
- As the participants move to their work station, we divide ourselves up according to the work load at each station. We always try to have at least 1 experienced turner and 1 experienced scroller as the lead person at those stations. Two of each is preferable. We also want to have at least 1 helper per student. So if 3 want to work on the lathes, we'll have the lead turner, plus 2 helpers. We want a 1:1 ratio.
- At the stations, the lead person begins w/ some basic instruction, and any specific safety rules for those machines. One of the self-imposed rules we've tried to follow is: Never talk/demonstrate for more than 10 minutes without putting the tool in their hands! We want this to be a HANDS ON experience for them, not a boring lecture. We've tried to make sure that each participant goes home w/ something THEY made.
- Once the participant takes the tool and begins working, our job is to: Make sure they are being safe; offer advice and suggestions on "how to"; DO NOT do it for them; demonstrate a technique, then give the tool back to them.
- Lunch time! Depending on the venue, lunch will either be delivered, or one of us will go get it. NCWW covers the cost of lunch for both the participants and our crew. By this time most of the participants have either completed a project, or are well on their way, and have lots to talk about. So lunch is a great time for everyone to just sit around and talk about what they've been doing.
- After lunch, or when they've completed their first project, most of the participants like to try something else. They'll move to a different station and see how they like that.
- By mid-afternoon most of the participants are ready to call it a day. Our job is to clean up the mess, and put all the tools back on the trailer. Usually the participants help w/ this. Once the trailer is loaded, we're done for the day.
Again, I apologize for the length of this post, but hopefully it gives everyone an idea of what happens at a typical session. Our job is not difficult, and doesn't require great expertise in any single aspect of woodworking. Mostly it's observing and offering suggestions or demonstrating how you do something simple. You won't have to lecture, or teach, or make anything special. Think of it as mentoring. Personally, I've found the experience to be very rewarding. I love seeing the smile on someone's face when they first discover what they can do w/ a tool.
If you have any questions about the Outreach Program, Please, Please post them here and we'll do our best to answer them.
Bill
