Covenant House Wasington's Off the Block Woodworking program

At a time when vocational/technical education programs have been phased out in many places, the Covenant House Washington Artisans Workshop delivers a unique pre-employment training program that provides instruction in the techniques and craft of traditional and fine woodworking, in a hands-on learning environment. In our Artisans Workshop, we equip 24 youth each year with specialized, highly marketable skills, experience, and generations of collected knowledge to allow them to secure rewarding employment as cabinetmakers and fine carpenters - and the ability to take their products to market. This program has been established in order to address the risk factors our youth present - undereducated, unemployed, impoverished, homeless, and having a general lack of hope - with a rite of passage they would never receive from broken families or failing schools.