In November of 2022, a new building was added to the north side of Roosevelt’s campus. This building included multiple new classrooms, more gender neutral bathrooms, and a brand-new wood shop. Let’s explore the history of Roosevelt’s wood shop program, how that relates to Career Technical Education and seniors’ post graduation plans, and the future of the program at Roosevelt.
“I wasn’t a teacher before this, and my whole teaching career is about a month and a half old. Yeah, I’m learning a ton.” That was Todd Kimmich, a craftsman and wood shop teacher at Roosevelt. I interviewed Mr. Kimmich to learn more about the wood shop program at our school and it’s value to students who may be seeking forms of post-secondary education that don’t include college.
Wood shop provides practical skills that introduce students to new hobbies and are fun to develop. These skills include working with power tools to create artistic and useful items. When asked what projects wood shop classes have been working on this year, Mr. Kimmich said “So like our intro kids, we try to orient those projects with certain tool goals in mind, like a bunch of router work, or learn how to use the drill press accurately. The projects we do are things that will involve as many of those processes as we can.” This builds experience with tools that are commonly used in a professional setting.
Speaking of professional settings, one main feature of woodworking is that it translates directly into career opportunities after high school. “There’s the immediate value of the fact that it sets you up for a career in the trades, which can pay you the day you graduate.” Mr Kimmich brings up a great point, that woodworking and the trades are great career paths for those seeking an alternative to expensive college education. “Honestly, with enough know how and a little bit of money, you can start your own business from what you’ve learned here.” Beyond career opportunities, Mr. Kimmich believes that “the value of what we have here is just being able to expose kids to as many different avenues of trade and craft that we can, like what’s going to speak to a certain person?” As a new teacher, Mr. Kimmich is “enjoying connecting, watching their brains connect with the work, because it’s something I’ve spent my life working with.”
The new wood shop at Roosevelt is truly state-of-the-art. “This space was [built] two years ago,” says Mr. Kimmich, “It is the biggest and newest in the district, so we’re pretty lucky. We have like a ton of new equipment, and it’s really great.” Class sizes are also staying reasonable allowing wood shop teachers to provide each student the resources they need to stay safe and learn in the new environment.
Woodworking is a valuable skill that students at Roosevelt are now able to learn a little more effectively thanks to the new wood shop. Teachers like Mr. Kimmich bring professional experience into their Career Technical Education classroom and prepare students for life after high school, whatever that looks like for them.
