Virtual Shop Class
Starting May 5th, Generation T will launch Virtual Shop Class, an eight-week series of online classes for kids (and parents, too!) aimed at helping to introduce the skilled trades to younger generations. Hosted by 20-year construction veteran Demi Clark from She Built This City, the program will teach the basics of building including an introduction to tools, basics of DIY work around the home, and fun projects using materials found around the house.
As of 2019, only 14% of secondary schools across the country offer shop class, leaving a massive gap in the number of young people exposed to introductory building skills such as carpentry, plumbing, and basic home repair. This lack of exposure has left today’s youth lacking basic do-it-yourself (DIY) skills such as how to use a hammer, screwdriver, or saw. Most don’t know the difference between a flat head or Phillip’s screwdriver. Through this program, Generation T hopes to use virtual technology to bring shop class into your living room and introduce families to skills that would normally be taught in a classroom setting, albeit on a smaller scale.
“With so many kids transitioning to home learning, we saw a perfect opportunity to bring shop class to the students. Kids and parents will have an opportunity to learn about basic DIY and homebuilding skills,” said Demi Clark, founder of She Built This City and education contributor to Generation T. “It’s a great opportunity to connect with young people and give them a basic understanding of some of the skills they would normally be learning in shop class. And we’ll apply those skills to fun projects and show them how this connects with possible career paths in the skilled trades.”
The series will be presented live on the Generation T Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/WeAreGenerationT/) every Tuesday, beginning at Noon, EDT. The first eight 30-minute episodes will cover the following topics:
| May 5th | Intro to Shop Class! In our first class, we’ll cover some basic tools you’ll need to start your toolset and show you how to safely use some of the basic tools such as hammers, screw drivers, saws and nails. Plus, learn more about some basic kinds of construction materials we’ll be using in the coming weeks. |
| May 12th | Basic Carpentry 101 – Bee Pollinator
Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials made from wood. In this lesson we’ll show you of the basics of carpentry and build your first project – a Bee Pollinator! |
| May 19th | Advanced Carpentry 201 – Dog Bowl Set Building on the basic skills you learned in your first carpentry class, we’ll dive a little deeper and used some advanced techniques to build something for the family pet – a dog bowl set from crates. |
| May 26th | Basic Plumbing Skills Have you ever wondered how water flows through a house? Or how to fix a broken pipe? In this week’s lesson, we’ll teach you a few of the basic skills needed to diagnose and learn how to fix pipes, and when you should call a plumber. |
| June 2nd | Do It Yourself (D) Bathroom Want to help mom and dad come up with some fun ideas to reimagine and make your bathroom look cool? In this lesson, we’ll show you the tools and skills needed to help fix and upgrade simple items in the bathroom (from paint, knobs, showerheads, vinyl cut & peel tiles). |
| June 9th | HVAC 101: 10 Steps to Learn, Troubleshoot, Maintain & Replace Ever wondered how your house stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter? Learn the basics of HVAC and understand how to these vital systems help climate control your house. |
| June 16th | Drywall Repair Ever wonder what your walls in your house are made of? Most of the time it’s a substance called drywall. Learn how to drywall installers mount drywall in homes and how you can repair drywall and paint it in just a few, quick steps! |
| June 23rd | Flooring & Tiling with Guest Hunter MacFarland |
Jason Burns
https://www.wearegenerationt.com/buzz/article/virtual-shop-class-looks-to-inspire-future-generation-of-tradespeople-while-teaching-valuable-diy-skills?fbclid=IwAR25O_sVBxO825oP5wA_eYlYtf4VEjMctxaIFaGxTrzpvbpdcFasxUbhRa0