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87 Afterschool program!

This innovative program has benefitted from years of thoughtful leadership of James Mitchell and now enjoys three wonderful teachers Leah Middleton (not pictured), Nicole Robertson and Joseph Calvarino.

Maplewoodshop is excited to announce a new round of projects coming soon!

Maplewoodshop is excited to announce a new round of projects coming at the end of this month. Contact John Kiely, our new Account Executive, to be the first to showcase these brand new projects!

More Students Choosing Technical Training Over College

In a shifting educational landscape, more students are recognizing the value of technical training as a viable route to a successful career. According to the National Student Clearinghouse, undergraduate enrollment in four-year colleges has declined almost 0.5% Fall 2021-Fall 2023.

Wind Energy Project Pilot Program!

We're thrilled to announce the launch of our Wind Energy Project Pack pilot program, where three visionary teachers are leading the charge to ignite curiosity and hands-on learning in renewable energy.

Mike was a guest on Melody Bookchat

Mike was a guest on Melody McAlister's Bookchat podcast. He had a great time sharing the Maplewoodshop story.

Two stories I heard recently demonstrate the value Maplewoodshop can bring.

At JHS 190 in Queens, a 6th grader thanked me for inventing this program because math finally made sense when applied to measure his projects.

Congratulations to In the City Camps which ran a great program in 2022 and based on camper interest, TRIPLED the size of their program so that up to 32 campers can drop in from day to day while 16 dedicated campers can sign up for week-long Woodworking Intensives.

Congratulations Moshulu Montefiore Community Center

Congratulations to this month’s Orange Pencil Award Winner, Moshulu Montefiore Community Center (MMCC)! MMCC serves individuals of all ages, from preschool to young adults in the Bronx and Manhattan, opening up opportunities they may never have considered for themselves.

Two stories I heard recently demonstrate the value Maplewoodshop can bring.

At JHS 190 in Queens, a 6th grader thanked me for inventing this program because math finally made sense when applied to measure his projects.

Congratulations Eagle Academy for Young Men of Harlem

Eagle Academy for Young Men of Harlem is our February recipient of the Orange Pencil Award! Eagle Academy for Young Men of Harlem is new to the Maplewoodshop family, but taking off in big ways! With the support of the Carpenters Union, their scholars will be using Maplewoodshop to build projects that prepare them for future trade careers!

Two stories I heard recently demonstrate the value Maplewoodshop can bring.

At JHS 190 in Queens, a 6th grader thanked me for inventing this program because math finally made sense when applied to measure his projects.

Offshore wind energy is rapidly developing in the world of sustainable energy. In this project, you, a middle school science, social studies, or CTE teacher, will expose students to multiple careers in wind energy through the planning, construction and measurement of their own wind mill vs other windmills in your classes’ wind farm. Students will get to fully immerse themselves in each step of planning, developing and testing their own wind farm to become future pioneers of wind energy.

Carteret Public Schools in NJ initially partnered with Maplewoodshop to offer woodworking at its afterschool program at the middle school. It then added a woodworking elective course at its junior high school.

Introducing the Maplewoodshop Starter Program: Start small and grow!

Maplewoodshop's new starter program enables educators to introduce woodworking to their students at a smaller scale and a low initial cost.

Long Branch Public Schools is the recipient of the September Orange Pencil Award! Based in Long Branch NJ, Long Branch Public Schools implemented Maplewoodshop over the summer to introduce their elementary school students to trade programs.

As many college age students will explain, when they reach their later years of high school, teachers, advisors, and counselors begin introducing them to possible career paths. This type of preparation serves as an introduction to the typical four-year college experience, which seems to be the mainstream expectation for planning after high school.

On February 10th, 2022, we hosted a webinar to discuss student awareness of career exploration, learning in the classroom, and skill development for the future. I was joined by Tom Sommers, Director of outreach and development of the Northeast Carpenters Training Fund, and Joe Youcha, Director of Building To Teach.

Summer programs often emphasize traditional disciplines like math, science, history, and reading, but they also need additional ways to keep students engaged and enthusiastic about their work. Providing students the opportunity to work on hands-on, tactile projects is one example of how to keep students focused and interested on a daily basis.