Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute announces Educator Training workshop

ADRIAN, Mich. — Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute, a non-profit woodworking school in Adrian, Michigan, is hosting a three-day How to Teach, Trades Educator Training, workshop July 28-30. The workshop is designed for instructors, trainers, mentors, and crew leaders to explore new teaching theory and best practices. 

During this interactive workshop, the traditional teaching model that has been used for decades will be turned inside out, and students will be introduced to a new, transformative way of learning: ‘Go Beyond Hands-On’. Get inspired to take your teaching to the next level and transform your approach to training the next generation of tradespeople. 

The Beyond Hands-On model shifts the focus from only the skillset to also include the mindset and heartset needed for historic preservation. Students will receive a Beyond Hands-On (BHO) manual and explore usable teaching tools that can be modified for any classroom, any trade, and all types of learners. 

Thanks to support from the NPS Historic Preservation Training Center and Preservation Maryland’s Campaign for Historic Trades, scholarships are available to fully cover the $900 registration fee to the first 20 people who apply. 

“Whether you teach in a trades workshop, at a historical structure, or on a trail, this workshop will push you to rethink the way you’ve been taught and to explore new teaching theory and best practices based on the Beyond Hands-On model,” says the school’s description of the workshop. “Active participation and curiosity are essential! Be ready to think, reflect, and share your own insights with classmates to build collective knowledge.”

The Beyond Hands-On model was designed to increase engagement and improve learning outcomes. The model was developed by the Center for Learn Local with support from Old School Heritage Solutions and field tested for five years with the NPS Historic Preservation Training Center and Preservation Maryland’s Campaign for Historic Trades.