Apprenticeship
Apprentice Programs are tiered according to age and prior experience. The Jr. Apprentice Program (suggested ages 10–14) is scheduled in sessions; kids attend one day a week, and learn tool use and work on different Shop-related projects. The Apprentice Program accepts 10–12 high school-aged kids to work in the Shop alongside our professional boat builders, learning the skills needed to build and repair traditional wooden boats.
Both after school programs reward students with the rare opportunity to learn a traditional craft while simultaneously practicing core STEAM concepts as they gain knowledge about maritime and regional history.
An afterschool opportunity for kids who aren’t quite old enough to join our Apprentice Program to get an understanding of how the Boat Shop works. We’ll teach basic tool use, the process of wooden boatbuilding as practiced at Lowell’s for centuries, the importance of cleaning up and putting things back where they belong, and additional skills and lessons that organically arise as Shop needs dictate. On occasion, the senior Apprentices will act as mentors and lead the session. Afterschool snacks included. (Suggested ages 10-14.)
Now entering its 14th year, the Apprentice Program at Lowell’s Boat Shop is offering after-school apprenticeships for students in grades 9 through 12. Youth enrolled in this after-school program work alongside the Boat Shop’s experienced staff to learn the art and skills of traditional boatbuilding as practiced at the Shop for hundreds of years. Students need not have prior woodworking experience—though it is a plus—but they must display drive, dedication and interest, and be willing to work on projects assigned throughout the school year.
Please note: The Program is competitive, and accepts only 10-12 Apprentices for each school year. Apprentices spend three days a week during the school year at the Boat Shop building a boat from start to finish. This intensive program is designed to familiarize apprentices with the construction of a wooden boat and gives them a sense of pride in workmanship.
Senior Apprenticeship
Initiated to accommodate “graduates” who wish to further their relationship with LBS after completing their apprenticeships, this program focuses on independent construction and the mentoring of those in the Apprentice and Junior Apprentice Programs. Senior Apprentices also have the opportunity to become Counselors in Training for Summer Youth Programs or Junior Docents to assist with the many visitors who come to LBS.
“I think what we’re trying to turn out, more than a boatbuilder, is perhaps a better human being. One that is more self-sufficient, confident, and just has a greater feeling for community. And that’s really what this is. This is a community.”
-Graham McKay, Executive Director of Lowell’s Boat Shop