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youth program

Joined
Jun 25, 2010
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Location
West Palm Beach , Florida
As soon to be the past president of our local club I will have time to try to start a youth program. I have been asked by several parents during our sales events and demonstrations about a youth program.

Where do I start?

What age group is best?

How often should they meet to turn?

How do I get it out to the public?

Do we charge so we don't become baby sitters?

Timothy Rowe
soon to be past president:cool2:
 
Joined
Sep 14, 2010
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Location
Standish, Maine
I, as an individual, am working with a program director of a "nationally accredited non-profit agency dedicated to the needs of individuals who are facing emotional, behavioral and developmental challenges".This will only involve a few children at this point but I hope to expand this next year to include demos to 4-H groups, boy and girl scouts, other youth groups and possibly individual (or small group)classes.

Our future is our youth !
 
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hockenbery

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Lakeland, Florida
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www.hockenberywoodturning.com
Timothy,

Two starting places are the teaching guide in "member only"
and the youth page Ed memntioned
http://www.woodturner.org/community/youth/

here you'll find youth certificates and lots of projects

Sherry and I taught a youth class at MD Hall for the Creative Art for about 6 years. we did a
"try it you'll like" - a 3 hour class turning spinning tops
"wood turning for Youth" which met for 3 hours on 5 consecutive Saturdays in the fall and spring and every morning during a week in the summer.

our Age limits were 10-16 we accepted one 8 year old who did quite well.

When asked about younger students - If a child can slice a tomato unattended we'll let them take woodturning. Parents understand this and it seems to work.

the limitations with teaching kids are pretty much the same as with the elderly. Both groups lack hand strength and range of motion. It is difficult for young kids to hollow a bowl in the traditional fashion. they can't do a tight fit on a box lid.

We tended to do mostly spindle projects and a box. our typical 5 day class
1. whistle with a fipple
2. Key chain or pen
3. Gavel Head
4. Gavel Handle
5 Lidded box

other projects we've done include Napkin rings, string puzzles, little birdhouses..

we began every class with safety guideline in the 3,4,5 class we have the student tell us the safety rules we stress.
we then have the studenst turn on a practice block we call it the warm-up block. they just do the cuts they will need for the project.
then we do the project.

an example of the warm up for the spinning top is cutting a deep, wide, flat bottom cove into 2" diameter piece. the center is turned the diameter of a pencil which is like the handle of the top, the left side of the cove is like the point of the top, and the right side of the cove is like the part of the top that joins to the handle. when the then do the top they have done all the cuts they need.

Our big advantage was that MD Hall basically supplied the students. They charged a tuition. we also always had one scholarship sturdent. The county school board always had one spot to give away. Usually this came from an Art class in one of the middle schools. I also taught a couple of classes for sculpture classes in a middle school art program. If you can connect with a school, scout group, youth club of some sort you have the students and some administrative help.

You'll have fun

-al
 
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