No time is wasted in the DEAN woodworking shop. After a safety and tool demonstration, your child starts building their first project by clamping a board to the bench, picking up a pull saw, and making the first cut. They are on their way! Throughout the week, counselors stay close by to guide and instruct, but campers choose what to build and make every cut themselves. At our camp, your child works like a professional woodworker, following four steps from rough board to finished project:

• Planning & Instruction (The Plan): Woodworkers pick their project, read the instructions, and follow the directions that will take them from start to finish.
• Measuring & Marking (The Layout): Woodworkers follow the oldest rule in the shop: measure twice, cut once, using a combination square, rulers, and a pencil to get the dimensions just right. And when a piece comes out short or a joint splits, they find the cause, re-measure, and cut again. Your child learns to check their work before committing, and to be resilient when things don't go as planned.
• Cutting & Joining (The Build): Woodworkers saw, drill, and fasten each part, then glue, screw, hammer, and nail the pieces together.
• Sanding & Finishing (The Finish): Woodworkers sand each surface from coarse grit to fine grit, and top it off with a personalized creative touch.

Woodworkers learn patience and maintain focus at every turn. When a joint splits or a piece falls short, they pinpoint the issue, recalibrate, and try again. Through this process, campers cultivate problem-solving stamina and resilience that serve them far beyond the bench. Your child leaves with new confidence in handling tools, a habit of careful double-checking, and the practical knowledge to bring ideas to life from start to finish.

Each week, campers engage in hands-on building projects, learning key skills and mindsets:

• • • Foundation Skills: Measuring, sawing, drilling, planning, sanding, and joining pieces together
    • Technical Abilities: Exploring design choices, experimenting with structural integrity, and finishing surfaces for both form and function while building precision and patience

As they build and create, campers strengthen essential character skills:

• • • Collaboration: Sharing ideas and techniques with fellow builders
    • Resilience and Self-Regulation: Developing focus through detailed work and problem-solving when challenges arise

By the end of the program, every camper goes home with original projects that reflect both their growing craftsmanship and confidence.