1. I am Mike Rainey, Executive Director of the Port Townsend School of Woodworking and Preservation Trades.
Established at Fort Worden in 2007, the School has taught over 3,000 students in the last 10 years. Today, our curriculum includes 55 intensives, workshops and classes.
Upon joining the staff, I had the opportunity to participate as a student in a hand tool class. It was a transformative experience. I gained self-confidence and was inspired to continue developing my skill. And I see that growth and transformation in each one of our students.

2. Partnerships in Action
2010 Historic Windows Restoration Project
Washington State Parks
Port Townsend School of Woodworking
Peninsula College
Benefits included:
Restoration of public assets
Hands-on technical training
Improved energy efficiency
In order to train students partnership are key as they provide the School with real world projects.
In 2010, the Historic Windows Restoration Project, a partnership between Washington State Parks, Peninsula College and the School successfully trained 8 students and restored 100 windows at Fort Worden.

3. Our collaborative efforts protected valuable state assets, improved the energy efficiency of each building, and provided vocational training resulting in new careers.
Revitalizing craftsmanship at this time in history is key.

4. Partnerships in Action
2016 Porch Furniture Project
Fort Worden PDA
Port Townsend School of Woodworking
PDA secured a $75,000 grant for PTSW to design and build 60 pieces of furniture for Officer’s Row accommodations.
Project results:
12-Week Furniture Making Intensive
PTSW expanded facilities and invested $100,000 in leasehold improvements
The School and the PDA have also celebrated success in a partnership project.
In 2016, we teamed together to produce 60 pieces of beautiful functional furniture. The project was a catalyst in launching our 12-Week Furniture Making Intensive course.
With this new class, the School needed additional workshops and in 2017, invested $110,000 in Building 304 to transform storage rooms into a first-class bench and machine room. .

5. As we look ahead, the School and the PDA are partnering on the exterior restoration of the historic Guardhouse, a collaboration that will provide training opportunities.
Beyond Fort Worden, the School is developing a partnership with the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding to restore 20 windows at it’s historic Port Hadlock campus.

6. Sam Allison Sought high-quality education in the trades
Values hybrid model – hand tool techniques and modern machinery production
Graduated from Furniture Making Intensive
Honing skills as Teaching Assistant
Applying for internship with GreenForge
Goal: Vibrant, living wage career in woodworking trades
With the new Furniture Making Intensive course, students like Sam have the opportunity to develop quality skills.

7. Sam’s desire is to hone his skills to marketable speed
Sam’s desire is to hone his skills to marketable speed. Greenforge and restoration projects will provide an apprentice program to bridge the gap leading to a sustainable family wage career.
I am eager to build on the skill and knowledge I gained as a student and am now refining as a Teaching Assistant in order to create a satisfying, living wage career for myself.

8. Career Connected Learning
Vocational training
Paid internships
Speed, Scale, Quality
Preserving traditional skills
Revitalizing craftsmanship
Veterans are the fastest growing participant demographic
GreenForge Labs LLC is a new corporation established to take people newly trained in woodworking and develops their capacity to work at speed, at scale, and competitive quality in the real world.
GreenForge puts craftsmen to work in paid internships on real world projects under real world conditions with real world customers.
Currently, our work focus is on historic preservation, furniture making, construction and agricultural carpentry.
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