PTSW Scholarship Fund Still Accepting Your Donations

IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO HELP US GRANT LIFE-CHANGING SCHOLARSHIPS for every one of our classes this year. With your contributions, we can achieve our ambitious goal of awarding at least $100,000 in full and partial tuition breaks. This will greatly increase access to fine woodworking education for a diverse population of makers. You can be part of this positive change right now by clicking here to make your donation. Thank you!

Piper Tamler is one of many students who have benefited from a PTSW scholarship. Here's her story:

"I was so inspired by the learning environment in the Foundations of Woodworking classroom, and instantly saw the value of integrating artisanal woodworkers into my own practice as a builder and especially as an educator – passing on these age-old skills that are so easily forgotten in the face of new technologies and machinery.

"Since my time at PTSW, I have worked to integrate this mentality of personal ownership, care, and slowness into my teaching that I believe is much-needed in my little community recovering from recent communal loss. I work as the Woodshop Coordinator/Lead Instructor at Talent Maker City (TMC), a nonprofit maker’s space in the small town of Talent, Oregon. Talent was hit hard by wildfires in September of 2020, losing many residential and commercial structures and displacing over 2,000 families. 

"I can't stress enough how valuable my time at PTSW has already proven to be in my work at TMC. When I returned after my three-month Foundations of Woodworking course, I dove right into summer programming – teaching woodworking to middle schoolers as part of our yearly STEAM-focused summer camp. My newfound skills in traditional woodworking at PTSW gave me the experience and confidence to pitch teaching hand-tooled box making, which in turn opened the door for me to outfit TMC’s shop with student sets of fine woodworking hand tools. 

"I've now taught multiple sold-out fine woodworking classes to kids and adults, and am in the process of building curriculum for more in-depth courses, helping foster and support a local community of traditional woodworkers. None of this would have been possible without the support of donors like you. The impact of scholarships for students like me goes far beyond our own experience, it continues to change lives and spread access to fine woodworking. Please consider a gift today! 

"I am so grateful to PTSW for giving me the spaciousness to develop skills that are so life-changing for me personally, and am equally excited to continue spreading these skills to my own community!"