SPI’s new! Handwerks Project
Inspiring Next Gen Careers in the Trades and Artisan Crafts
Woodworker and Hatchspace co-founder Tom Bodett whose story is in SPI’s Handwerks collection. Photo: Beowulf Sheehan
Handwerks is a German word that translates as “the work of the hands” and references skilled trade and craft work. This project has been a long time coming and we are delighted to introduce it now.
Handwerks shares the stories of extraordinary and accomplished tradespeople who are established in their field, love what they do, and want to share their enthusiasm with young people. Our stories engage and inform students about career opportunities in the building, historic preservation, mechanical, fine woodworking, artisan, and energy-related trades.
What SPI has found in our thirteen years of sharing stories ~ kids want to KNOW what kind of opportunities are out there, and not just in the abstract. They want to hear it from those who are living it. Handwerks is a resource for just that purpose. It opens the door for young people to find out about a whole host of creative, fulfilling, and hands-on career options.
Those who share their story with SPI talk about who and what inspired them, their early steps to learning and mastery, and what it is like to build a career - and, notably, a life, as is a common theme - through “the work of the hands.” As the project rolls out, we'll be making available an up-to-date list of educational, scholarship, and apprenticeship resources and programs to help guide students who are eager to learn more about the next steps to a career in a specific trade.
For young people exploring different options for their future, the right story at the right time told by the right person can be the spark.
We’re busy working behind the scenes now recording and readying stories for launch in time for the 2023/ 2024 academic year.
We’re seeking support for Handwerks from businesses and individuals. Please consider becoming a Handwerks sponsor. You’ll find sponsorship information here.
About SPI
Our Mission: Story Preservation Initiative believes in the transformative power of story to connect people around our common humanity and create a better future.
Our Work: We are a leading producer and online distributor of original, content-rich audio-based narratives for K-12 students. SPI stories are the raw materials of history, roadmaps to scientific discovery, and windows to the mind of artists and skilled tradesmen and women.
What We Achieve: SPI brings listeners into personal contact with extraordinary people whose stories engage their hearts and minds, imparting content knowledge and fostering curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking as they open doors to possible career paths in professions associated with the arts, sciences, humanities, and skilled trades.
SPI was founded in 2010. We are fully and proudly open-source.