Kickoff of the Mary Lacy Scholarship Raffle
In honor of Women’s History month 2020, we announced the establishment of the Mary Lacy Scholarship for women to encourage female participation in our 12-week, 9-month and 2-year boatbuilding programs. The scholarship fund is part of a long-term goal to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion across The Apprenticeshop. Through the success of this scholarship effort, three young women from the Midcoast area, Chloe Carr, Tabitha Gish, and Ellery Kempe-Chalmers, were able to enroll as boatbuilding apprentices in the fall of 2020.
In December 2020, they launched their first boats! Here’s what they had to say about the experience of building a Susan skiff.
Photo Credit: Erin Tokarz
“Looking back, I am amazed at how much I learned by working on my first project. Everything seemed new and difficult, but the staff and other apprentices helped me work through challenges, fix mistakes, and figure out each step of building the boat. I appreciate The Apprenticeshop’s focus on hands-on learning. I really enjoyed the woodworking. I’ve never worked with hand tools, and learning to use them has been both challenging and satisfying. I feel much more competent with tools now than when I began my apprenticeship. I think the best part of my apprenticeship so far is that building a boat has given me more self-confidence in my ability to learn new skills and make things with my hands."
- Tabitha Gish, 2-year apprentice
Photo Credit: Erin Tokarz
“Building my Susan Skiff was one of the hardest projects I’ve been involved in that quite literally required my blood, sweat, and tears. I can’t wait to see her go off and give joy to whoever takes her. Physical empowerment in a shop environment was one motivating factor for me when applying to the ‘Shop, and I’m so happy to say that I gained more confidence than I expected in that arena. In the 12 weeks, I learned more about woodworking, boats, and myself than I thought was possible while being that busy. Every day that I learn a new technique, skill, or method, I gain more freedom to go after the things I want in other areas of my life. I’m looking forward to continuing to grow in the domains of seamanship, public speaking, and metalworking that the 'Shop has to offer."
- Ellery Kempe-Chalmers, 9-month apprentice
Photo Credit: Erin Tokarz
"I'm really learning a lot about myself and the world around me. The atmosphere here at the 'Shop is like nothing else I've ever experienced. I truly believe being here and getting to know the wonderful people is making me into a better person."
- Chloe Carr, 2-year apprentice
This month, we are kicking off our scholarship fundraising effort for 2021 with the second annual Mary Lacy Scholarship Raffle. The boat that Ellery built will be raffled off to generate funds for the next group of scholarship participants. From now until June 1st, raffle tickets will be available here on our website and the winning ticket will be drawn on June 4th. An additional opportunity to support the Mary Lacy Scholarship effort is available through the 21 for $21k in 2021 initiative.