Hands On Deck teaches traditional and modern industrial arts to build mechanical skills in learners of all ages.
"The value of manual training lies not in the finished product, but in the development of the child."
— Otto Salomon
Frequently Asked Questions
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Explorers is an hourly rate of $15.
Our semester class rate is $15 per student per hour, with a $5 material fee per class for semester-long classes. Our semester classes are two hours once a week, which brings that class fee to $140 a month or around $650 for the 2026 Spring semester.
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We encourage you to sign up for our explorers program. Explorers is a flexible, hands-on program for kids ages five and up to create, build, and experiment with guidance from our staff.
Children are free to follow their own ideas as they cut, shape, assemble, and decorate their simple projects. It’s creative exploration of Hands On Deck for $15 per hour.
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Our main programs, Elementary Mechanical Skills and Industrial Arts, are semester long programs where each class builds on the last just like sports, music, or scouting.
Students develop real skills over time through structured lessons, progressive projects, and hands on problem solving.
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Our home learners program is based on our values from in person programming and boat building. We design, curate, and manufacture every lesson and the accompanying tools and materials for the most holistic learning experience for hands on learners.
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Students learn to measure, cut, shape, and assemble materials while developing focus, confidence, and problem-solving skills. Working with sharp tools adds an essential layer of respect, care, and responsibility, helping students understand that their actions matter and that skill comes from attention and practice.
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Boatbuilding is technical and in our shop very communal. Students learn to work as a team, support one another, and connect to the maritime culture that have shaped Great Lakes communities for generations.
Three shipwright skills students learn in boatbuilding:
Students learn how heat and moisture change wood, allowing it to bend without breaking. The process teaches material awareness, timing, teamwork, and respect, as there is a brief window to work and the wood responds directly to care and attention.
Shipwrights lay out full size shapes before cutting. Students learn to transfer measurements, draw fair curves, and mark accurately, connecting geometry, planning, and precision while showing how accuracy early prevents problems later.
Boats move and flex in water. Students learn why fasteners, spacing, and joint design matter, and how wood must be allowed to expand and contract, building structural thinking that goes well beyond basic woodworking. -
Our average student age is 10 years old, but we have quite a few 5-9 year olds as well as teens ages 12-17. Typically when a teen turns 14, and we see that they are passionate about our mission we provide them an opportunity for part time employment.
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Once or twice a month, and sometimes on Thursday evenings, we offer learning experiences and classes. We currently do not have the capacity to teach stationary tool use, but as we grow and add more space, that is part of our strategic plan.
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We are not a maker space. What that means is that you cannot buy time in our shop or with our tools for personal projects. Our stationary machinery and laser cutters are strictly used for project and kit manufacturing for our students.
Youth Classes
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Explorers
Explorers is a flexible, hands-on program for kids ages five and up to create, build, and experiment with guidance from our staff. Children are free to follow their own ideas as they cut, shape, assemble, and decorate their simple projects. It’s creative exploration of Hands On Deck for $15 per hour.
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Elementary Mechanical Skills
Elementary Mechanical Skills introduces young builders (ages 5-8) to essential tools, materials, and hands-on techniques for constructing practical projects for everyday use. Through guided projects and open ended exploration, students develop critical thinking skills and learn how to approach and solve problems creatively.
Semester Macro Projects: Mortise and Tenon Box, Paper Making and Pen and Ink Set w/ Box, Laser Engraved Cheese Board, Laminated Name Stool, Double Signature Journal, Puzzle Board, and Labyrinth Marble Maze
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Industrial Arts
Industrial Arts meets older students where they are at with a goal to build individual and group projects in community utilizing techniques and projects to foster success with challenge in every class.
Semester Projects Include: Japanese Tool Box, Shaker Table, Table Lamp, and Folding Funeral Chair
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Wooden Boat Building and Restoration
Wooden boat construction runs through the core of Hands On Deck. We began building boats with youth at the Central Library in 2016, and since then have constructed and restored more than 300 feet of boats alongside youth and volunteers.
This hands-on class introduces students to fundamental woodworking skills through the lens of boatbuilding. Each day focuses on measuring, cutting, joining, and shaping while exploring how boats are built, how they work, and their deep connection to history, water, and community.
Community Organizations
We started in 2016 working with the Brown County PALS program, and since then we have hosted scores of community groups and organizations interested in building mechanical skills and abilities with their youth and adults.
Please reach out if you are a scout leader, club director, or program courdinator to see the variety of programming we can offer your group. We offer programming to all ages including large senior groups.
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