WE NURTURE RESILIENCE.
WE BUILD COMMUNITY.
The Seaport Foundation Apprentice Program is a hands-on learning opportunity for Disconnected Youth ages 18 -23.
Since 1993, Seaport’s Apprentice Program has used the craft of woodworking and traditional boatbuilding to deliver an immersive experience that prepares these young adults for success in both employment and adulthood.
APPRENTICES & CURRICULUM
Apprentices are paid $14 per hour and can expect to spend 6 to 9 months working alongside experienced woodworkers, carpenters, boatbuilders and mentors on a three-phase curriculum to gain workforce-readiness skills and life skills.
Workplace Readiness Skills
- Woodworking, Boatbuilding, and Carpentry
- Academic/GED Tutoring
- Resume/Interview Training
- Professionalism, Teamwork, and a Service Mindset
Life Skills
- Financial Literacy/Budgeting
- Self Esteem/Positive Habits
- Health and Nutrition
- Resiliency/Patience
- Anger Management
OUR IMPACT
Most Disconnected Youth are living in family environments that are at or below the poverty line and are at a greater risk for mental health, physical and behavioral issues. Many cite a “feeling of hopelessness.”
Over the past 10 years, the Seaport Foundation has helped our Apprentices achieve important goals:
- Earning their high school GED certificate.
- Attending community college, 4-year college, or a trade school.
- Completing a driving course and receiving their driver’s license.
- Entering employment or a workforce development program.
- Living independently in a safe environment.
HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?
Give of your Time, Talent, and Treasure…
Volunteer
Do you have woodworking or construction skills and some free time? Come help our Apprentices as they develop woodworking and boatbuilding skills at our Boat Shop on the Potomac waterfront. Learn about our volunteer opportunities in the Volunteer Application Packet.
Program Support
Do you have a background in teaching or tutoring? Come help be an ally to our Apprentices as they work toward receiving their GED, obtaining a Driver’s License, and receiving Financial Literacy and Budgeting training.
Donate
Your donation allows ASF to continue to serve disconnected youth in our communities. Every dollar you give goes directly to supporting our facilities, staff, and programs. Giving is easy. You can donate online or by mail to PO Box 25036 Alexandria, VA 22313.
EVENTS & COMMUNITY
Seaport Participating in Boatbuilding Fellowship to Develop National Certification
Alexandria Seaport Foundation is thrilled to be participating in a year-long Boatbuilding Educator Fellowship with the Teaching With Small Boats Alliance (TWSBA). Program Director Matt Roberts and Volunteer Katherine Hamilton joined other educators last month at the WoodenBoat School in Brooklin, Maine, to begin the process of developing a curriculum for a National Boatbuilding Certification.
Participating in the TWSBA fellowship adds direct value to the important work Seaport does in our Apprentice Program and gives Seaport the opportunity to play a key role on the national stage with similar programs.
“It’s very fortunate that TWSBA is launching this program just as Seaport is in the midst of our curriculum review and planning for expansion,” explains Matt. “We want to strengthen the math component of our woodworking and boatbuilding curriculum while at the same time ensure that we are providing more Apprentices with a strong foundation for new careers.”
OUR FUTURE
The Seaport Foundation is embarking on an ambitious expansion of its current Apprentice Program to expand the number of Apprentices we serve.
This expansion includes the construction of an additional building to meet the needs of the expanded Apprentice Program. Seaport Center II, a purpose-built building is scheduled to commence construction in 2025.
This building will add an additional 3,500 square feet of workshop and meeting space. Once completed, The Seaport Foundation will have more than 5,400 square feet of space from which to deliver its Apprentice Program.
Our goal?
To improve the futures of Apprentices and their families, strengthen the community, and improve Alexandria’s future.
OUR STORIES
“I am changing for the better. Because of what I’m learning at the Seaport Foundation, I’m thinking of my future, and I’d like to become an electrician.”
I AM CHANGING FOR THE BETTER & THINKING OF MY FUTURE
Brian Godoy-Fuentes, Apprentice
``To me, The Seaport Foundation means hope and second chances.”
SEAPORT FOUNDATION MEANS HOPE & 2ND CHANCES
Suzanne Mead, Volunteer
“The personal satisfaction of watching an Apprentice gain self-confidence while learning a skill and completing an assignment is all it takes for me.”
WATCHING AN APPRENTICE GAIN SELF-CONFIDENCE
Jay Creech, Master Woodworker Volunteer
In 2016, Darrel's parole office referred him to the Alexandria Seaport Foundation where he entered the Apprenticeship Program. Today, he has a B.S. Degree in Sociology, and is a job coach for individuals with disabilities.