Nine Boulder Prep students recently spent a week learning to cut, attach and smooth pieces of sheet metal to create a keychain, taco holder, phone stand and small box at Longmont’s TinkerMill.
TinkerMill volunteer Jeff Farrell, who led the metalworking class, set up each student with a toolbox stuffed with basic tools plus a workstation with a vise. They shared some of the more expensive and specialized tools, including a pop riveter and a spot welder.
“We wanted it to be approachable and something that could be done entirely with hand tools,” he said. “At the end, I tell them they’ve learned how to bend metal to their will. There’s not a lot teenagers get to control, but they can have control over this.”
Boulder Prep students recently finished their fourth week of the Gunbarrel-area charter school’s six-week “intensive” summer program. The students take a single class for four days, allowing for more experiential opportunities, off-campus community partnerships and work-based learning…