The Bridge to Crafts Careers program is a hands-on initiative where students engage in masonry restoration within historic cemeteries, like Green-Wood in Brooklyn. Collaborating with Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow and the World Monuments Fund, this 10-week program not only focuses on restoration efforts but also emphasizes safety and educational growth. Students involved learn vital construction skills, work towards OSHA certification, and receive compensation during their training. Since its inception in 2015, the program has successfully trained over 600 students, combining practical experience with guidance from industry professionals.
On a sunny day in Green-Wood Cemetery last week, the magnolia and cherry trees were in bloom while a group of students busily tended to historic gravestones and vaults.
The 13 students at work are all part of Bridge to Crafts Careers program, which gives them the opportunity to learn the important basics of the construction trade while getting hands-on masonry restoration experience.
This is about teaching and learning, not just about getting work done, said instructor Neela Wickremsinghe.
Students receive the training necessary for their OSHA certification and are paid during the length of program.
#masonry-restoration #construction-training #youth-programs #historic-preservation #osha-certification
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