Eight students enrolled at woodworking programs belonging to the Woodwork Career Alliance’s EDUcation membership won awards in the biennial Fresh Wood Competition at the AWFS Fair held July 17-20 in Las Vegas. In addition, Joe Davis, woodworking instructor at the Dale Jackson Career Center, a WCA EDUcation member, won the Bravo to Teacher award.

Cole Daniels of Rolla Technical Institute , one of the WCA-affiliated student winners, won the People’s Choice Award and the $750 prize that went with it. Daniels’ project, Hard Ninety, an originally designed shuffleboard with intricate paneling and accenting, also won Second Place in the 2019 High School Special Theme Category: Sports and Games.

Other students of WCA schools that were honored in the 2019 Fresh Wood Competition include:

Kyle Hassett, Dale Jackson Career Center, Flower Mound, TX, “The Big Slick,” First Place, Sports & Games/High School category;

Chandler Norton, Reed-Custer High School, Braidwood, IL, “Riot Arts Gaming Chair,” Second Place, Design for Production/High School category;

Logan Miller, Lincoln East High School, Lincoln, NE, “L. & J.G. Stickley Prairie Chair,” First Place, Seating/High School category;

Katja Peereboom, Cedar Ridge High School, Hillsborough, NC, “Sinking Chair,” Second Place, Seating/High School category;

Caldell Davis, Lincoln East High School, Lincoln, NE, “The Limbert,” Honorable Mention, Seating/High School category;

Matthew Steger, Dakota High School, Dakota, IL, “Honestly Elegant,” Honorable Mention, Tables/High School category;

Sam Galliart, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS, “Stuff Sapele,” Honorable Mention, Seating/Post Secondary category.

Fresh Wood 2019 sponsors included KCD Software, Best of Show category; Wagner Meters, People’s Choice categroy; Next Wave Automation, Design for Production category; LIGNIA Wood Company Ltd., Seating category; and Northwest Hardwoods, Table category.

The Fresh Wood 2019 judging panel consisted of Bob Barone, Precision Drive Spindles; Judson Beaumont, Straight Line Design; Scott Grove, Imagine Grove; Wendy Maruyama, Wendy Maruyama Studio; and Jim Wellever, Michigan Career & Technical Institute.

First Place winners in each category and at each school level received a $1,000 prize, Second Place winners received $500 and Honorable Mention winners received $250. AWFS covers project shipping and the majority of travel and hotel costs to bring the students and their teachers to Las Vegas.

The biennial event, held as part of AWFS®Fair, attracted 188 entries from schools in the United States.

Read about all of the 2019 Fresh Wood Competition winners.