Students of Hononegah High School pose with their fall semester woodworking projects.

Nellysford, VA – The Woodwork Career Alliance of North America welcomes 29 high school woodworking programs as EDUcation™ members for the 2019-20 academic year.

The 29 new EDU members include 13 schools in Wisconsin, four each in North Carolina and Illinois, and two in California. The other six schools are located in Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Utah, Washington and Alberta, Canada.

With the newly added schools, WCA EDU membership now totals more than 130 in the U.S. and Canada. In addition to high school woodshops, EDU membership includes college woodworking programs and other career technical education institutions.

EDU member programs are licensed to use the WCA Woodworking Skill Standards and Passport credentialing program recognized throughout North America. Other EDU member benefits include access to training materials and videos, plus free and exclusive discounts for woodshop necessities through the WCA Essentials Benefit Package.

Chadrick Parrott, who has been teaching woodworking classes for 12 years, including the last seven at Indian Valley High School of Gnadenhutten, OH, said he chose to join the WCA “to formalize my curriculum to align with current industry standards. I hope to improve our curriculum and develop relationships with other teachers and industry professionals.”

Jason Glodowski, who instructs about 50 students each year at Hononegeh High School in Rockton, IL, said, “I decided to join the WCA because of the national certification that students can obtain as well as the standardized nationally recognized assessments in the program. I’m hoping my local business partners recognize and value my certified students in the hiring process. And I’m also hoping that it brings more local and state recognition to my program, in regards to level of quality and what is to be expected of my students.” Glodowski noted that Hononegeh High School plans to add a second level cabinetry class.

“We’re pleased to welcome these new EDU members to the WCA,” said Scott Nelson, WCA president. “These schools are demonstrating their commitment to making sure their woodworking programs are in line with industry’s needs for candidates who have been trained to safely operate equipment and have demonstrated the aptitude to continue growing their woodworking skills.”

The full list of new WCA EDU member high schools includes:

Arroyo High School, El Monte, CA
Bartlett Yancey High School, Yanceyville, NC
Battle Ground High School, Brush Prairie, WA
Beloit Memorial High School, Beloit, WI
Bertie High School, Windsor, NC
Crosby-Ironton High School, Crosby, MN
D.C. Everest High School, Schofield, WI
Dakota High School, Dakota, IL
F. J. Turner High School, Beloit, WI
Fennimore High School, Fennimore, WI
Franklin High School, Franklin, WI
Hillcrest High School, Midvale, UT
Hononegah Community School, Rockton, IL
Indian Valley High School, Gnadenhutten, OH
Jefferson High School, Jefferson, WI
Johns A. Holmes High School, Edenton, NC
Kettle Moraine High School, Wales, WI
Lord Beaverbrook High School, Calgary, AB
Louisburg High School, Franklinton, NC
Mukwonago High School, Mukwonago, WI
Oregon High School, Oregon, WI
Palmyra-Eagle High School, Palmyra, WI
Pecatonica High School, Pecatonica, IL
Ridgewood High School, Norridge, IL
San Marcos High School, Santa Barbara, CA
South Milwaukee High School, South Milwaukee, WI
Spring Creek High School, Spring Creek, NV
Stoughton High School, Stoughton, WI
West High School, Wauwatosa, WI

About the Woodwork Career Alliance
The Woodwork Career Alliance of North America was founded in 2007 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and is governed by a volunteer board of directors. The WCA’s mission is to develop and administer a unified set of Skill Standards for the wood products industry. Since 2011, WCA has developed observable and measurable performance standards and assessments for more than 300 woodworking machine operations. In addition, WCA has issued more than 2,500 credentials, a portable, personal permanent record documenting each holder’s record of woodworking skill achievements. More than 130 high schools and post-secondary schools throughout North America are WCA EDUcation™ members and a growing number of woodworking companies have joined the WCA as MANufacturing™ members. To learn more about the WCA and how to get involved with its programs, including sponsorship opportunities, visit WoodworkCareer.org.