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COVID News

August 10, 2021

Vaccinated School for Class of 2021

The recent rapid spread of COVID variants has increased the risk of the school’s ability to offer continuous programs without interruption. The school remains committed to providing an exceptional learning environment that teaches craftsmanship and hands-on training. Therefore, with focus on the safety of students and staff, as well as minimizing the risk of schedule disruptions, the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding will be a vaccinated school as defined by statewide regulations. Students in the Class of 2021 are required to be vaccinated.

July 23, 2020

Postponement of Fall 2020 Boatbuilding Programs

Thank you for your patience, your understanding, and your flexibility as we work through this COVID world together. The school has faced many challenges while operating during a pandemic, and has made many difficult decisions in this ever-changing environment. We remain committed to our mission of craftsmanship, hands-on training, and providing the best educational experience for our current students and you – our future student.

With that commitment to provide the high-quality education you expect, the school has made the extremely difficult decision to postpone one cohort of our 2020-2021 School Year. The start dates of the Fall 2020 Traditional Wooden Boatbuilding Program and Contemporary Wooden Boatbuilding Program both will shift by one year to October 4, 2021.

In the last few months, our focus hasn’t changed. We were the first school to re-open in our area and our staff has been working harder than ever to deliver quality instruction. We’ve reconfigured shops for social distancing, built more student mockups for independent work, installed sanitizing stations, defined new safety protocols, and developed online lectures that have proven a wonderfully modern way to document and effectively teach this oral tradition.

Even with these changes, the recent rapid escalation, unpredictability, and impact of COVID has caused the school great concern that our continuous 12-month boatbuilding programs can be delivered without interruption to in-person instruction. Many of schools that are staying open are doing so by moving to an all online teaching model, but that model does not lend itself to a hands-on trade school like ours, where students learn craftsmanship by doing.

We understand this is a significant change for you and your future plans, and we feel this is the best way to deliver on our mission of teaching hands-on skills and to ensure your success in our 12-month boatbuilding programs.

We look forward to a strong 40th year for the school with investments that will enhance learning for students. Our plans include continuing innovations in content delivery for our programs and wrapping up our four-year $2.5 million initiative to improve our 7-acre waterfront campus. For students starting the Marine Systems program in April 2021, classes will be held in the new 4,800 square foot building custom-designed for our Marine Systems program.

We look forward to staying connected with you. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me (heidi.blehm@nwswb.edu), Chief Instructor Sean Koomen (sean@nwswb.edu), or Executive Director Betsy Davis (betsy@nwswb.edu).

Thank you,
Heidi

Heidi Blehm
Admissions and Student Services Manager
(360) 385-4948 ext. 305
heidi.blehm@nwswb.edu
www.nwswb.edu

May 20, 2020

Message to current and incoming students

Current students are scheduled to return to campus on July 6th and we are looking forward to welcoming fall students October 5, 2020. Instructors and staff are working on getting the campus set up and ready for re-opening.

Students will be receiving more details on the modifications we’re making, but according to new guidelines from the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (WTECB) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), we are working on implementing:

  • Online lecture content
  • Increased personal protective equipment
  • Expanded shop layout to promote social distancing
  • New protocols for working in the shops
  • Adjusted times for students to be on campus

Chief Instructor Sean Koomen and Executive Director Betsy Davis have also been reviewing policies with the other boatbuilding schools (International Yacht Restoration School, the Landing School, and Great Lakes Boatbuilding School), in order to determine Best Practices that all the schools can use.

We will continue to send you updates as we prepare for your program to start.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Email continues to be the quickest way to reach me – we can use it to schedule a phone (or Zoom) call if you’d like to chat.

Thank you,
Heidi

Heidi Blehm
Admissions & Student Services Manager
Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding
heidi.blehm@nwswb.edu
www.nwswb.edu

April 30, 2020

Message to current and incoming students

The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding has been evaluating when students will be able to return to campus to resume instruction. Since Governor Inslee announced plans to extend the Stay-at-Home order and that the gradual reopening of the state will still require social distancing for some time, NWSWB has determined that we will re-open July 6th, assuming state regulations will allow it.

We will continue to offer a high-quality hands-on learning experience, but the realities of a world adapting to COVID-19 will require us to reshape how we do it. NWSWB is currently researching the new best practices for social distancing in our hands-on learning environment. We are reviewing new regulations for the construction industry, comparing notes with other major boatbuilding schools around the country, sharing notes with boatyards in our own town, and talking with our national accrediting and state licensing agencies. We’ve determined that there is a substantial amount of work to be done to set up the school in a way that will continue the best of hands-on learning while also protecting students and staff. For example: reconfiguring class size and shop space to let students work at a greater distance from each other, acquiring the requisite personal protective equipment, moving lecture content into online delivery, and ensuring compliance with safety and health measures.

Our current plan is to have boatbuilding students complete the 3rd quarter this summer and 4th quarter in the fall, with classes running from July through December. Those students currently waiting to start the Marine Systems program would also have classes July through December. This will postpone the October Marine Systems class to April 2021, but there is currently no change to the October 2020 starts for the Traditional and Contemporary Boatbuilding programs.

We appreciate your patience during this process, and we want our students to know we’re here to support you as you wait for school to restart. Whether it’s making sure you have the resources you need, passing along information about potential short-term jobs when the state reopens, or just checking in. Please continue to stay in touch with us and let us know how we can help.

In the next few days, all students will receive a call from either Kevin (Marine Systems) or Sean (Boatbuilding). In addition, we will continue to provide weekly email updates. Please feel free to contact any of us if you have questions or concerns. School staff are working remotely but all would be pleased to hear from you.

Be safe out there-

Betsy & Sean

———-

Staff Contacts:

April 15, 2020

Message to current and incoming students

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a month since we saw you all on campus. In some ways if feels like that was just last week, and in other ways it feels like it was years ago. Despite the closures, the Boat School continues to build and invest towards the date when we can reopen, with shops poised for programs, learning and projects as soon as we receive word. The hard fact here is that we simply don’t have a firm date for when we can re-open the NWSWB campus. And believe me, this is super frustrating for us all here at the School, as I’m sure it is for you. Please know, however, that as soon as we receive the green light, you’ll be the first to know.

To offer some more context for this situation, here’s the current data we do have:

What we do know:

  • The WTECB confirmed last Friday that vocational schools are still temporarily closed until at least May 4th. We are waiting for the WTECB to tell us the date that vocational schools can resume in-person training. From here, we can decide what re-start date makes the most sense with the Boat School’s schedule.
  • We are following the guidance provided, and are waiting to hear more from our governing agencies before further action. We are doing this to ensure we continue to stay in compliance for students to maintain eligibility to receive Federal Financial Aid and VA Education Benefits.
  • So far, we’ve actually only missed 1 week of school (April 6 – 10). The original school year calendar had breaks between quarters and in-service days we can pull from to adjust the schedule and make up time. The time still exists to finish programs, depending on our restart date.
  • We are working to minimize the time needed to get the campus re-opened once we have a restart date. We anticipate only a day or two before students can be back on campus.

What we don’t know:

  • A solid re-start day. We will determine that once we receive a date authorizing us to resume in-person training.

I’m sure there are plenty of questions out there regarding the School’s closure/re-opening, completing programs, etc. Please feel free to give me a call anytime if you’d like to chat more – my phone number is 415-306-3119.

Take care and be safe out there,
Sean

P.S. Here’s a welcome distraction! Take a look at this free digital issue of WoodenBoat magazine: https://www.woodenboat.com/free-digital-issue-woodenboat

Sean Koomen
Chief Instructor
Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding
sean@nwswb.edu
www.nwswb.edu

April 8, 2020

Message to current and incoming students

Hello from the Boat School. We recognize that this unknown situation is a hardship and a challenge for so many of you, and we are grateful to everyone in our community for their understanding during this highly transitional period. We remain committed to doing everything we can to ensure the health and safety of our community. In this rapidly changing situation, we will continue to keep you informed with what we do and don’t know.

For today, here is what we do know and what we don’t know.

What we do know:

  • Our first priority is to keep our community healthy and safe.
  • Our goal is to re-open as soon as we are allowed.
  • Governor Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, subsequently extended to May 4, strengthens mandates already in place to encourage social distancing, a crucial measure for slowing the spread of COVID-19.
  • On April 6th, Governor Inslee extended the prohibition on in-person instruction for K-12 education through June 19th. That guidance came from the Governor and Washington State’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). The OSPI oversees K-12 education, but not vocational schools.
  • As a vocational school, we follow the guidance of the Washington State Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (WTECB). The current guidance from the WTECB is that vocational schools are temporarily closed until at least May 4th. When we receive new guidance from the WTECB regarding vocational schools and when we are allowed to reopen, we will let you know.

  • Responding to the challenges of COVID-19 has required resourcefulness and teamwork. Even without staff or students on campus right now, the school is still active — managing cash frugally, developing and deploying new communications tools, moving design and permits forward on capital projects, and spending time enhancing curriculum. We are using this “pause” to ensure we’ll be even stronger right out of the gate when we have the opportunity to resume classes.

What we don’t know:

  • As of this email we do not have updated information from the local, state, and Federal authorities regarding vocational schools and when we will be allowed to restart in-person training. But, “What we do know” is that we will reopen when we are able.
  • The School will not be disbursing Spring Quarter Student Aid until classes resume. At this time, we are awaiting further guidance from the Department of Education regarding future procedures. Please visit the Federal Student Aid website for updates on Federal Student Aid https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/coronavirus. If you have any financial aid questions, please contact Katie Whalen via email katie@nwswb.edu.
  • New School Year Calendar: Updating the calendar depends on when we are allowed to resume classes. We will send you an updated calendar as soon as possible, once we have more information.

We will continue to communicate with you regularly and provide new information as it comes available, sharing the most recent information we do and don’t know. We do know that the skill sets and confidence that you build during your time at the school are timeless in value.We look forward to seeing you back on campus.

Best,
Heidi

Heidi Blehm
Admissions & Student Services Manager
Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding
heidi.blehm@nwswb.edu
www.nwswb.edu

March 27, 2020

Message to current and incoming students

I wanted send a quick update to keep you in the loop on what’s been going on here at the school.

The most important focus for us is to ensure the safety and well-being of our students, family, friends, and community, and it is from here that we strive to base our intentions and planning from. I hope that you and your family are safe and healthy during this time.

As you know, on March 17th, following the directive of Washington State Governor Jay Inslee, the school is closed until April 24th. At this moment, we have not been advised of any new recommendations or mandates that would require us to change from our current April 27th start date. We are monitoring updates and recommendations from Local, State and Federal authorities related to COVID-19 and will give you as much advance notice as possible if this date changes.

On March 23, also following the directive of Washington State Governor Jay Inslee, the Boat School is following the ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ mandate. We thank you for your patience in contacting the school at this time, as Boat School staff are working from home on reduced hours. If you need to contact a staff member, whether for concerns about your program or about getting connected to local services, please do so by email. We will get back to you as soon as we are able. If your needs extend beyond email communication, the staff member can schedule a time to chat with you on the phone. Below is a list of staff emails.

We know that you are eager to get back to your hands-on program and we are so excited to welcome all of our students back on campus.

Sincerely,

Heidi Blehm
Admissions & Student Services Manager
Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding
heidi.blehm@nwswb.edu

March 18, 2020

Message to current and incoming students

Thank you all so much for your understanding and patience as we work to address the rapidly changing conditions and challenges in these unprecedented times. We realize that these changes and developments have raised many questions and concerns.

For students, we understand how disruptive this experience is and that you have many questions regarding everything from your academic progress and financial aid to your living situations. Please know that our faculty and staff are working around the clock to prepare for your return to the Boat School – in whatever evolving form that experience takes – and that your education and community experience is our paramount concern.

We can offer a few answers to some of questions we’ve been asked:

Can I pick up mail during the school closure?

Yes. We have designated Mondays between 10am – 12pm as a time that students may come in to collect mail. We encourage you to use the online form from the USPS to set up mail forwarding if this does not work for you. Visit www.usps.com/manage/forward for more details.


When is spring quarter tuition due?

We want to offer flexibility during this time. Therefore spring quarter tuition payments are not due until Monday, April 20th, based on a start date of Monday, April 27th. If the start date changes, we will adjust the tuition due date. We will send out a reminder before the tuition is due.


What does the proposed school calendar look like if classes resume on Monday, April 27th?

Please click this LINK for the updated school calendar – assuming classes resume on Monday, April 27th. Below are some bullets to help you navigate the calendar.

  • The grey-shaded area shows the current NWSWB closure due to the state closure order from Governor Inslee.
  • In-service days originally scheduled for these Fridays: April 17, May 8, June 12, July 24, and August 14 will be regular class days.
  • The originally scheduled 2-week summer break will be amended to a 1-week summer break. The new summer break dates would be June 29 – July 3, with classes resuming July 6th.
  • Four-day holiday weekends for Labor Day and Memorial Day will not change.
  • The 4th quarter will be extended by one week. Therefore the graduation date will be on Friday, September 25th.

This information, as well as all our messaging about the current situation, can be found on the school’s website at www.nwswb.edu/news.

I continue to be uplifted by the essential kindnesses I see happening in our community. So much goodness is rooted in the extraordinary abilities and dedication that our community is bringing to this endeavor. Thank you all and keep taking care of each other.

Best,

Heidi

Heidi Blehm
Admissions and Student Services Manager
Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding
(360) 385-4948 ext. 305
heidi.blehm@nwswb.edu

March 18, 2020

Update to our community

Dear Boat School Community,

On March 17th, following the directive of Washington State Governor Jay Inslee, the school has closed until at least April 27th. During the closure staff members are “re-tooling” how we stay in touch with current and incoming students, how we work collaboratively while social distancing and working remotely, and how we continue to build our curriculum and campus within the context of uncertainty. We are prepared to re-open April 27th if the Governor declares that it is safe to do so.

The school campus is now closed to students and visitors. We are not offering individual tours at this time and have cancelled our First Friday public tours until the Governor has determined the school can re-open (although we do invite visitors to explore the school’s website at www.nwswb.edu or on the social media accounts listed below). Administrative staff are working in isolated offices or remotely and instructors are working in individual shops or remotely. To follow our progress navigating these waters you can find current information at www.nwswb.edu/news.

And yet… we are extremely focused on ensuring a strong start right out of the gate when the school’s doors are allowed to re-open. The skill sets and confidence that students develop as they learn trades at the Boat School are timeless in value and may become even more valuable for people trying to navigate the uncertain future that lies ahead. We are still actively accepting and reviewing applications for programs beginning in October.

Thank you all for your interest and support of the Boat School during these uncertain times. We *know* that the timeless education established almost 40 years ago with the intention of preserving craftsmanship and hands-on skills is as vital today as it was then, and will serve a uniquely important role as the world re-builds after all the changes we’re currently facing.

Sincerely,

Betsy

Betsy Davis
Executive Director
Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding
(360) 385-4948
betsy@nwswb.edu

March 13, 2020

NWSWB Temporary Closure

Governor Inslee is closing all K-12 Schools in Washington State, effective March 17th through at least April 24th.  He is also restricting activities at colleges and universities so that there will be no in-person courses through that date.  Here’s the article in the Seattle Times describing this:

https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/inslee-announces-all-washington-k-12-schools-to-close-in-an-effort-to-slow-the-spread-of-coronavirus/

The Boat School will be following the Governor’ directive. Here’s what we know so far:

  • The Boat School will be open Monday, March 16th as a day of transition.
  • All staff and students will meet at 9am in the lower waterfront classroom. 
  • After the meeting, everyone will work to clean and prepare shops for a long-term closure.  For students, this will include removing all your tools, materials, boats, and other belongings from campus by end of day Monday. 
  • This closure includes all NWSWB Courses, including all workshops.

As a result of this closure, we understand there will be many questions and concerns.  We will be fielding those questions on Monday morning in an effort to set up clear communication channels moving forward. 

Sean & Betsy

Sean Koomen
Chief Instructor
415-306-3119
sean@nwswb.edu

March 12, 2020

Delayed Spring Marine Systems Program start

Today, Washington’s Governor Jay Inslee announced a closure of all K-12 Schools in Washington State effective March 17th through at least April 24th. He has also restricted activities at colleges and universities, therefore there will be no in-person courses through that date. Here is a link to the article in the Seattle Times describing this:

https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/inslee-announces-all-washington-k-12-schools-to-close-in-an-effort-to-slow-the-spread-of-coronavirus/

As a result, the in-person start date of our new Marine Systems program has been delayed to April 27, 2020.

We at the school are still excited to begin the new session, and our lead instructor Kevin Ritz has already identified ways he’s going to take advantage of time during the closure to enhance the curriculum. While this is a “first” for all of us, Boat School staff is committed to keeping in touch with each of you individually over this time. We’re also identifying any “pre-reading” or other information we can send your direction ahead of the in-person start date.  

We are committed to supporting all the individuals in our Boat School community, which you are part of. We intend to bring flexibility, support and clear communication as we all navigate these challenging times together.

Have a safe weekend and we’ll send you more information early next week.

Sincerely,

Betsy Betsy Davis
Executive Director
(360) 385-4948
betsy@nwswb.edu
www.nwswb.edu

March 12, 2020

Message to incoming Marine Systems students around COVID-19

We are look forward to welcoming you to the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding for the upcoming 6-month Marine Systems program. I am reaching out to share an update on the school’s response to the evolving COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation. We are monitoring Local, State and Federal updates and recommendations related to COVID-19 and will strive to give you as much advance notice as possible if we need to delay the start of the program.

Our top priority is the health and safety of current and incoming students and others that make up the Boat School community. We are working to balance two goals: ensuring that we take precautions to protect our community and communities beyond our campus, while sustaining our educational mission in ways that are appropriate under the circumstances.

We hope to minimize disruptions, and we pledge to stay in touch with you as we make further decisions based on the best public health guidance. In the meantime, please contact us if you have any additional questions, concerns or input.

Sincerely,

Betsy Betsy Davis
Executive Director
Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding
(360) 385-4948
betsy@nwswb.edu
http://www.nwswb.edu

March 11, 2020

Message to current students around COVID-19

As information about COVID-19 evolves we will continue to provide updates from the Boat School.  Our top priority is the health and safety of the students, staff, volunteers and board members that make up the Boat School Community.  In addition, we intend to follow the guidance of elected officials who are guiding our nation’s, state’s and county’s response to what we now understand to be a worldwide pandemic as defined by the World Health Organization.

As a framework for decision-making we are using the document “Actions for Protecting Communities from COVID-19” that  the CDC posted yesterday afternoon.  We recommend that folks read this document, as we’re using it to structure our own organizational response and plan.

In the short term, the Boat School has postponed or canceled the following events:

  • March 20th-Marine Systems Graduation-RESCHEDULED for Monday, March 16th.
  • March 23rd-27th-Marine Corrosion Intensive-CANCELLED.
  • April 2nd-Program Advisory Meeting-POSTPONED. Future date TBD. (still need to send the email)
  • April 18th– 6th Annual Gala-POSTPONED until June 20th.

For the longer term we are  following Governor Inslee’s directive for all schools to create  contingency plans in the event the Boat School is either voluntarily or involuntarily forced to close for some stretch of time.  Our planning includes various scenarios, including a 2-week closure, a 1-month closure, and a 1-month or longer closure.

Governor Inslee has also issued recommendations to employers to enable working remotely where possible and encouraging social distancing wherever possible.  We will work with each staff member to explore options for them, including setting up remote desktop access for administrative staff. 

Moving forward, *EMAIL* will remain our default communication method and we will use our free conference call number when using conference calls to communicate.   Starting this Monday, we will move our weekly staff meeting to a larger room to enable more space between people.

We will continue to monitor Local, State and Federal updates and recommendations related to COVID-19.  And in the meantime, please contact us if you have any additional questions, concerns or input.

Be safe,

Betsy and Sean

Sean Koomen
Chief Instructor
415-306-3119
sean@nwswb.edu

March 11, 2020

Marine Systems Corrosion Intensive Cancelled

The school has cancelled the Marine Systems Corrosion Intensive scheduled for March 23-27, 2020. The school is keeping a close eye on the evolving situation with COVID-19. Given the many uncertainties in the current situation, we have decided to cancel this Intensive as the situation seems to be changing so rapidly. We will reschedule the Intensive following the guidance of our local health authority.

We are of course happy to refund tuition. Heidi Blehm, Admissions Manager, will back in the office Monday, March 16th and will be available to chat with you about the next steps for refunds. She can be reached at heidi.blehm@nwswb.edu or (360) 385-4948 ext. 305. We also have an Electrical Intensive scheduled for June 22-26, 2020 if there is interest in attending this course instead. If you would like to join the Electrical Intensive course, please contact Heidi as it is not yet available to register for online.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we all navigate this situation a day at the time.

March 11, 2020

Hull Raiser Gala & Fundraiser Postponed

Dear Friends and Community,

Organizations and individuals around the world are taking steps to protect their communities from the COVID-19 virus. As a precautionary measure, and in keeping with state recommendations to cancel large gatherings, the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding decided on Wednesday that we will be postponing our annual gala from April 18, 2020 to June 20, 2020.

The Hull Raiser! Gala & Fundraiser is so much more than a fundraiser. We are keeping it on the calendar and look forward to getting together for an evening of fun, inspiration (student stories), great food and libations (Ajax Cafe, Heritage Distilling Company, Inc), fierce competition (dessert dash), and celebration of craftsmanship.

We will host the rescheduled fundraiser on Saturday, June 20, 2020. While the date of the event has changed, the time and location will remain the same – beginning at 5:00 pm at the Northwest Maritime Center.

For attendees who have already purchased tickets, your registration will automatically be rolled over and applied to the rescheduled event. If you are unable to attend our rescheduled event and would like a refund of your ticket(s), please contact Christina Ruben at christina@nwswb.edu or call (360) 385-4948 ext. 307. We are happy to provide individuals with a refund, no questions asked. If you are unable to attend the new event date but would still like to help us achieve our fundraising goal of $130,000 – the amount we hope to raise at Hull Raiser! Gala & Fundraiser – you can donate at www.nwswb.edu/donatonline.

A big thank you to the steadfast support of our event sponsors: Patagonia, SAFE Boats International, Carl’s Building Supply Inc, First Federal, Northwest Maritime Center, Admiral Ship Supply, Edward Jones- Financial Advisor: Stephen Sklar, AGMarine, Inc., Radio Distpatched Marine Surveyors, Pegasus Aeromarine, Dentistry Northwest, Leading Edge Composities, Heritage Distilling Company, Inc

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