Shop Rat Educational Classes

The Shop Rat Foundation is dedicated to offering hands on skilled trade programs to our youth and generating the next generation of Shop Rats. The Shop Rat Foundation created the Shop Rat Education Program, a private afterschool and weekend program that teaches local middle school students many skills in skilled trades along with key skills in math, science, team work, work ethic and employability. We recognize the need to develop well planned programs that provide an opportunity to expose young Shop Rats to a variety of careers that utilize their minds and their hands.

We are in our second year of classes and are supported by many industrial and educational organizations. Our teachers are developing the curriculum to be accredited by the State of Michigan. Our mission is to expand our educational programs and provide a model for similar groups across the nation.

The Shop Rat Educational Programs are conducted in a classroom environment that teaches safety, work ethic, teamwork, manufacturing techniques, and actual hands on experiences in a shop environment with the added "cool" factor that only Shop Rat can provide. We use ‘cool’ projects such as custom motorcycle choppers and full size hovercrafts to gain and keep interest from our students who are living in a technological world much different that the hands-on generations before.

Along with traditional hands-on training we focus heavily on employability and team work skills. Each class we present a new career to the students in the Skilled Trade Industry called the Shop Rat Job of the Week. We review careers such as plumbing, masonry, engineering, fabrication etc. Along with weekly overviews we also give lessons on work ethic and team work.

See our young Shop Rats hard at work with their minds and their hands!