EAST PORT. Regina Criscuolo received two individually carved cutting boards for Christmas this year: a filigree anchor board for her daughter and a fish for her husband.
It is their favorite gift, so they are very happy, said Criscuolo, who lives in East Haven.
But the planks, which Criscuolo describes as "top quality," didn't come from Santa Claus's workshop at the North Pole. And they weren't built by elves. Instead, they were made in a different workshop by a group of students from East Haven High School.
Last year, members of the school's carpentry program partnered with their instructor, Jared Fernandez, to start a business selling cutting boards, handmade American flags, and other items to customers who praised their craftsmanship and affordable prices. The operation, which Fernandez says is unique to a Connecticut high school, allows students to expand their carpentry knowledge and gain valuable business insights.
Fernandez, a 23-year-old Southington native who joined EHHS two years ago, says the carpentry program has generated more than $4,000, most of it from selling specially engraved cutting boards and American flags. He said his goal is to raise about $6,000 by the end of the school year, with all proceeds going towards a scholarship fund to help the program's hardworking students.
"If I can get the money and give it back to one of the kids... that sale makes me really excited," Fernandez said. "It's a lot of work, but it gives us an opportunity to give credit to children who may not be recognized elsewhere."
The company is currently divided into two parts, students produce goods and Fernandez handles several aspects of the business, such as: B. promoting products on social media, taking orders and paying customers. Even though the instructor said he would start a new carpentry course in the spring, the students here would be able to manage the entire operation.
When the group began selling personalized clipboards, flags and signs to teachers in East Haven last year, Fernandez said, "I wasn't even sure anyone would buy anything." But Fernandez said the show was a hit with teachers, and some students volunteered to go after school to satisfy popular demand.
During that academic year, the products continued to become popular and the group expanded to sell them to the public. According to Fernandez, the influx of pre-Christmas bookings has left students very tired.
"It's close, but we met all the deadlines," said Fernandez.
The teacher and her students receive rave reviews for their skill and attention to detail. Criscuolo, who ordered two cutting boards as a Christmas present, said he had a particular idea of how they would look. And the team of carpenters did exactly what they expected.
"You'd never know a kid was baking it," says Criscuolo, owner of the Petonito candy and cake shop in East Haven. "I will definitely do business with him in the future."
Candace Fazio from East Haven, who received her handmade flag just before the holiday, said she was amazed by the quality. "I didn't expect it to be this good," said Fazio. "This will definitely cost more money in the store."
Entering high school, Fernandez said one of his goals was to broaden the carpentry curriculum and help students learn about underutilized tools. Since then, students have become proficient at using a CNC router, a computer-controlled cutting machine that produces custom-made carved cutting boards. Students will soon be making liquor bottles with lasers on machines, which Fernandez says he bought with a $50,000 government grant.
While many high schools in the state have reduced or eliminated technology education programs, EHHS allows students to develop skills outside of traditional school settings, Fernandez said.
“Even though our carpentry workshop is small compared to other high schools, we have a lot of tools. "There are a lot of schools that don't have this level of technology."
Christopher Torres, senior in the EHHS woodworking program, conducted independent research with Fernandez and tested some of the commercial materials that students will study in the program's new course this spring. The aim of this course is to give students real-life experience and teach them how to run a business.
While Fernandez sells merchandise to the local community, Torres is responsible for advertising and selling products to people outside of East Haven. At a recent craft fair, Fernandez said he noticed Torres to be a confident salesperson.
"At first I was nervous because it was the first time I had done something like this," said Torres. "But after a few hours I got used to it and it was pretty easy."
Torres says he drives some of his old customers to their homes, sometimes an hour before they leave. He called the project a valuable learning experience and a step toward one day starting his own business. The lessons Torres learned from business concepts—advertising, sales, and logistics—are what Fernandez hopes other students will learn from the new blended course.
"Kids often say, 'I want to start my own business,' but they don't understand what that means," says Fernandez. "They learn what it's like to be alone... and they don't."
Fernandez said some of his most memorable moments as a woodworking teacher were when students volunteered to stay after school to finish work at their company. After-hours activities, usually interspersed with pizza, bring to mind Fernandez's memories of one of his high school teachers – a teacher who was "always there for us" and willing to stay up late.
"Five years from now, the kids will remember staying after school and working until 4:30, then we'd have pizza and eat together," she says. "The feeling of being part of something, the feeling that someone cares about you, is more important because if you don't feel supported, you will never succeed."
Those interested in booking the Commonwealth program should contact Fernandez at jfernandez@east-haven.k12.ct.us.
austin.mirmina@hearstmediat.com
