Urban Boatbuilders creates canoes,
better lives for local at-risk youth

Building the two canoes at Como Park has been an intensive two-week project. Usually the boys work nine hours a week on the apprenticeship program, but they have been putting in ten-hour days to finish the canoes. (Photo by Liberty Willms)

By JAN WILLMS

Phil Winger describes himself as a guy who hangs out with kids and builds boats with them.

That’s a pretty simple description, however, of what the program manager of Urban Boatbuilders, 1460 University Ave, actually does. He spends a lot of time working with at-risk youth in school, after school and correctional settings.

The latest project the organization has been working on is the construction of two canoes in the pavilion at Como Park. The canoes were launched July 1, and they will be used as part of a five-day trip in the Boundary Waters in August.

Urban Boatbuilders began as a nonprofit organization in 1995.

“Before it existed as a youth development group, it was mainly a bunch of guys getting together in garages talking about wooden boat building,” Winger said. “The critical masses of them were youth workers. One other organization in Alexandria, VA, is doing the same thing. Our group drew some inspiration from that program. One of the first projects was constructing two 20-foot rowboats.”

In 2003, the director at the time took an unusual step. According to Winger, it was very “field of dreams-ish.”

The plan was to start an apprenticeship program for an intensive boat-building program.

“He told us if you do it, we will find the money,” Winger said. “We hired five apprentices and drew up an outline of what we would do with them. We have improved that basic program ever since. We’re getting better and better at evaluating outcomes.”

Apprentices Kong Moua, 17, and Cole Mueller, 18, would agree.

Moua, a student at City Academy, said his dad is a carpenter and builds houses for people, so he has had some experience with tools.

“I learned more things here, too, and putting the boats together has been pretty interesting,” he said.

Mueller, a graduate of Park High school, said he would like to get a job working with wood.

“This experience has helped us a lot, actually,” he said. “We can use these skills later in life.”

Winger said Urban Boatbuilders partners with schools and an autistic organization for one of its programs. The organization also works with youth from Totem Town, a youth correctional facility.

“I work with the boys twice a week at Totem Town,” Winger said. “We recruit apprentices and work with them intensely for a year. We give them a stipend; it’s a paid position.”

Winger said Urban Boatbuilders has sharpened its focus on youth development.

“We’re more interested about the process of the experience of boat building,” Winger noted, “as a tool that young people can use to change their life trajectories.”

He said the boatbuilding at Como has been a great opportunity for the youths to showcase their skills in public. He said the young men had usually been caught committing an offense. This project gave them the opportunity to get caught in the act of doing something positive.

“We hope it’s an addictive feeling,” Winger said.

Building the two canoes at Como Park has been an intensive two-week project. Usually the boys work nine hours a week on the apprenticeship program, but they have been putting in ten-hour days to finish the canoes.

A part of the process they have been doing is to steam-bend the ribs of the boat.

“This process is not something most wood builders need to use,” Winger said, “but it requires a lot of teamwork. The boys cook a piece of wood 15 minutes and communicate clearly to each other to get that rib in final position in 15 minutes. We show them how to do one, and they do the others without us. We now try to intentionally build boats using this process.”

Winger, instructor Brian Thorkildson and executive director Bruce Casselton make up the staff of Urban Boatbuilders. Winger said Thorkildson had suggested the public boatbuilding project, and they made it happen.

Winger said the organization received a lot of help with the project. Majestic Tree Care donated salvaged urban timbers, Siwek Lumber provided pine at half price, Black Bear Crossing provided space, HB Fuller helped pay apprentice stipends, and Recreational Equipment Inc. and Travelers Foundation provided additional support. Travelers Foundation invited six apprentices to the Great River Gathering, where about 1200 people meet to talk about how to do things on the river.

“A lot of the kids describe this as a refuge,” Winger said. “It can provide them with a legitimate excuse to get out of things and make choices.” He said they can tell their friends they have a job now, and can’t go out and get in trouble.