Founded in 2017 by Jess Hirsch, Fireweed Community Woodshop empowers women and marginalized genders through the art of woodcraft. We seek to shift expectations of what a woodworker looks like through our staff, instructors, and board, and to create role models for people historically excluded from the woodshop . 

Our classes fall into three categories: craft, furniture, and handy person. Craft covers more traditional skills like basket weaving and broom making. Our furniture classes focus on fine woodworking and include classes on joinery and cabinetry. Handy person offerings are geared toward gaining confidence in home improvement and carpentry skills including classes in tiling, framing, and an introduction to power tools. 

Classes range from half-day workshops to multi-session courses over several days. Most are offered at an introductory level with a mix of intermediate and advanced offerings.

Equity-based pricing and programming are core to our approach. We offer discounted BIPOC-centered classes and sponsored BIPOC seats where students pay a reduced fee and the materials cost. We offer sliding-scale, pay-what-you-can-classes and financial access. Our goal is to get tools into the hands of people historically excluded from the art of woodworking.

Fireweed Community Woodshop is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

Fireweed Community Woodshop provides a space for students to learn at their own pace with supportive instructors and staff. Our instructors are sensitive to the needs of each student, and strive to support different learning styles and entry points into craft without expectations or assumptions. We believe that vulnerability is an asset to learning. We create a space where students are free to ask questions, to explore, and to share their personal experience. Our inclusive, non-competitive, and exploration-centered approach fosters community and individual growth.

Fireweed believes that woodworking education should be as accessible as possible. We offer financial access for students to help lower some of the financial barriers to accessing courses.