Discover the careers behind the things we make. Workbench Initiative connects design, fabrication, making and craft under a shared umbrella—and opens that world to students. See how practitioners work, then try their skills through project-based learning.
Demystify. Enable. Broaden horizons.
A whole world of creative possibilities.
Industrial design
Furniture & woodwork
Scenic & prop making
Toy & game design
A glimpse behind the curtain can spark curiosity. The chance to try turns that curiosity into experience.
Meet the people behind unfamiliar creative careers. See their tools, materials, skills and decisions—and understand the process behind work that once felt out of reach.
Make a creative world approachable enough to think: “I could try that.”
Put inspiration into practice. Try the skills, learn the process and apply it through a real-world, hands-on project—with teacher guidance and opportunities to learn from peers.
Discover what making feels like, and where your curiosity might lead.
Each field opens a different creative world. Our program is being developed to introduce the people behind the work, reveal their skills and processes, and give students a chance to try them.
Discover the thinking behind the objects we use, from the everyday to the unexpected.
Meet the craft behind furniture and the details that turn a space into a place.
See how small-scale objects help people imagine, communicate and develop big ideas.
Explore the creativity, movement and imagination behind the things we play with.
Discover the people who build the worlds and objects behind theater and film.
Look at how structure, materials and visual identity come together around a product.
A furniture designer, a prop maker and a model maker have different job titles. Their work brings together design, fabrication, material knowledge and skilled making.
Workbench Initiative is working toward a shared umbrella term for this family of careers: a name students can discover, educators can introduce and practitioners can see themselves in.
The shared name is still taking shape. Our purpose is to give practitioners recognition and belonging, and open their world to the next generation. We do that by demystifying how their work happens and enabling students to try its skills for themselves.
Bring design, fabrication, making and craft into one recognizable conversation.
Bring practitioners and their perspectives together across fields, materials and skills.
Use project-based learning to connect curiosity, creative decisions and the experience of making.
We are developing a project-based learning program built around specific creative fields, the skills they use and the processes behind their work. Our aim is to broaden what students can imagine for themselves. Teacher facilitation and peer learning support each opportunity to explore, try and reflect. We are inviting school conversations to help shape the first pilot.
Meet creative professions and the people whose work shapes the objects, spaces and stories around us.
Move from seeing how the work happens to experiencing its skills and material decisions yourself.
Explore unfamiliar interests and ways of working. Find new possibilities, whether or not they become a career.
Help build recognition and a shared identity for careers that combine design, fabrication, making and craft. Open that world to the next generation.
Help students discover the careers behind the things they see and use. Furniture makers, fabricators, model makers, prop makers, designers and craftspeople: help students see how your work happens, understand its skills and imagine trying them.
Start with an exploratory conversation. We will discuss the time involved, compensation and any recording or curriculum use before arranging a contribution.
Ask about an interviewWhat creative worlds and hands-on processes would you like your students to discover? Tell us about your school, the ages you teach and the experiences you want to offer.
The program is in development. We are inviting conversations about school needs and potential pilots; scope, timing and pricing will be discussed together.
Start a school conversation