THE STEEL YARD
Let's revitalize an ailing economy by moving the "buy local/ slow food" idea into something more comprehensive. How? By providing industrial arts training to Rhode Island's citizens so they can take part in designing and fabricating the world around them, all while fostering a creative economy of locally designed, sourced, built and bought functional goods.
About You
Section 1: You
First Name
drake
Last Name
patten
Website URL
Organization
The Steel Yard
Country
Section 2: Your Organization
Organization Name
The Steel Yard
Organization Website
Organization Phone
401 2737101
Organization Address
27 Sims Ave Providence RI
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Organization Country
United States, RI
Your idea
Name Your Project
THE STEEL YARD
Country and state your work focuses on
United States, RI
Describe Your Idea
Let's revitalize an ailing economy by moving the "buy local/ slow food" idea into something more comprehensive. How? By providing industrial arts training to Rhode Island's citizens so they can take part in designing and fabricating the world around them, all while fostering a creative economy of locally designed, sourced, built and bought functional goods.
Website URL
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
The everyday stuff we see on streets (ie: garbage cans, bike racks and tree guards) are typically trucked in from somewhere else. Typically mass-produced (often from components made in China), such objects only add to the "anywhere USA" landscape. We ask what people want and then our artists teach them how to make it, using unlikely funds to populate the streets of our city with community designed and built functional objects that double as public art. Each one is unique, each one tells a story. New career opportunities are born, new community engagement and pride of place is grown, markets are rebuilt. A perfect storm.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
No
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What impact have you had?
In addition to changing general attitudes about neighborhood engagement and civic pride city-wide, we are successfully training a new generation in meaningful, well-paying trades with opportunity for full-time employment. In a state whose metalworking history is legendary, this revitalization of tradition and labor pride is a powerful force. Simultaneously, our revitalization of a 3 acre brownfield site has also had physical impact-new businesses are moving in (not only to our site but also throughout the neighborhood)and what was once a fairly deserted area of this neighborhood is now a destination.
Problem
The cultural vilification of labor and working with your hands has had a huge impact on this nation. We have lost our collective knowledge of knowing (by experience) how the world around us is built and put together. The numbing streams of cheap, foreign-made goods have disconnected us from making things and knowing where they come from, or knowing those who craft them. This has contributed to a loss of truly comprehensive sustainable local economies. We think this is a big problem.
Actions
Intense commitment to partnership, listening to what is needed (as opposed to knowing better!) and knowing when to let something go. We model local sourcing and buying wherever possible. We compete for contracts that would normally go out of state. We advocate publicly for others to adopt these policies.
Results
A truly local economy-where all things that can be are sourced locally and users are also makers.
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.
YEAR ONE: Expansion of our training facilities to meet demand and to provide space for YEAR THREE project (below)
YEAR TWO: Develop at least 6 exclusive relationships with Landscape Architects and Architects(in order to be spec'd by them in proposals).
YEAR THREE: Build and market an inventory of limited edition, in-stock products for sale (to offset times when we cannot meet demand and the client then buys out-of-state and to provide regular employment for local artista and fabricators)
What would prevent your project from being a success?
We have survived a brownfield cleanup, a federal state of disaster April 2010) and are weathering this recession with remarkable success. This has been possible due to our organization's dedication to conservative fiscal management and long-range planning. All of this is accomplished with wisdom, grace and leadership by our board and staff. Loss of that leadership would be a problem.
How many people will your project serve annually?
1001‐10,000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
$1000 - 4000
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
Yes
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Operating for more than 5 years
In what country?
United States
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
No
If yes, provide organization name.
How long has this organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government?
No
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
Our partnerships with local businesses are very straightforward: they provide us with materials for and knowledge in the specific industrial arts forms we teach. At the same time, we build a new workforce and need for what they do-so the partnership goes both ways. Similarly, fellow NGOs also provide knowledge and/or resources on their fields. In many cases, those resources are students and trainees. We intentionally seek partnerships with businesses and organizations that complement ours. We have no desire to replicate or build a rounder wheel. In the case of businesses, the nature of what we do means materials have great importance for us (we teach with commodities). Without partner organizations that have the skills and resources we need,we'd need to build a bigger, less efficient /less mission focused organization to provide these things to our constituents. By clearing identifying what needs we have from each other and staying true to that, we all grow stronger and better at what we do.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?
Finding access to working capital.
Stabilization of our buildings.
Hiring additional staff.
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
Our founders were frustrated by the fact that Rhode Island's history as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution was simply fading away to overseas competition. They saw generations of local skill and experience in the industrial arts fields being bypassed for a poorly defined "knowledge economy." In many ways while everyone was eagerly getting on this big business, global economy train, our founders were heading in the other direction. They recognized and committed to nurturing and growing the deep resource of local knowledge and with it, the value of knowing how the world is put together.
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
There were actually two of them! We were founded in 2002 by two men with access to resources and the unusual but critical complements of extreme youth and inexperience. The organization they founded is a stunning example of the economy of scale and the power of an idea. Above all, they believed that people are capable of things they never imagine if given the right tools and unusual opportunity. And, importantly, they understood from their own experiences that bringing such opportunity down to a truly individual scale was the greatest innovation of all.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Friend or family member
If through another, please provide the name of the organization or company
50 words or fewer
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 | 104 weeks agoAlexis Ditkowsky said: Hi Jackson, I really enjoyed reading about your training initiatives and your brownfield clean-up project. I'd love to hear more about ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 109 weeks agoJackson Morley updated this Competition Entry. |
| 117 weeks agoJackson Morley submitted this idea. |
