Eli Whitney Museum

• Apprentices work about 200 hours during the school year and up to 400 hours in the summer.
• Apprentices begin training in 8th grade and typically stay in the program 4 years.
• Apprentices receive stipends. They must prove their value.
• Apprentices are trained by well established designers, artisans, and artists.
• All apprentices teach. They encounter children from diverse in backgrounds.
• All apprentices work in production. They master a dozen hand and power tools.
• Most apprentices can set drilling fixtures to tolerance of ±.005"
• Most apprentices create designs for classes and retain design copyrights.
• All apprentices have participated in active experiments and discussions styles, design styles and strategies, leadership styles, and the cultural, gender, and social dynamics of design.

Apprenticeship is open to people from 8th grade and up. We generally don't accept apprentices who are already in the 11th grade and up. Apprentices are selected via a competitive application process. To become an apprentice, call the museum at 203-777-1833 or email our Apprenticeship Coordinator, Naseema Mohammed. We'll explain the process and invite you to a mandatory orientation meeting. We look forward to hearing from you!

The Apprentice Program was featured in the Hartford Courant.