MISSION
Skillcraft seeks to reinforce the virtuous relationship between healthy communities and resilient individuals.
Skillcraft Institute is currently in the process of finding a suitable permanent location for programming. It is our hope to continue to serve the revitalization efforts of Old Town with a long term strategy of opening up an arts and fabrication hub in downtown Portland–-a fully equipped makerspace with modern industrial equipment and emerging fabrication technologies. We want young people to be able to explore and pursue fulfilling, sustainable and creative careers in Portland through hands-on learning and community based mentorship.
Our initiative supports the most vulnerable populations in our community’s care.
The enterprise will expand in support of the work of the Future Makers pilot program, currently running out of donated spaces, schools and shops across the city. Our avenue for change is to provide education, teach job skills and build community to create resilience in underserved young people in danger of falling through the social safety net.We are working with businesses in the design, build, manufacturing and construction industries to offer gateways toward self-reliance, through education about local industry, job readiness training and internship placement.
We build the future.
One of the key aspects to our work is to increase neighborhood vibrancy to make the city more livable and encourage cultural flourishing through community activations and projects. We will be designing and building professional quality art and infrastructure as a way to learn in real time, on real job sites with real applied skills–allowing us to interact and support other community groups with their projects that may not be able to get done otherwise.
Build Portland. Build Community.
Skillcraft Institute’s main objective is to provide job experience and internships for underserved young people seeking employment in the design+build industry. Our future space will serve as a hub for makers and a training ground for participants in everything from time management to managing a team. We are working side-by-side with other community based organizations and within the school system to create the best opportunities for our young future makers and do-ers.
Skillcraft Institute seeks to make an impact in the city by addressing the objectives laid out below by city planners and community groups.
Advance Portland: A Call To Action
history 101
Our Beginnings and Vision
Skillcraft Institute became an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2024, under the leadership of founder and Executive Director Nicholas Maier. The institute represents a formalization of over five years of dedicated volunteerism and community service spent instructing and mentoring youth through Matchless Builds—a custom fabrication shop and sculpture studio in industrial Northwest Portland—as well as collaborations with regional educational institutions like Portland State University and Portland Public Schools.
Recognizing that many young people learn best outside conventional classroom settings and need tangible challenges to build confidence, the institute was created to bridge the gap between alternative education and the thriving local design-and-build economy. To strengthen its operational foundation and broaden its reach, Skillcraft entered into a strategic fiscal sponsorship agreement with Cascade Pacific Resource Conservation and Development in November 2024.
Our Mission and Evolution
Rooted in the core philosophy that healthy communities foster resilient individuals, Skillcraft Institute was started to provide vital resources, education, and career opportunities for underserved and at-risk young adults in Portland. Driven by a desire to leverage the collective social capital of local industry insiders, the institute offers robust Job Readiness Training (JRT) that blends practical hard skills with essential interpersonal soft skills.
Our specialized curriculum introduces students to modern manufacturing workflows, digital fabrication, and hands-on craftsmanship to clear equitable pathways toward sustainable, creative careers. Since its inception, the program has continuously evolved to serve the community, expanding its traditional fabrication offerings in Fall 2026 to introduce Portland's first mobile, sustained youth woodworking program grounded in the reflective, character-building Nordic tradition of educational slöyd.
Collective Excellence
Supreme Chancellor | Nicholas Maier
worked as a Creative Shop Lead at Matchless Builds since its beginning, a custom fabrication and sculpture studio in NW Portland. He graduated from PSU with a degree in Art Practices and loves teaching, working and volunteering.
Vice Chancellor | Ryan Everson
is the Founder and Owner of Matchless Builds in Portland. He’s interested in making wacky stuff with other like minded people.
Keeper of Treasure | Joseph Hewitt
is the Construction Technology teacher at Lincoln High School with a background in design and fabrication for theater, stop-motion, and commercial installations.
The Board
Keeper of Secrets | Emma Duehr
is an artist, educator, and storyteller. She is the COTA Workshops Manager at Portland State University (PSU), which includes an equipped wood shop, metal shop, casting lab, and digital fabrication lab. Emma earned her MFA in Art and Social Practice Program from Portland State University and her BFA from Clarke University.
partnerships
Teaches and promotes the Scandinavian tradition of Sloyd woodworking, emphasizing hands-on learning, craftsmanship, creativity, and personal development through work with simple tools and natural materials.
Connects the Pacific Northwest with Danish culture, traditions, history, and contemporary Danish society through cultural programs, community events, and cross-cultural exchange.
“Beyond technical skills, Skillcraft Institute fosters a supportive and inclusive environment that emphasizes community building, mentorship, and essential soft skill development. This holistic approach ensures that students develop the critical life skills and emotional intelligence necessary for success in their personal and professional lives.”
Geof Garner, Program Director
Multnomah Education Service District TRIO Programs
Preserves and promotes Finnish-American heritage while building connections between Finland and the United States through culture, education, the arts, and community.
Supports and connects people of Danish heritage while preserving Danish traditions, culture, and community in the United States.
Nordic Northwest celebrates and shares the cultures, traditions, and contemporary values of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden through educational and cultural programming.
A fraternal organization dedicated to preserving Norwegian heritage and culture while building community, supporting members, and connecting generations through shared traditions.
Provides a student-centered, bilingual education that develops academic and creative excellence, independence, cultural understanding, and lifelong learning.
Advances Danish-American relations through cultural exchange, environmental sustainability, education, and the sharing of ideas and experiences between Denmark and the United States.
A Portland creative fabrication studio that brings unconventional ideas to life through custom fabrication, scenic environments, public art, furniture, events, and brand installations.
Rewild Portland fosters cultural and environmental resilience through place-based arts, traditions, and technologies, helping people reconnect with land, community, and ancestral skills.
FAQs
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All programming is held in our shared woodshop in the IdeaWorks building at
1002 SE 8th Ave., Portland, Oregon
unless otherwise stated.
You can learn about the space and surrounding neighborhood by downloading our Family Welcome Letter
For other family activities within a few blocks are:
Hopscotch (a huge immersive art experience)
Dream Big City “Dream Plaza” (a skatepark, basketball court and home of the free Fam Jam events)
Hawthorne Asylum food carts pod
Urbanite (a very nicely curated all-year flea market)
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Classes, skillshares, clubs and programs are all suited for entry level students without any experience. All you need is curiosity and close-toed shoes.
Note there may be some physical limitations based on the content of the program you are attending. We seek to be as welcoming and hospitable as possible so please reach out below with questions or concerns.
However to participate in a Skillcraft Institute workshop, participants must:
Have sufficient vision to perceive and understand visual instructions and demonstrations provided by workshop instructors, independently or with assistance from a designated companion.
Be able to perceive and follow verbal and non-verbal instructions provided by instructors, independently or with assistance from a designated companion.
Be able to perform the activities of daily living necessary to participate in a multi-hour workshop, including toileting, independently or with assistance from a designated companion.
Be able to maintain adequate food and hydration and safely manage any personal medications, including dosing and administration, independently or with assistance from a designated companion.
Have sufficient manual dexterity to manipulate small objects and materials, use scissors, and hold and control drawing or marking tools.
Have sufficient hand and forearm strength to safely handle the tools and equipment used in the workshop.
Be able to participate in a group setting without creating a significant risk to the health or safety of other participants or instructors.
Be able to maintain their own safety in an environment where exposure to allergens and potential cross-contamination may occur.
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