CRANSTON – We Make RI has a Kickstarter campaign underway, looking to raise $15,000 for materials to teach displaced workers textile-industry skills, the nonprofit manufacturing and training organization announced.
The effort is part of the organization’s Back to Work RI program, in which workers displaced due to COVID-19 can be trained in new careers.
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The group is launching a new dye-sublimation studio in its factory space in Cranston, where it can teach the heat-transfer printing process for synthetic fabrics. Digital artwork setup, heavy-machinery operation, production-line handling, as well as packaging, shipping and quality control are covered for the manufacturing students, said Barbara Jackson, We Make RI executive director.
Learning within a real-world project, the classes will make custom face masks for Rhode Island schools, she said.
“We think if they can get involved in the process, the kids will be more excited to wear their masks and less likely to lose them. Once we’re up and running, schools can submit the kids’ artwork to us, we will scan it in, teach our manufacturing students how to prepare the art for print, press it on to a mask, package it for shipping and distribute to the schools,” said Jackson.
We Make RI is looking for donations to purchase blank face masks for imprinting. Supporters will receive custom face masks of their own, contribute masks to schools and help manufacturing students get experience in print production.
Donations to the Kickstarter campaign can be made here.
We Make RI, which provides free and low-cost education and job placement to state residents, started in 2014.
Susan Shalhoub is a PBN contributing writer.
