ANAHEIM, CA - The AWFS Fair is the largest industry event in 2013. Educators in wood technology programs are encouraged to attend to see the newest in wood manufacturing technology, to become acquainted with companies and products in the industry and to take advantage of the "Teacher Track," a series of seminars designed specifically for educators.

Four sessions will be offered in the Teacher Track starting Thursday afternoon on July 25 and finishing on Saturday morning, July 27. On Thursday, "Manufacturing Applications for the Classroom" is a panel presentation that includes an overview of CNC and laser technology and how some schools are funding their programs with products made, given by John Martincic of Forest Scientific, and information on contemporary hardware trends and installation given by Brian Joyce of Blum, Inc. Also presenting is a product design & development instructor who will talk about his project-based, industry driven experiential learning approach. A DVD of curriculum projects will be distributed to attendees.

On Friday, "Unblocking Creativity: Design for the Classroom" will be presented by high school teacher Peter Boeckh of Ontario, Canada, and post-secondary teacher Kip Christensen of Brigham Young University. Together they offer simple techniques for teaching design that have proven successful even for students without previous backgrounds or who may struggle to think outside the box.

Also running on Friday is "Benefitting from Industry-Education Partnerships," which looks at mutually rewarding alliances from both sides and the aligning of the new wood industry Manufacturing Skill Standards with education curricuum. The panel includes John Dunn of the California Department of Education; Eric Gearhart of Skills USA; Kent Gilchrist of Fremont Interiors; Patrick Molzahn of Madison Area Technical College; and Scott Nelson of the Woodwork Career Alliance. Educators as well as industry representatives are encouraged to attend and gain ideas for successful partnerships.

On Saturday, Don Dupont, President of the California Industrial Technology Education Association, veteran high school teacher and former woodworking business owner presents his analysis of what constitutes a safe shop environment. Dupont shares the safety practices he has developed over the years to create a comprehensive safety program. Although developed and geared toward the small shop teaching environment, the seminar information is applicable for woodshop teachers at any academic level as well as owners of commercial shops of any size.

AWFS offers all teachers with valid teaching ID complimentary access to the show floor. Teacher Track seminars are offered at $25.00 each. Schools with an AWFS Educational Institution Membership receive additional seminar discounts. For full information on teacher and student registration (students must be 16 years or older to be admitted to the show floor), go to www.AWFSfair.org. You can also contact AWFS at 800-946-2937 or e-mail [email protected].

To view the full 2013 CWWK schedule and to register, go to www.AWFSfair.org. For information, contact AWFS at 800-946-2937 or e-mail [email protected].

About AWFS

The full-scale international AWFS®Fair, scheduled for Wednesday - Saturday, July 24 - 27, 2013 in Las Vegas, has become a critical hub for international commerce in the woodworking industry. The AWFS®Fair brings together the entire home and commercial furnishings industry, including manufacturers and distributors of machinery, hardware, lumber, construction materials and other suppliers to the furniture, cabinet manufacturers and custom woodworkers.