SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY. >> WHEN I WAS 6 YEARS OLD, MY
DAD BOUGHT FOR ME ONE CHRISTMAS
A LITTLE MATTEL SHOP SMITH
THING.
THING. IT WAS A TOOL ALL IN ONE.
HE WAS A PASSIONATE WOOD WORKER
AND WHEN HE DIED, HE LEFT ME
WITH ALL OF HIS WOOD WORKING
EQUIPMENT THAT HE HAD.
SO FOR SENDMENTAL REASONS, I
DE -- SENTIMENTAL REASONS, I
DECIDED TO KEEP IT.
WHEN I STARTED TO WORK WITH IT,
THAT PASSION WENT AWAY.
ALL OF MY DREAMS WENT AWAY AND I
STARTED TO GO INTO WOODWORKING.
>> BY 1989, HE WAS THE U.S.
TECHNICAL CONSULTANT ON THE
INTERNATIONAL QUALITY OF
FURNITURE STANDARDS, LECTURING
ALL OVER THE WORLD ON
WOODWORKING TECHNOLOGY.
WOODWORKING TECHNOLOGY. >> I REALIZED WE DON'T DO ENOUGH
TO EDUCATE WOODWORKING TO BE A
WOODWORKER.
WOODWORKER. TO BE AN ELECTRICIAN, YOU HAVE
TO BE LICENSED BUT THERE'S NO
LICENSING FOR WOODWORKERS TO WE
ARE AN UNCERTIFIED TRADE.
SO AS A GUY WHO RUNS A BUSINESS,
IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME TO
UNDERSTAND HOW TO TRAIN AND
CERTIFY OUR OWN CRAFT.
WHILE I WAS ON THE ROAD
LECTURING, I DECIDED DECIDED, HI
WILL COME BACK AND I WILL START
A SCHOOL.
A SCHOOL. DID I THAT.
20 YEARS AGO -- I DID THAT.
20 YEARS AGO, I HAD 160 PEOPLE
HERE AND IT JUST WENT OUT OF
CONTROL FROM THERE.
>> TODAY, THE SCHOOL IS THE
LARGEST OF ITS KIND, NEARLY
3,000 STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER THE
WORLD FLOCK TO FRANKLIN EACH
YEAR TO ATTEND OVER 150 UNIQUE
WORKSHOPS.
WORKSHOPS. >> YOU GET THIS ALL DONE TONIGHT
AND THEN FIRST THING IN THE
MORNING, WE WILL START CUTTING
THE JOINTS.
THE JOINTS. SO LET'S GO OVER HERE.
GRAB YOUR STUFF.
>> WHAT I WANTED TO DO WHEN I
STARTED THIS SCHOOL IS I WANTED
TO DO SOMETHING THAT WASN'T LONG
TERM.
TERM. SO I FOUNDED THE SCHOOL ON
WEEK-LONG WORKSHOPS, SPEND TIME
WITH THE ABSOLUTE BEST
INSTRUCTORS ON THE PLANET, AND
GO HOME WITH WHAT THEY NEED TO
FULFILL THEIR DESIRES IN THIS
CRAFT.
CRAFT. EVERYBODY THAT WORKS HERE IS IN
THE CRAFT AND IN THE TRADE.
THEY ARE HERE YEAR IN YEAR OUT.
WE HAVE A 92% RETURN RATE.
YOU COME HERE ONCE, YOU WILL
COME BACK.
COME BACK. THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT SO INVITING
AND SO EXCITING FOR EVERYBODY.
EVEN THOUGH WE ARE A SCHOOL, WE
DO CHANGE PEOPLE'S LIVES.
>> SUCH IS THE CASE FOR MANY OF
THOSE WHO HAVE OBTAINED A
MASTER'S CERTIFICATE, WHILE MOST
ATTENDEES ARE HOBBYISTS, SOME
ARE SEEKING A CAREER IN THE
FIELD.
FIELD. >> I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A
PROFESSIONAL WOODWORKER AND I
WAS DOING IT ON MY OWN, BUT I
WASN'T PROGRESSING AS FAST AS I
WANTED TO.
WANTED TO. AND I KNEW I NEEDED SOME
INSTRUCTION.
INSTRUCTION. IF I REALLY WANTED TO GET TO THE
LEVEL I WANTED TO BE AT, WITHOUT
SPENDING MY LIFE TRYING TO LEARN
ON MY OWN.
IN 2009, I SIGNED UP FOR FOUR
CLASSES AND I CAME HERE AND I
TOOK 'EM AND I WAS JUST BLOWN
AWAY WITH HOW MUCH I LEARNED IN
THOSE FOUR WEEKS.
>> IN 2012, RICHARD RECEIVED AN
INTERNSHIP FROM THE SCHOOL.
THROUGH THE YEARS, THE SCHOOL'S
FOUNDATION HAS AWARDED OVER
$100,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS.
FOR RICHARD, IT PROVIDED THE
OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE
PROFESSIONS AFTER YEARS AWAY
FROM HIS FAMILY WORKING
CONSTRUCTION.
CONSTRUCTION. >> THE FOUNDATION HAS GIVEN ME
SO MUCH, AND THE SCHOOL, I
WANTED TO GIVE DIRECTLY BACK TO
THEM IN THE HOPES THAT, YOU
KNOW, I BUILT THIS TABLE IN
HOPES THAT THEY CAN SELL IT AND
MAYBE THEY CAN HELP SOMEBODY
ELSE BECAUSE I KNOW HOW MUCH IT
CHANGED MY LIFE.
IF I CAN BE A PART OF CHANGING
SOMEBODY ELSE'S LIFE.
>> AND MARK IS CONFIDENT THAT
THE PROFESSION WILL CONTINUE TO
ATTRACT NEW WOODWORKERS FOR
YEARS TO COME.
>> I THINK JUST THE CRAFT ITSELF
IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WILL
NEVER DIE OUT BECAUSE OF THE
RESOURCES AND BECAUSE OF THE
INTEREST AND PEOPLE ARE SHOCKED
TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE THIS SCHOOL
RIGHT HERE IN CENTRAL INDIANA.
INDIANA IS ONE OF THE LARGEST
PRODUCER OF WOODWORKING PRODUCTS
IN ALL OF AMERICA.
SO IT'S ALL JUST KIND OF FITTING
THAT WE ARE RIGHT HERE IN
INDIANA AND THAT'S KIND OF A FUN
THING TO SEE.
I THINK IF YOU REALLY ENJOY WHAT
YOU ARE DOING, YOU WILL WANT TO
WORK EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE AND
THAT'S THE WAY IT IS FOR ME.
IT'S JUST AN INCREDIBLE PLACE.