Community Resources

Since our earliest days, we have always felt strongly about education and outreach. In the beginning, we worked closely with the Denver and Boulder free schools to offer classes in weaving and spinning. Barry Schacht was an advocate at the time about the importance of paying teachers. First, he felt teachers should be paid because this would lend a level of professionalism to the program. Secondly, he felt that if students had to pay to take a class, even a nominal fee, it would help increase their commitment. Hundreds learned to weave and spin and with this success, Dan and Barry Schacht opened The Weaving Shop with other friends on Walnut Street in Boulder, where even more in-depth education was possible.

Fifty years later, we continue to believe in the critical role that education plays and have developed several initiatives that support the teaching of weaving and spinning.

Schacht Tools for Schools Grant

To celebrate our 50^th anniversary, we established a grant program of up to $3000 for 501(c)(3) organizations and public schools with tax-exempt status to help them purchase weaving and spinning equipment. In 2020, the grant recipients were Washington Elementary School in North Dakota and The Shaker Museum at Mount Lebanon. For further information, email schools@schachtspindle.com.

Apply by March 1 of each year.

Guidelines

• Applicants must complete all parts of the application.
• Applications must include a 501(c)(3) certificate or a public school tax exempt number.
• Applications are due March 1 of each calendar year. Recipients are announced April 1 of the same year.
• Schacht employees are not eligible to participate.
• Applicants shall be required to sign a letter of agreement before the equipment is awarded.
• The applicant agrees to use the awarded equipment for at least 5 years.

Schacht Grant Application

Jane Patrick and Barry Schacht Scholarship in Fibers

Our founder, Barry Schacht and his wife Jane Patrick established a yearly scholarship at Colorado State University’s extensive fiber program, led by Professor Tom Lundberg. Quite a few of our interns and employees over the years have come from CSU. This scholarship supports students who are majoring in art with a fibers concentration.

Schacht Internship

From time to time, we offer summer internships to students studying at the university level. Over the years, interns have assisted with documenting manufacturing processes, making samples for books, warping looms, events, and contributed to our blog and newsletters, as well as working on product design and in our manufacturing and assembly areas. To find out if we are currently offering an internship opportunity, please contact schools@schachtspindle.com.

The Handweavers Guild of Boulder Schacht Outreach Fund

When Barry and Dan first came to Boulder, there was already a weaver’s guild. Many of its members provided valuable feedback to the young loom makers. In 2014, the Handweavers Guild of Boulder celebrated its 50^th anniversary, and to honor this milestone, we set up a fund to encourage innovative outreach. It has helped provide education to elementary schools, makerspace training, and educational outreach to art teachers, among other projects.