Elliot Washor's TGIF 06.13.2025

“Are You With Me Now” – A.J. Ryder

Unbelievable - “That was the Week That Was” sung by Nancy Ames  

Graduation at Met Sac: Why, Why, Why…

It’s been years since I attended a Met Sac graduation. Travel conflicts, COVID, and life simply got in the way. This year, I finally made it back. As always, it was a powerful event. Hard to believe it's been 22 years since Met Sac opened its doors. A few of the founding staff have retired, but now there’s a whole new group of veteran advisors—ten years in and still going strong—along with a fresh generation in their twenties. Three generations of staff, all fully committed to students and the design. And to add to it all, It was great to see Lexi, BPL’s Senior Digital Partnership Manager and Met Sac Alum at graduation as well.  

A few weeks ago, Eraceo, the principal, asked me to speak at graduation about why the Met—and Met Sac—got started. That led me down memory lane into my personal “Wayback Machine” about why or in my case the many whys we started The Met and BPL. I remembered being that persistent kid who constantly asked “Why?”—to the point where most parents might snap, “Because I said so!” But my parents wisely responded with more questions, nurturing my curiosity.

In too many schools, curiosity is stifled. When students ask "why," the reply is often "we don't have time for that—we have to do math." But taking time to answer those whys is exactly how learning happens and youth voice is acknowledged. Adults' responses can either spark or extinguish curiosity and that’s a pretty deep why for why we started out schools. This is just a sample of the many ‘whys’ for starting The Met and Met Sacramento addressed in my talk.

A Visit with Frank Wilson

The day before graduation I took a drive from Sacramento to Grass Valley and caught up with Frank Wilson, a former BPL board member and dear friend. One thread of our conversation turned to expertise—what it means, where it's going. While expertise in arts, trades, and crafts remains strong, we see influencers posing as experts across social media, fooling many. As the saying goes, "A little learning is a dangerous thing."

Ironically, as technology like AI and robotics advance, many predict the death of craftsmanship. But Rebecca van Bergen, founder of NEST, recently said in Craftsmanship Magazine:

"One of the questions I’m often asked is whether... with robotics and AI, [if] the death of craftsmanship is upon us, and I think we’ve seen the opposite.”

I agree. The more society tries to numb our senses with information, the more we crave using them—craftsmanship answers that call and it is at the cusp of art and science.

Rebecca helps artisans transition from hobby to profession by providing support and networks. But one big gap remains: the time and mentorship required for a young person to master a craft. For years, I’ve tried to connect craftspeople with youth but it’s not easy. Still, I see potential here.

Apprenticeships in Unexpected Places

Frank and I visited Empire Mine California State Park, once among the largest gold mines in the U.S., it closed and was flooded in 1956. The only person working there was a blacksmith—a retired teacher who stumbled into the role when a park blacksmith asked if he wanted to be trained as a volunteer. He said yes, and the rest is history.

This got me thinking: if trades are being practiced at national and state parks, why aren’t youth apprenticing there? It's an opportunity I plan to pursue. Possibly my meeting in Sacramento this past Thursday with Darrell Steinberg can help.

Vintage Guitars, Vintage Planes

Last week my TGIF featured vintage guitars, this week vintage planes. An article by Beth White in Aviation Digest spotlighted Harbor Freight Fellow Emma Cornett and her work with Habitat for Aviation—a great example of connecting young people with industry. Although the cover features vintage planes, what Emma does is state of the art.

As I prepared for my Met Sac talk, I revisited two student stories written by Vicki. Lola interned with CalTrans’ Aeronautics Division, revising the “Guide for California Aviation Law Enforcement,” a publication untouched since 2002. She researched and updated laws and regulations. Meanwhile, Noah apprenticed with a bespoke shoemaker, turning his love of shoes into an introduction to the art of shoemaking. Both are real-world examples of students finding meaningful paths through internships and the crafts.

Frank Fat’s and the Big Picture Vault

Before heading home, I finally visited Frank Fat’s, Andrea’s relatives’ legendary Sacramento restaurant—famous for great food and political deals made on napkins, located right across from the Capitol. The food was great.

Andrew recently asked about Learning Journeys, a documentary we started when The Met launched, inspired by the "Seven-Up" films, following 14 youth every seven years. We made two episodes before funding dried up. While searching for those films, I found The Big Picture Learning Vault—videos from 1996-2004—and sent it to him. Another piece to add to the puzzle as we prepare for the 30th Anniversary of Big Picture and The Met.

Happy Pops Day to all the Pops!

Plenty, plenty, bye, bye.