Generation NEXT: How to Get Involved

As you may have heard, This Old House has partnered with the mikeroweWORKS Foundation in a nationwide effort to increase the pipeline of skilled workers in America. We’re so deeply committed to this program, in fact, that we’re harnessing all of our media assets to elevate the building trades as a rewarding career path and to help raise money for the mikeroweWORKS Foundation’s Work Ethic Scholarship program.

Thanks to the generosity of our charter supporters, we’ve raised $500,000 for mikeroweWORKS scholarships to date. And we’re just getting started.

For the 2017-2018 season of This Old House, we’re buying a home and renovating it in real time across all of our platforms. Profit from the sale of this house will be used to fund more mikeroweWORKS scholarships. We’re also launching a nationwide casting call for the next generation of talent—three apprentices who will learn from and work alongside our TOH TV crew. We’ll fly them in, house them, pay them a stipend for a 10-week summer apprenticeship, and feature their stories on TOH TV.

The response to this new program has been astounding! We’ve received hundreds of letters from TOH fans wanting to learn more about our efforts and how they can help. There are lots of ways that individuals, associations, and businesses—large and small—can get involved:

• Help spread the word by following us on Facebook and Twitter and sharing our Generation Next posts to your own social communities. Or, we can provide you with links to TOH-produced content if you send your email address to [email protected]
   
• Read more about what other professionals are saying about the skilled labor shortage in the building industry on our Generation NEXT Letters page, and share your stories at thisoldhouse.com/GenNext-forum
   
• Apply for a mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarship (starting in mid-March, 2017) at mikeroweWORKS.org/scholarship
   
• Enter our Apprentice Casting Call for the chance to work with our pros at thisoldhouse.com/TOHapprentice
   
• Become a major supporter (minimum $25,000) and receive recognition in TOH Generation Next promotional print, TV and digital media. For more information, email our CEO Eric Thorkilsen at [email protected]
   
• Contribute directly to mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarships (any size donation welcome!) at mikeroweworks.org/giving-page
   
• To donate product needed for the renovation of our Generation Next Project House and featured in 16 TOH TV episodes, print and digital, contact [email protected]

We welcome your involvement, and look forward to your support!