Here at Dunn, we take pride in our Seattle community and aim to highlight the good work of local organizations. Sawhorse Revolution is a Seattle-based non-profit that gives teens hands-on carpentry experience by building needed structures in their communities.
Today we’re shining a spotlight on Sawhorse Revolution, their community building projects, and the impact they’ve had on the young people of Seattle.
Building confidence through carpentry
Sawhorse Revolution's mission is to foster confident, community-oriented youth through the power of carpentry and craft. The organization teaches free-of-cost carpentry and design programs to teens, pairing them with industry professionals to build needed structures in their community.
The organization defines the power of carpentry as having the agency to make a tangible, visible change in the world. As teens make something beneficial for the community around them, they grow in personal confidence—which is really the backbone of the Sawhorse Revolution.
Improving the community together
What truly defines a Sawhorse Revolution project is that it can’t be done alone. As any carpenter or tradesperson knows, our work is collaborative— it takes many hands to lift a wall. Sawhorse Revolution began as a summer camp outside of Arlington, Washington, where they taught teens technical skills like measuring, cutting, and installing a board. While building an octagonal treehouse wrapped around a tree trunk, thirty feet up in the forest canopy, teens learned teamwork, communication, delegation, and leadership.
Now based in South Seattle, Sawhorse Revolution has brought the collective nature of construction to teens through after-school programs and summer learning series. And by holding programs outside school hours, they've maximized accessibility for even more teens to benefit.
This past spring, Sawhorse Revolution students held a community input night in their New Holly neighborhood, identified priorities in their area, and designed and built a gorgeous seating structure and fence in Shaffer Park. Now their young siblings have a place to climb and play, or sit and watch as the older kids play basketball—and the fence keeps the balls from rolling down into the street!
Since 2020, Sawhorse Revolution has focused on partnering with and supporting food justice organizations to address issues of environmental justice. Currently, they are in the design phase of a project with Black Star Farmers, and another for Yəhaẃ Indigenous Creatives Collective. Sawhorse is also in pre-construction for a large project for Heron’s Nest Outdoor Education, and construction is underway on a build for Hip Hop Is Green’s Cherry Street Farm.
Creating lasting impact for Seattle youth
While Sawhorse Revolution is making a visible impact around the city, the true success of the organization is measured by the development of the participants. Sawhorse Revolution gives the teens a self-assessment at the start and end of the program to reflect on their individual growth. They also present their designed or built structure to the community, sharing what they’ve learned, and celebrating their work.
The program has even seen participants grow in their career goals. Alums have come back to Sawhorse Revolution asking for a letter of recommendation for their college applications, and to be connected with a company for an internship or job opportunity. This year alone, Sawhorse Revolution had three participants start programs at UW in Civil Engineering.
Sawhorse Revolution is leading by example in community outreach and youth development. To learn more about Sawhorse Revolution check out their website and sign up for their newsletter.

Photo credit: Michael B Maine