About the Program

More than woodworking.
Skills for what comes next.

Guided by the Grain is Deeply Ingrained's paid youth mentorship and workforce readiness program. Designed for young people ages 14–22, it combines hands-on woodworking, mentoring, workplace skill-building, and paid work experiences.

Participants learn to operate professional tools, manage projects from concept to completion, and develop the work ethic, communication skills, and character needed to succeed—in the trades or in any career path they choose.

This isn't a class. It's a real work experience designed to prepare young people for what comes next.

Who is this for?

Guided by the Grain is for young people ages 14–22 in the Indianapolis area who are ready to work and want a real start on what comes next, especially those who've had a harder road getting there.

  • You want a paying job and real work experience
  • You're committed to finishing high school, and we'll help you get there
  • You're coming back from a setback, including time in detention, and want a fresh start
  • You're curious about the trades or just aren't sure what's next yet
  • No woodworking experience needed. Transportation, food, or other barriers? Talk to us, we'll work on it together.
Start your application →
Results

Since 2023, real paychecks.

16
teens and young adults employed
$104,759
in wages paid
100%
high school graduation rate

Where our graduates go: college (one stayed on with us as an Alumni Mentor), straight into the workforce, full-time work and trades apprenticeships starting in January 2027, welding school, and beauty school. Most participants earn CPR and First Aid certification.

Basic needs first. If basic needs aren't met, nothing else we do matters. We feed our youth, help with clothing, have helped with rent, and connect youth and families to other services when they need them. In 2026 we started building our own basic needs scholarship fund so help is ready when it's needed.

Program Experience

What participants can expect

Guided by the Grain combines hands-on learning, mentoring, workplace preparation, and paid experience. Participants move among these areas based on their skills, readiness, and current opportunities.

Tool Safety & Woodworking Foundations
Learn safe tool use, woodworking fundamentals, and how to approach projects with care and confidence.
Project Skills & Creative Problem-Solving
Build practical skills through increasingly challenging projects, planning, measuring, and hands-on problem-solving.
Workplace & Life Readiness
Practice communication, timeliness, responsibility, teamwork, and goal-setting with support from Deeply Ingrained staff.
Paid Work Experience
Help prepare materials, support community workshops, contribute to production work, and encourage younger participants.
Real Work Experience
Take on real responsibilities and build a work history, with accomplishments and references you can put on job applications and resumes.
Applications & Resumes
Write your resume, practice job and school applications, and prepare for interviews, with one-on-one support from our staff.

Have questions?

Ask us anything about Guided by the Grain: how it works, schedules, pay, or whether it's a fit.

Ask a question →
Our Framework

What participants build

Deeply Ingrained uses the Five Cs of Positive Youth Development—Competence, Confidence, Connection, Character, and Caring—to help young people build strengths that extend beyond the woodshop.

Competence
Confidence
Connection
Character
Caring
Learn About Our Approach →