Fort Liard (Feb 10/06) - A new program at Echo Dene school that targets at-risk students has received an extra boost.

Duke Energy Gas Transmission donated $7,500 to the Dehcho Divisional Education Council to be used for the trades program in Fort Liard.

The funding has been put towards buying supplies and equipment, including a drill press, table saw, sliding compound mitre saw, jointer and planer.

"It's very expensive, some of that equipment," said Don Fitzpatrick, the school's principal, who applied for the grant.

All of the equipment is used by students from Grades 7 to 9 who are having difficulties with academic studies.

The program, launched in November, has eight registered students who spend the morning doing shop activities and the afternoon studying academic subjects such as math, English, science and career and program planning.

The program was perfectly suited for funding from the Duke Energy Foundation because it fit the three qualifications of education, competitive workforce and community vitality, said Angus Dickie, the Duke Energy community co-ordinator for the Fort Nelson area.

"I was quite impressed," Dickie said about the program after visiting the school.

"The students are excited about the equipment," said Pat Marche, the teacher for the program.

Starting the new program was difficult for some of the students.

"There was a little bit of apprehension in the beginning," said Marche.

Marche started by teaching the students about the machines and how to use them safely.

Students began by practising on little projects that required different tools.

One of the earliest projects, making a cut-out of a wooden key as a key hanger, taught students to use a table saw, band saw and oscillating sander, said Marche.

So far, participants have completed five projects.

They gain confidence every time as they learn to use new tools, said Marche.

Entertainment units and coffee tables are the next projects. The end goal is to build up the skills necessary to construct a building for a training centre in the spring.

"It's getting to the point where other students want to take the course," said Marche.

Because Marche teaches the students all day, he is able to apply the academic lessons to the shop projects to make them more relevant.

The program is important, said Marche, because it gives the students life skills even if they don't decide to enter a trade.

"It gives them a broader spectrum of choices," he said.