What do you do when your toaster or lamp starts acting wonky?  Throw it out and buy a new one...  How about if your clothes rip?  Bring them to a seamstress or just buy a new outfit...  Or what if your stomach is grumbling for a tasty meal?  Off to the grocery store once more to purchase a pre-prepared dish...

In today's modern world, most of us expect the products and services we desire to be available at a moment's notice, using dollars to replace the skills our grandparents once expertly employed to fix parts or garments and make goods from scratch.

It was this realization that the joys of learning and participating in self-sufficiency were now being left behind, that came to the attention of Joann Kerr, who co-founded Sustainable Northeast Seattle, when she was researching the "Transition Town" located in her hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Transition Town initiatives take to heart the values of sustainability, integrating them into a holistic vision of resilient, localized communities that work together to build projects and define pathways to a future that affirms life for all for the present and future generations.  Sustainable NE Seattle has adopted this model.

While reading about Ann Arbor's group, Joann discovered a recent skill share day that had been put together in one small room.  She was inspired by the power of the wisdom shared there and immediately recalled the skills of sewing and mending clothing that her mother had taught her as a child.  But these skills had become rusty over time and were no longer being passed down to her own children.

After telling this story to the members of Sustainable NE Seattle, a plan was hatched to organize the first Hands On Skills Fair in February of 2011.  A notice was sent out to the group's members looking for teachers to host classes.

"At first people felt like they had to be an expert in order to teach, but then we explained that if you've done this a few times, and you feel pretty confident doing it, there are plenty of people who don't know how to do this at all- and you can help one another," says Joann.

It was this fundamental message of having fun working together, while bridging the intergenerational gap with old teaching young and young teaching old, that was the driving force behind the community fair.  And as this idea took root, the list of skills to be offered began to flourish.  By the end, it included basket weaving, bike repair, herbal lotions, soap making, rolling sushi, and baking bread among many others.

To host these skill-share classes, Sustainable NE Seattle used their strong relationship with the Ravenna Eckstein and Meadowbrook community centers to utilize the spaces at no cost. In 2011, Susan Gregory, co-leader of the event, applied for and received a Small Sparks Grant from the Department of Neighborhoods which provided $1000 to the organization that paid for materials and allowed for the classes to be free. For this year's Fair, in order to avoid the oversaturation of grant requests, a flat entrance fee of $15 dollars for the day was required.

However, since some could only attend one class arose, next year's fair might include a sliding scale.  Most classes, though, provide participants with a tangible product, like a woven basket or even a year's supply of soap, making the price is well worth it!

Though only in its second year, the Hands On Skills Fair has been a huge success with many classes filling up and waitlists forming far in advance. The community spaces were set up with one collective area for trying out fun things like tool sharpening and electronic tinkering, while individual rooms were used for skill classes such as candle dipping or making cheese. 

At this year's fair, there was also a children's space where kids could learn basic skills through such activities as cooking pancakes, valentine card making, and using saws. And after a fulfilling day of sharing, learning, and doing for all, the new knowledge and connections formed are celebrated by joining together for a festive community potluck!