Kathleen - Teachers.Net
welcomes Mr. Jim Westall. As a special education teacher in Port Townsend,
WA, Jim recognized a need to provide his students with employment beyond
school. Within several years he turned a classroom bead-stringing project
into a nonprofit company ("Skookum Jump Rope Company") that produces jump
ropes and sells them to school districts and retailers across the country.
Kathleen - Jim, Why
did you decide to start a jump rope company?
SkookumJim - Well...I
found that my students had no place to go after they graduated from High
School. So...I started my own business
Kathleen - Why the
name "Skookum"?
SkookumJim - Skookum
is a northwest Native American word meaning "well made""
Kathleen - What disabilities
do your employees have? Can they jump?
SkookumJim - Some
can, but most have very severe disabilities
Kathleen - How many
jump ropes can they make in a day?
SkookumJim - some
make only one and some make thousands
Kathleen - Do your
employees make other products?
SkookumJim - yes,
we make sidewalk games and a Native American game called "the Beaver Tooth
Game"
Kathleen - How much
exercise does a person really get from jumping rope?
SkookumJim - 10 minutes
of jumping is worth 30 minutes running
Kathleen - Do you
sell your jump ropes exclusively to schools? Or do you sell them to other
places?
SkookumJim - We are
trying very hard to employ as many people as possible
Kathleen - Do you
sell your jump ropes exclusively to schools? Or do you sell them to other
places?
SkookumJim - We sell
jump ropes to schools and to retail stores across the country
Kathleen - What if
I wanted to buy a jump rope? Can I get one from you?
SkookumJim - two
great ways just go to our web site at http://www.olympus.net/skookum/
or call toll free 1-800-255-9526
Kathleen - How can
schools make money making jump ropes? What is your school house special?
SkookumJim - well
we sell bulk handles, beads and ropes and the kids can make the ropes and
sell them to other kids or have them for a jump-a-thon or just buy them
Kathleen - About
how much money could a school make with this "Schoolhouse" fund raiser?
SkookumJim - a school
could make $300 on each kit and have great fun in the process. people can
call John Burke, or manager at 1-800 255 9526
Kathleen - How can
disabled people make money making jump ropes?
SkookumJim - Well,
many schools have the special ed kids make the ropes to sell to the PE
dept. or to other kids and then the special ed kids earn the money and
learn ho to do "real" work
SkookumJim - This
is actually how we got started
Kathleen - Do you
have any suggestions on how a school would go about conducting a "make
your own jump ropes" fundraiser? (anything in adddtion to what you have
offered already?)
SkookumJim - Many
times it is done with the PTA or PTO at a school..The best way to start
is to send us an e-mail at skookumedu@olympus.net or call John at 1-800255
9526
Kathleen - Jim, is
that you pictured in the photo on the first page of your company's web
site at http://www.olympus.net/skookum/index.htm
?
SkookumJim - John
has built a great web site
Kathleen - Is John
here with us?
SkookumJim - Yes
JJB - Yes I had a
lot of help
Kathleen - Jim, tell
us about your teaching career. Are you still teaching?
SkookumJim - No,
I taught for 22 years Special education I left in 1993
Kathleen - Is John
an educator?
chabot - What're
the jump ropes made of?
JJB - No I have worked
for Jim for last 5 years.
Kathleen - What are
the jump ropes made out of?
SkookumJim - actually
it's plastic or cotton
JJB - Jumps ropes
are made of beatiful colored beads on a nylon twine rope.
Kathleen - So they
are beads?
Kathleen - How many
people does the company employ?
SkookumJim - our
company now has 169 employees
JJB - Yes and we
also make a cotton rope and a speed rope out of plastic tubing.
Kathleen - What proportion
of the employees are "disabled" and are any of the disabled in management
positions?
SkookumJim - we maintain
75% disabled
Kathleen - management?
SkookumJim - yes
we do have disables among the management.
Skye - Is there a
high turn over in your business? How long do most disabled employees last?
Sara/k/Tx - How much
do these jump rope usually sell for each?
SkookumJim - we have
many of the same employees but we do try to place people in the community
as we can
Kathleen - Jim, tell
us about the award the Skookum Company received.
JJB - Check web site
for prices.
SkookumJim - Skookum
won an award for the best new toy line in 1995
Kathleen - What group
initiated the award?
SkookumJim - It was
"Doctor Toy" at the NY Toy Fair
Kathleen - Would
you give just a price range? We'll get specifics from the site later :-)
SkookumJim - $1.20-$15.00
Kathleen - Jim, the
prices beginning at $1.20 are for materials or for finished product?
SkookumJim - That
is for a finished Jump rope 7 feet long
Kathleen - In addition
to visiting your web site at http://www.olympus.net/skookum/index.htm
how can people obtain more information?
SkookumJim - just
give a call 1-800255-9526 9-5 M-F or just stop by when you are in Port
Townsend Washington...we love guests
Sara/k/Tx - Can you
tell us about the game called "Beaver Tooth Game"? How is it played?
SkookumJim - The
game is a "bone game" with a great illustrated book.
Kathleen - Jim, how
did you obtain start-up funds?
SkookumJim - I borrowed
money against my house
Skye - John, what
is your position at Skookum? Do you work with the disabled? Do the disabled
like their work?
SkookumJim - Sara.
the game is played by throwing beaver teeth and how they land you collect
bones and he with the most bones wins...
Kathleen - Jim, it's
interesting that you were recognized for a traditional toy that has disappeared
and is now being re-introduced :-)
Skye - John, What
is your position at Skookum? Who teaches the diabled to make jump ropes
and games? Do the disabled like their work?
JJB - I am the manager.With
the help of a small staff we help teach the employees how to make ropes.
Kathleen - Do you
have any anecdote you would like to share about experiences with employees?
Do any of your employees attend school programs during non-work hours?
JJB - The employees
love their work and take much pride in their completed products.
SkookumJim - The
game is an authentic game from the first people of the northwest and it
is played by two people or two teams. You roll the teeth and count how
they land and they you get bones.
Kathleen - Jim and
John, what are your long range goals (and dreams) for the Skookum venture?
JJB - Steve is an
emloyee who speaks very little. With the help of facilitated communication
he stated that a part of him is in every rope. He makes approximately 75
ropes a day.
SkookumJim - Well,
my dream is to have a company that is a supportive, loving caring place
for people to work, that employes people af all abilities and beliefs and
can provide a living wage for all. With a management style that is inclusive
Kathleen - Do you
produce any audio-visual materials? tapes, videos?
SkookumJim - we do
have a book and audio tape on jumproping. both are playful and fun
JJB - I would love
to see a program that has people with disabilities waiting in line to be
here from all over the country.
Kathleen - Is there
any plan (hope?) that Skookum will have branches in other locations ("franchising")?
Kathleen - Perhaps
add to your product line? a catalog full? :-)
SkookumJim - not
at this point. but we are very open to any ideas
Kathleen - Have any
public agencies from outside of your local area taken an interest in your
enterprise and its results, perhaps with an eye toward emulating your model?
SkookumJim - John
has been working very hard with PE teachers..I know that one of our main
goals is to get into as many Calif schools as possible
SkookumJim - Yes
we have started other projects across Washington State but not jump ropes
Kathleen - Are you
involved in any way with jump rope demonstrations (jumping rope)
chabot - Do most
of your disabled employees come from WA?
JJB - We are expecting
an exeptional jump rope squad from Texas in March.
Kathleen - Jim, what
other projects across Washington State do you refer to?
SkookumJim - Yes
all of the disables come from Washington. When we had 60 openings last
year we had 400 applications
Skye - Do any of
your disabled employees engage in marketing the jump ropes and games?
JJB - We also jump
ourselves outside our building here in Port Townsend.
Kathleen - Have you
sponsored a special olympics jump rope team perhaps?
SkookumJim - We have
seven divisions to our company. we do varied things from recycling, federal
contracting, eldercare facilities, wine bottle reuse, and welfare to work
training
SkookumJim - Yes,
many of our employees work with special olympics..
JJB - One employee
has spoken with me to the chamber of commerce. Others join in jumping outside
of our buiolding as awayu to promote us locally and break up the work day.
Kathleen - It's time
to close the meeting, but I would like to thank Jim Westall and John of
Skookum Jump Rope Co for sharing this inspiring project with us at Teachers.Net.
Jim, would you post the url and toll free number once more?
SkookumJim - Yes,
Thank you Kathleen http://www.olympus.net/skookum/
1-800-255-9526 It's been great fun
Kathleen - I have
already shared your fundraising information with my local PTO and look
forward to spreading the word even more!
Kathleen - Is there
anything you would like to add before we log off?
SkookumJim - Yes,
please pratice celebrating diversity
Kathleen - Jim, a
wonderful message, thanks. Goodnight all, thanks for a good topic. Skye,
thank you for the leg-work, and I'll watch for your next communication.
:-) Good night! Best of Luck to Skookum!
