Dan Beard Council, Scouting America Celebrates Grand Opening of Dever Family Foundation Skilled Trades Education Center

Story courtesy of Game Day Communications

LOVELAND, OH –Dan Beard Council, Scouting America officially opened the Dever Family Foundation Skilled Trades Education Center, located at Camp Friedlander, 581 Ibold Road, Loveland, OH 45140, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 24. The new 10,000-square-foot facility represents a significant investment in youth workforce development across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

The Dever Family Foundation Skilled Trades Education Center is designed to inspire and prepare young people for careers in construction trades, engineering, and hands-on technical fields through immersive, age-appropriate learning experiences.

The facility includes hands-on workstations for carpentry, electrical wiring, plumbing, and fabrication, all designed with safety-first features that mirror professional shop environments. The center will serve more than 1,000 Scouts and community participants annually.

“This Dever Family Foundation Skilled Trades Education Center reflects the evolving mission of Scouting to prepare young people for life,” said Andy Zahn, Scout Executive, President & CEO of Dan Beard Council, Scouting America. “By connecting Scouting experiences with real-world skills and career pathways, we are helping youth explore high-demand professions while building confidence, leadership, and practical knowledge.”

The project is made possible through a partnership between Dan Beard Council, Scouting America and the Dever Family Foundation, along with dozens of individual and organizational supporters whose generosity helped bring the vision to life.

In addition to Scouting merit badge instruction, the center is designed to host community programs, workforce partner demonstrations, corporate volunteer days, and industry-led learning sessions. The curriculum integrates career exploration with Scouting advancement, introducing youth to skilled trades fields facing critical workforce shortages nationwide.

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About Dan Beard Council, Scouting America

Dan Beard Council, Scouting America is the region’s largest youth organization serving 10,000 youth and mobilizing over 3,500 volunteers each year in 12 counties serving Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

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